Centralized Management for Special Events?

The Tacoma City Council's Government Performance and Finance Committee is proposing a new partnership with Metro Parks that would consolidate production of major events city-wide.

Under the proposal related to the committee this morning, the City of Tacoma would create a new Office of Special Events. This department would "develop an efficient, user-friendly event permit system" and provide a centralized operational planning process for new and major special events. Metro Parks believes that this approach would yield a "more effective, strategic approach to festival production in Tacoma" beginning as early as next calendar year.

The proposal is an ambitious one that merits strong consideration. The BIA has previously highlighted the lack of a unified approach to events in downtown Tacoma--a gap in the overall fabric of services that, if filled, might help bring "more feet on the street" downtown. Still, the proposal recommends higher fees for non-profits wanting to field events--an idea sure to draw fire from those sources--and many citizens will question whether a board of City and Metro Parks staffers (as currently proposed) is really the right body to decide which special events happen or don't happen in public spaces.

By the way, this proposal would impact major public events like Showcase Tacoma, community festivals and neighborhood events but not "free speech" events or ongoing activities such as sidewalk vending (if we ever have any vendors, that is)...