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Downtown Naples festivals permitted — for now
Some City Council members want event organizers to provide financial records on how money is spent, raised
LEXEY SWALL-BOBAY / Staff
Hundreds of pedestrians walk up and down Fifth Avenue South during the 12th Annual Downtown Naples New Year's Weekend Art Fair. The Naples City Council is paying closer attention to organizations seeking to use city property.
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The artists will paint, the bands will play and the parades will roll on next season.
But event organizers may have to meet new criteria for city of Naples permits in the future, and if some council members have their way, that will include financial statements for money spent and made during events on city property.
For now, events scheduled through May 2009 will be allowed to move forward, including events with applications already submitted and events that were held last year, said City Manager Bill Moss after the meeting. But council also agreed that no new special events should be approved at this time, he added.
After tackling special events and street closures at a workshop Monday, council members directed the Community Services Advisory Board to draft permit criteria; those requirements will be presented to council in August or September for a decision.
But just what the criteria will be sparked debate, especially when Councilwoman Dee Sulick suggested that organizations be required to submit financial statements for events.
“I think if city property is going to be used, we should at least have some idea of the revenue that is generated,” Sulick said.
Dave Lykins, Community Services director, said that in the past, when the city asked event sponsors for financial statements, “it became very touchy” because some resisted giving out that information. Lykins also mentioned the diversity of groups that hold events downtown, including charities, concert bands, churches and merchant associations.
Council members John Sorey, Bill Willkomm and Penny Taylor favored the financial statement idea, arguing that all groups, no matter how small, are aware of how much they spend and make on events.
Mayor Bill Barnett and Councilman Gary Price spoke out against the financial statement idea, with Price calling it “big brother at its worst.” Councilwoman Teresa Heitmann said she felt that the topic would need more discussion.
Council did agree that parking plans should be included in the permit criteria, as well as requirements for vendors to park off-site, information directing visitors to off-site parking and shuttle services for those visitors.
Other ideas included traffic access data, event frequency and expected attendance estimates.
During public comment, residents, business owners and event organizers stepped up to the podium.
“I moved to the district ... to participate in the vitality, the activities, the liveliness in a walkable downtown area,” said Alan Ryker, who lives at 300 Fifth St. S. “The vast majority of the people who I know who live in that area live there for that very reason.”
City resident Doug Finlay agreed that street fairs and special events are important, but added that “some street fairs are too crowded with booths, too much money leaves our city ... (and) city government receives too little compensation.”
Finlay pointed to the Downtown Naples Association’s art festivals, which the organization hires a third-party, for-profit organization, Howard Alan, to run.
“We don’t have the staff or the expertise to run those festivals,” countered Jim Goehler, Downtown Naples Association director. “We get paid some money from that private person and we use that money to run our organization, which is not for profit.”
That money is funneled back into events and marketing for the downtown area, and the organization would be willing to provide financial statements, Goehler added.
Business owners stressed the importance of the special events for their businesses and the vitality of the downtown shopping districts, as well as to promote visitors who boost the area’s economy.
“The art fairs bring a lot of business to our street, people who eat in our restaurants, stay in our hotels, and shop in our colorful stores,” said Beth Ressler, owner of Wind in the Willows on Fifth Avenue South. “Let’s please work together so we can continue to have our tradition.”
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I can't imagine what difference a financial statement would make in terms of judging event sponsors. What if I want to stage an event that loses $1,000,000 every year? If I can afford it, so what? I think the City can figure out much more relevant criteria for determining licensing of any event. Also, the events give life to the City, don't mess them up.
#1 Posted by sentom26 on May 5, 2008 at 11:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The way it looks to me is these artists stay in our hotels, eat in our rest. and shop at our stores along with bring people to our downtown....cancel events? Is council CRAZY???? Why even consider it???? Seems to me all people want to complain about is parking...shuttle vendors from off site parking once they unpack and back again is that so difficult.To those rest. that complain...hello open your bars and serve alcohol, the men need something to do while wives shop not to mention many women could use an ice cold margarita in the heat of shopping, maybe offer a cheeseburger and or basic salad. Learn how to make money with little investment.Try just opening bar first, once you see what that does you will offer limited lunches the next time.To those shops that might complain, you need to close, with an audience that big if you can't do something with them, you are not a business person, CLOSE SHOP! I shop 5th on a reg. basis and if the employees did not park on the street it would be empty!Canceling events isn't the answer, working towards solutions to benifit everyone is!!! A NEW CONCEPT!!!
#2 Posted by oilcansam on May 5, 2008 at 11:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sure wonder how much per booth plus food vendors Howard Allan takes in and how much the Downtown Ass'n gets from him. Obviously the City gets the police and clean up tabs and little more for the use of the public real estate. Sounds like another $1.00 deal like Naples Municipal Airport.
#3 Posted by chap914 on May 5, 2008 at 11:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
it's called CULTURE! In every major city and small town there are festivals, art displays, flea markets etc. GET WITH IT, NAPLES.
I can't even believe I'm reading this.
#4 Posted by NaplesTeacher on May 5, 2008 at 11:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I can believe it. This is just another fine example of the City Council kowtowing to the wannabe nuveau riche folks in Ye Olde Naples who continue to complain about "outsiders" invading "their" part of Naples.
Here's an idea: Let's just put up a 40-foot-tall concrete wall around Ye Olde Naples (properly decorated so it doesn't clash with the homes, of course) and let the whiney riche folks have it to themselves. That way, the rest of us can enjoy ourselves and what Naples has to offer. (No doors or windows in the wall, though. Can't have the whiney riche folk getting out and spoiling Naples for the rest of us "poor folk".)
#5 Posted by GatorHater07 on May 6, 2008 at 7:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
An artist told us they pay between $350-400 for a space, were 300 artists in the showwe went to, according to the coverage in the NDN. 112,000 dolars and there have to be four or five of these events on 5th Avenue.
So lets say it's 5 thats $562,500 in income for the use of a public street. I heard that the 5th Avenue Association gets less than 100,000. So where does the other 400,000 go???
#6 Posted by kneejerk on May 6, 2008 at 8:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ha ha this place gets stupider each day, wheres the Khymer Rouge when you need them? seems like some city council beheadings are in order. lol
#7 Posted by jagerfrogger on May 6, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It isn't the councils business how much those vendors make! They will report it on their 1040 at the end of the year! This council is way out of line! I will remember this on election day!
#8 Posted by KR on May 6, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
kneejerk:
Your question in #6 is a good one. Wonder where the $$$ goes. I know a few of the artists who show in these fairs. Sales has dropped off for some. One told me she is giving up these fairs altogether and sticking to galleries in other states. She said the reputation of Naples being "art friendly" is inflated just like the real estate values were. Galleries here are also pretty unfriendly to "local" artists also, unless you count the ones that charge the artist a significant fee for the privilege of showing their work.
I agree with her. When visiting some local galleries the noses are so far in the air that they ignore ordinary looking people. Guess that is OK for now because we are almost out of wall space for more original art. We collect American impressionist work and prefer oils and pastel paintings. Too bad the local galleries are so snobby. Now when I go on business trips to Chicago or New York or to small town America, I find some really friendly folks in the galleries.
Naples is too self absorbed any more to be "art friendly". Bonita Springs and St. Petersburg seem to be more welcoming.
#9 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on May 6, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Naples "self absorbed"? Gee - I would never have noticed.
Rich people trying to impress one another and the rest of us that are simply "allowed" to be here in a service position
#10 Posted by michigansteve on May 6, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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