A PROPOSED FIX for the city’s special events is suffering an identity crisis. Some call it an overreaction to the Mardi Gras violence, a poorly written law that won’t survive a court challenge, and a full-employment act for city bureaucrats.
However, to one of the folks who drafted the proposal, it is “almost perfect.” That’s Chris Martin, a member of the task force reviewing the special events aspects of the Mardi Gras riot, praising his own handiwork at a recent Seattle City Council committee meeting. Several other task force members seconded his claim that the changes to the law would help, not hinder, the special events permitting process.
Others are less impressed. Council member Nick Licata likens the heavy-handed proposal to “shooting flies with a .45.”
At issue is the definition of “special event.” The new language encompasses any event that uses a park or public area or has a “significant impact” on the same. Currently, about 250 events are required to obtain city permits—Licata argues the broader definition of “special event” could mean that up to 2,000 events would now have to negotiate the permit process. “What are we trying to do here?” he asks.
He’ll have a little more time to seek answers—owing to the late distribution of the proposed changes, the council’s Public Safety Committee postponed action on them until its Sept. 5 meeting.
Council members aren’t the only ones concerned about the legislation; the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington is currently reviewing free expression issues raised by the city’s special events regulations and wants the council to shelve this matter until their study is complete. The group is concerned that the proposal would give city officials too much latitude to impose conditions or to deny permits altogether.
Local attorney Dave Osgood delivered a more ominous warning. He says he’s made “a cottage industry” out of mounting civil rights challenges to poorly written city laws. The proposed changes may be bad law, says Osgood, but at least they’ll be good for business—his business.
James Bush jbush@seattleweekly.com
