TO: LINDA REICH, CITY MANAGER
FROM: JACKIE MELENDEZ, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT
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Amending Chapter 10.64 of the Chino Municipal Code.
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Approve the Introduction of Ordinance No. 2025-008 amending Chapter 10.64 of the Chino Municipal Code regulating Parades and Special Events, to be read by number and title only, and waive further reading of the Ordinance.
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FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact.
CITY OF CHINO MISSION / VISION / VALUES / STRATEGIC ISSUES
The recommendation detailed above further the City’s values and strategic issues that serve as key pillars on which identified priorities, goals, and action plans are built, by fostering:
• Positive City Image
• Superior Customer Service
• Financial Stability
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BACKGROUND
The City of Chino is home to a wide range of special events that contribute to the quality of life in the City, while supporting local nonprofits, businesses and community-based organizations. These events provide residents with the opportunity to live, work, and play in the vibrant City of Chino. In addition to fostering a culture of community engagement, special events also contribute to Chino’s economic development by attracting visitors, increasing foot traffic to our local businesses, and generating revenue.
Currently, staff are responsible for reviewing, processing, and approving special event permit applications in accordance with Chapter 10.64 of the Chino Municipal Code (CMC), which governs special event permits. The application process impacts nearly all City Departments including Police, Finance, Administration, Community Services, Parks and Recreation, Development Services, Human Resources/Risk Management, and Public Works. The process also impacts and requires review by outside agencies such as the Chino Valley Fire District and San Bernardino County, which governs events held at Prado Regional Park.
The internal procedures and relevant provisions of the CMC Chapter 10.64 have not been updated since 2017. Over the years, the volume and diversity of special events have grown significantly, reflecting evolving trends and innovative event layouts. This growth has highlighted the need to modernize the approach to ensuring staff deliver high quality customer service while maintaining a manageable and sustainable process for staff.
Over the past twelve months, staff conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the special event permitting process and the relevant code sections. This included collaboration with all City Departments, Special Events Committee members, external agencies such as the Chino Valley Fire District and San Bernardino County Regional Parks, as well as engagement with past special event organizers. The evaluation also included a comprehensive analysis of special event provisions in neighboring cities such as Riverside, Moreno Valley, Ontario, Chino Hills, Corona, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Eastvale, Irvine, and San Bernardino County. The goal was to identify opportunities for process improvement and modernization. Through comprehensive analysis and interdepartmental collaboration, staff found that the CMC Chapter 10.64 contains redundant processes that hinder the approval for special event permits in a timely manner and create undue liability and risk for the City. The proposed revisions address these issues, ensuring the CMC Chapter 10.64 effectively supports both City operations and the needs of special event organizers.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
To address these issues and ensure the City continues to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public while supporting a thriving special event culture, staff recommends amending CMC Chapter 10.64 related to special event permits. The proposed amendments aim to streamline the permitting process, redefine and clarify requirements, ensure appropriate cost recovery, and reflect the diverse nature of today’s special events. To the extent the revised ordinance calls for new/increased permit fees, the new/increased fees will not take effect until such time as the Council approves revisions to the City’s master fee resolution.
The following is a summary of proposed amendments to the CMC Chapter 10.64 Parades and Special Events:
1) Committee Name - Amend Chapter 10.64.020 to update the official title of the oversight committee to Special Events Committee (SEC).
2) Solicitation - Currently, Chapter 10.64.020 includes provisions related to solicitation at special events. Since solicitation is already regulated in Chapter 12.12 - Regulation of Solicitation in the Public Right-of-Way, staff recommends removing all solicitation related language from Chapter 10.64.020 to avoid redundancy and ensure consistency throughout the code.
3) Definitions - Chapter 10.64.020 currently defines a special event as any ceremony, carnival, show, sporting event, exhibition, pageant, festival, fireworks display, service of alcohol, or similar event that takes place on public property; or any ceremony, carnival, show, sporting event, exhibition, pageant, festival, or similar event on residential property with one hundred or more attendees which may require City resources; or any ceremony, carnival, show, sporting event, exhibition, pageant, festival, fireworks display, or similar event on private property other than residential property with five hundred or more attendees or two hundred fifty or more attendees if alcohol is served which may require City services. To better protect public peace, safety, health, and welfare, staff recommends revising the definition of a special event to include any ceremony, carnival, show, athletic or sporting event, exhibition, pageant, festival, fireworks display, sale and/or service of alcoholic beverages, or similar events upon any public property, right-of-way, sidewalk, or park not designated as a City athletic field located in the City on public property; or any ceremony, carnival, show, sporting event, exhibition, pageant, festival or similar event held at any private residence that is open to the public on residential property, regardless of the number of attendees; or any event such as any ceremony, carnival, show, sporting event, exhibition, pageant, festival, fireworks display, or similar event held at private property other than residential property that is being used beyond that property’s intended land use and is open to the public or serves alcoholic beverages, which may require City resources.
4) Spontaneous Events - Amend Chapter 10.64.020 to add spontaneous events to the definitions as any event involving Expressive Activity that is occasioned by recent news or current affairs coming into public knowledge less than five (5) days prior to such event.
5) Planning Commission - Currently, the special event permit application process includes an extensive review by the SEC, directors, and subject matter experts. All members of the SEC and the City Manager or their designee must approve the special event permit before it is issued. Chapter 10.64.030 currently states that the planning commission shall be charged with approving or denying a special event permit for any parade or special event lasting three consecutive days or longer in duration or for parades or special events with an anticipated attendance of five thousand or more people per day. To issue the special event permit in a timely manner, allowing event organizers to operate promptly, staff recommend amending Chapter 10.64 to remove all language pertaining to the planning commission.
6) Vendors - Amend Chapter 10.64.040 to clarify that any person or business participating as a vendor must obtain a Special Event Vendor Permit, as defined Chapter 5.04.540.
7) Late Applications - Amend Chapter 10.64.050 clarify that it is at the discretion of the SEC to accept or deny late filed applications.
8) Security Deposit - Currently, Chapter 10.64.060 states that the applicant shall be responsible for paying a security deposit that covers charges incurred by City staff, costs of cleaning and restoring the public area of the City upon the conclusion of the parade or special event, or other direct City services to the extent such services are utilized and required due to the parade or special event; applicants are responsible for paying a City services deposit, which covers necessary costs that any Department of the City incurs including, but not limited to, City resource as defined in the CMC Chapter 10.64.020, costs associated with fire safety, traffic and/or pedestrian control, the closure of streets or intersections, additional police services or other emergency services, and any direct costs of the City to provide support personnel, equipment, materials, and supplies. The amount charged for these costs will be the fully burdened rate for each individual at the time the costs are actually incurred. Staff recommend amending Chapter 10.64.060 to consolidate both deposits into a single City services deposit to reduce confusion and eliminate redundancy. Additionally, staff recommends adding waiver appeal provisions and removing the language regarding the fully burdened rate to improve the financial accessibility of hosting an event in Chino.
9) Liability - Amend Chapter 10.64.070 to require applicants to provide a combined hold harmless and indemnification agreement, to better protect the City from liability. While the current language requires only a hold harmless agreement, the proposed amendment would strengthen legal protections by explicitly including indemnification.
10) Rejected Applications - Amend Chapter 10.64.080 to include the applicant’s right to amend a rejected application and remove the requirement that staff act within thirty business days. These revisions would provide staff with the necessary flexibility to conduct a thorough review and potentially approve amended applications.
11) Good Standing - Amend Chapter 10.64.090 to establish that applicants must have satisfied all financial obligations to the City and have no unresolved code violations, as a condition of approval. Additionally, staff recommends adding language that states the application may be denied if the location where the special event is to take place or any property within the City owned, leased, or otherwise used by an applicant contains any violation of this code, any other code adopted by this code, or any state law, or if the applicant has outstanding fees, fines, or other amounts due and owing the City.
12) Appeals - Amend Chapter 10.64.100 to align with the appeal provisions outlined in Chapter 5.04.300 related to business license. This will standardize the appeal process across chapters.
13) Revocation - Amend Chapter 10.64.150 to improve clarity and strengthen provisions related to the special event permit revocation process. These updates will provide clearer guidance and add necessary protections for the City.
All revisions are outlined in the attached Ordinance 2025-008.
Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council approve the introduction of Ordinance No. 2025-008 amending the Chino Municipal Code regulating Parades and Special Events.
Attachment: Attachment A: Ordinance 2025-008
Attachment B: Redline Changes Chapter 10.64