Label
Special Event Safety Zones
Mayors Office and Department of Law
Austin Mack, George Kral, John Madigan x1020
Title
Amending the Toledo Municipal Code by enacting a new Chapter 510, Special Event Safety Zones for public safety purposes during city-sponsored or city-permitted large-scale events; authorizing youth supervision requirements; and declaring an emergency.
Body
SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
The City of Toledo regularly hosts and permits large public gatherings, festivals, concerts, parades, and holiday celebrations that attract significant numbers of residents and visitors. Such events, while beneficial to the community, can present elevated public safety concerns due to high crowd density and require flexible, event-specific public safety measures.
The purpose of this Ordinance is to support safe, family-friendly event environments while reinforcing parental responsibility for younger minors attending certain high-attendance public gatherings. This Ordinance authorizes the establishment of Special Event Safety Zones that may be narrowly tailored to specific events, provides youth supervision requirements during designated peak event hours, and establishes civil penalties for violations of parental responsibility provisions.
It is in the best interest of the City of Toledo to authorize the Mayor, in coordination with event organizers, the Toledo Police Department and other public safety officials, to establish temporary Special Event Safety Zones tailored to specific events, dates, and locations.
Summary
NOW THEREFORE Be it ordained by the Council of the City of Toledo:
SECTION 1. That a new Chapter 510, Special Event Safety Zones, of the Toledo Municipal Code is enacted as follows:
510.01 Definitions.
For purposes of this Ordinance:
(a) “Special Event Safety Zone” means a temporary geographically defined area designated by the Mayor pursuant to this Ordinance, within which enhanced public safety regulations, supervision requirements, and enforcement measures may be implemented for the duration of a special event.
(b) “Special Event” means any city-sponsored or city-permitted public gathering, festival, concert, parade, fireworks display, or similar large-scale event reasonably expected to attract significant attendance and require coordinated public safety planning.
(c) “Minor” means any person under eighteen (18) years of age.
(d) “Peak Safety Hours” means specific time periods designated by the Mayor for each Special Event when crowd density, safety risks, or operational conditions justify enhanced youth supervision requirements.
510.02. Authority to Establish Safety Zones.
(a) The Mayor of the City of Toledo is hereby authorized, in coordination with event organizers, the Division of Police, and other public safety officials, to designate Special Event Safety Zones within the City of Toledo.
(b) The Mayor shall have authority to establish:
• Geographic boundaries of each Safety Zone;
• Dates and times of activation;
• Reasonable public safety rules and operational restrictions necessary to protect public health and safety.
•
510.03. Scope and Duration.
Any Special Event Safety Zone established under this Ordinance shall:
• Be temporary in nature; and
• Be limited to the duration of the event and reasonable setup and takedown periods; and
• Be narrowly tailored to the geographic area necessary to address public safety concerns.
•
510.04. Youth Supervision Requirement
(a) Within any designated Special Event Safety Zone, beginning at a time established by the Mayor for each event, no Minor shall remain within the Zone unless accompanied by:
• A parent or legal guardian; or
• An adult twenty-five (25) years of age or older who has been expressly designated by the parent or legal guardian.
(b) During designated Peak Safety Hours, unaccompanied Minors are prohibited from remaining within a Special Event Safety Zone.
510.05. Enforcement
(a) Any unaccompanied Minor found within a Special Event Safety Zone during Peak Safety Hours may be directed by law enforcement or authorized city personnel to exit the Zone.
(b) Reasonable efforts shall be made to notify a parent, legal guardian, or authorized adult.
(c) Re-entry into the Special Event Safety Zone during Peak Safety Hours shall not be permitted for unaccompanied Minors.
510.06. Violation, Penalties
(a) No parent, legal guardian, custodian or person in control of a minor shall recklessly permit the minor to enter or remain in a Special Event Safety Zone during Peak Safety Hours.
(b) No minor shall recklessly fail or refuse to exit a Special Event Safety Zone after reasonable warning or request to exit the zone.
(c) In addition to other penalties, civil penalties of $250.00 for a first offense and $500.00 for a second offense may be imposed on a parent, legal guardian or custodian of a Minor where a Minor, while within a Special Event Safety Zone, engages in aggravated or illegal conduct that poses a risk to public safety. Such conduct may include, but is not limited to:
• Participation in disorderly or disruptive crowd activity;
• Failure to comply with lawful dispersal orders;
• Possession of alcohol, marijuana, other illegal substances, or a weapon;
• Assaultive or violent behavior.
(d) Whoever violates subsections (a) or (b) of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor fourth degree.
510.07. Appeal, Civil Penalty
(a) Notice of a Civil penalty shall be mailed to the person deemed to be the parent, guardian, or custodian of the minor violating this Chapter. The notice shall state the date, time and location with regards to the violation, as well as include the fines(s) assessed. The notice shall be from the Chief of Police or the Chief’s designated representative.
(b) Any person provided notice may appeal, in writing, to the Safety Director within ten (10) business days of the date indicated in the notice. The appeal must include the reasons for contesting and/or objecting to the notice and/or fee, and must include the name, address, telephone number and notarized signature of the person submitting the appeal. The appeal may be responded to within ten (10) business days, by the Safety Director (or the Safety Director’s designee) or, in the alternative, a hearing shall be scheduled on the matter. The hearing shall be before the Safety Director (or the Safety Director’s designated Hearing Officer), the Law Director (or the Law Director’s designee), and the Public Service Director. The appellant shall attend the hearing. The Safety Director (or the Safety Director’s designated Hearing Officer) shall issue a ruling on the appeal, after a hearing, within seven (7) business days after the hearing. The Safety Director (or the Safety Director’s designated Hearing Officer) may uphold, cancel or modify the fine assessed.
SECTION 2. Severability If any section, subsection, sentence, or provision of this Ordinance is held invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining sections, which shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 3. That it is found and determined that all formal actions of Council concerning and relating to the passage of this Ordinance were adopted in an open meeting of Council and that all deliberations of Council and any of its committees that result in such formal action were in meetings open to the public in compliance with all legal requirements, including Section 121.22, Ohio Revised Code.
SECTION 4. Declaration of Emergency This Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, and welfare of the City of Toledo and its residents. It shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Vote on emergency clause: yeas _____, nays _____.
Passed: _________________, as an emergency measure: yeas _____, nays _____.
Attest: ________________________ __________________________________
Clerk of Council President of Council
Approved: _____________________ __________________________________
Mayor
I hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of an Ordinance passed by Council ________________________.
Attest: ________________________
Clerk of Council