On City Council's agenda tonight is legislation that will impact related noise ordinances for metro park. There will be a vote.
This is a link to the proposed legislation:http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2013-0676
(http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2013-0676)
Link to the ad hoc meeting's web page. They have been meeting regularly.
http://www.coj.net/city-council/standing-committees/metropolitan-park-ad-hoc-committee.aspx (http://www.coj.net/city-council/standing-committees/metropolitan-park-ad-hoc-committee.aspx)
On December 3 there is public meeting on another bit of legislation 2012-226
http://www.coj.net/city-council/events/all-events/council-member-public-meeting---entertainment-dist-en.aspx
(http://www.coj.net/city-council/events/all-events/council-member-public-meeting---entertainment-dist-en.aspx)
Link to proposed legislation 2013-226
http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2013-0226 (http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2013-0226)
QuoteDecember 03, 2013
12:00 noon
City Hall
117 W. Duval St., Suite 425
Conference Room A
Please contact Tiffani Dailey, ECA-District 7, at (904) 630-1384 for additional information or correspondence.
Notice is hereby given that Council Member Dr. Johnny Gaffney will meet with Council Member John Crescimbeni and Council Member Matt Schellenberg, on Tuesday, December 3rd , 2013 at 12:00 p.m. to discuss Bill # 2013-226 (A. Philip Randolph Entertainment District) in Conference Room A, located at 117 West Duval Street, 4th floor, City Council Office, City Hall St. James Building.
All interested persons are invited to attend.
Bill Summary for 2013-676:
QuoteBill Type and Number: Ordinance 2013-676
Introducer/Sponsor(s): Council Members Lee, Boyer, Gaffney, Gulliford and Redman
Date of Introduction: September 24, 2013
Committee(s) of Reference: R, PHS, RCD
Date of Analysis: September 27, 2013
Type of Action: Ordinance Code amendment; approval of modified Metropolitan Park license agreement; adoption of interim rules for Metropolitan Park use
Bill Summary: The bill amends Ordinance Code Chapter 368 – Noise Control – to establish temporary noise standards for special events at Metropolitan Park effective through September 30, 2014 for events with an anticipated attendance of 500 or more at which amplified sound will be utilized. The bill creates a definition of a "ticketed event" and defines the term "12 ticketed events". It approves a modified Metropolitan Park license agreement for use by the park for events that will have an anticipated attendance of 500 or more at which amplified sound will be utilized and adopts interim rules for the administration and governance of Metropolitan Park. The temporary noise standards, definition of "ticketed event" and modified Metropolitan Park license agreement are sunset as of September 30, 2014.
Background Information: The bill is introduced by the members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Metropolitan and Urban Parks to provide an interim regulatory system for large amplified music events at the park until a permanent system can be devised when the future of the park and its facilities is determined. The interim noise standards provide for two alternative regulatory options: a decibel limit (broadband and octave) measured inside the park at the sound mixing board or the current decibel limits measured at the receiving properties outside the park if the concert promoter utilizes electro-acoustical sound steering technology inside the park. The temporary standards limit event hours by day and by multi-day event, establish penalties for violations; regulate the number and location of stages within the park property; limit times when sound checks can take place, and establish a noise pollution compliance fee and sound monitoring requirement.
Policy Impact Area: Metropolitan Park operations
Fiscal Impact: Undetermined
Analyst: Clements
http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2013-0676 (http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2013-0676)
Bill Summary for 2013-226
QuoteBill Type and Number: Ordinance 2013-226
Introducer/Sponsor(s): Council Members Schellenberg and Crescimbeni
Date of Introduction: April 9, 2013
Committee(s) of Reference: R, TEU, RCD
Date of Analysis: April 11, 2013
Type of Action: Ordinance Code amendment
Bill Summary: The bill repeals Part 2 (Entertainment District) of Ordinance Code Chapter 191 – Special Events and Entertainment District. Additionally it removes from Chapter 368 – Noise Control the exemption for fireworks and outdoor musical entertainment events pursuant to Chapter 191, Part 2, which is being repealed.
Background Information: In 2004, in preparation for the 2005 Super Bowl, the City created a Super Bowl Entertainment Zone in the downtown area (Northbank and Southbank) within which various City regulations were temporarily waived during the week of Super Bowl-related activities. The waivers included non-enforcement of the noise ordinance, the open container alcoholic beverage regulations, and the zoning distance limitation on the location of businesses selling alcoholic beverages from churches and schools. After the game the Super Bowl Entertainment Zone was repealed, but Council Member Pat Lockett-Felder introduced an ordinance to re-adopt and expand the portion of the Entertainment Zone that covered A. Philip Randolph Avenue and several blocks of the Eastside neighborhood surrounding A. Philip Randolph Park. The entertainment zone and its three Code waivers is effective for a set of specific events listed in Chapter 191, which includes annual events such as the Florida/Georgia and Gator Bowl football games, all events at the Arena, Baseball Grounds, EverBank Field and the Jacksonville Fairgrounds, and certain events at Metropolitan Park, including "12 ticketed events" which includes privately-produced music concerts.
The repeal of these provisions will have the effect of eliminating the Entertainment Zone as it now exists in the Eastside neighborhood and eliminating any exemptions from the noise ordinance as it is now written.
Policy Impact Area: Noise regulation; special event-related Ordinance Code waivers
Fiscal Impact: Undetermined
Analyst: Clements
http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2013-0226 (http://cityclts.coj.net/coj/COJBillList.asp?Bill=2013-0226)
Media Reports on Ordinace:
WJCT:
http://news.wjct.org/post/rumbling-over-decibel-dispute-grows-louder-jacksonville (http://news.wjct.org/post/rumbling-over-decibel-dispute-grows-louder-jacksonville)
Action News
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/New-city-ordinance-aims-to-turn-down-the-music-at/4iwtPxoYAU2ocwcASpzmsw.cspx (http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/New-city-ordinance-aims-to-turn-down-the-music-at/4iwtPxoYAU2ocwcASpzmsw.cspx)
WOKV
http://www.wokv.com/news/news/local/not-there-yet-promoters-want-more-debate-met-park-/nb4px/ (http://www.wokv.com/news/news/local/not-there-yet-promoters-want-more-debate-met-park-/nb4px/)
The latest from Action News:
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Compromise-delays-vote-on-Metro-Park-noise/txsYNLJj5k-tzLzS1mBVDQ.cspx (http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Compromise-delays-vote-on-Metro-Park-noise/txsYNLJj5k-tzLzS1mBVDQ.cspx)
All the Who girls and boys Would wake up bright and early.
They'd rush for their toys! And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise!
Noise! Noise! Noise! That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
(http://girlmargaret.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/grinch-noise1.jpg)
I saw some of the debate on tv last night. It was pretty entertaining hearing the council members go back and forth over this. Councilman Joost was pretty heated over possibly charging event promoters to monitor sound levels at the last minute and Councilwoman Lee seemed offended because she wasn't involved as much as she wanted.
I know I was pretty hard on Councilman Clark regarding his push for a mobility fee moratorium but I agreed with him 100% last night. We ought to be doing everything possible to facilitate more events at Metro Park and in downtown. At times, it seems like we're our own worst enemy in making downtown the vibrant place everyone continues to claim they want it to be.
Why do we stage outdoor concert events at night anyway?
We have lots of indoor venues to hold these events. And, it don't rain inside the arena.
Every outdoor municipal Amphitheatre project in a metropolitan area in the US has had this problem and it has been going on for decades. It is, and always will be a round peg in a square hole.
Because there's a market for it. Because people enjoy it and it's a quality of life generator. Because we don't have any indoor venues that could handle the type of events we host outdoors. Because an outdoor venue is a lot cheaper than building an entirely new indoor venue in an attempt to appease all potential complainers. Because we don't want to loose out on even more of the events that pass us by for places that have more suitable venues. That should be enough for now.
Quote from: Tacachale on December 17, 2013, 08:59:15 AM
Because there's a market for it.
Well there is a market for heroin and prostitutes.
Having been affiliated with the concert industry in my early years, I can tell you promoters make the decisions where acts will go and it is made primarily on the expected ROI for that venue. According to what I found on the Web – the Arena has a potential 15,000 seats; capacity at Metro Park is 10,000. The idea that Jacksonville is "passed by" because of its venue is without merit. Citys that predictably put butts in seats for concert events are where promoters will target. Cost of venue and logistics cost come into play as well.
The reason many acts do not come to Jacksonville has only to do with expected ticket sales and profit expectations. Other than cost, it has nothing to do with venue.
LOL, because concerts are exactly like heroin and prostitution. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll and all that.
I can tell you as someone who currently works in event planning and promotion at UNF that Jacksonville misses out on touring events due to a lack of suitable venues. You're right that the decisions are based on where the promoter can make money; it happens where the logistics are in place, and it doesn't happen where they aren't. The 15,000 seat arena isn't comparable to an outdoor park like Metro Park, let alone to a real outdoor amphitheater. Totally different spaces and that affects the kinds of events they draw. One of the biggest trends of the last 15 years or so is a shift toward smaller venues, and Northeast Florida is out in the cold as we have few of those venues and they all have serious drawbacks.
Quote from: Tacachale on December 17, 2013, 04:05:10 PM
Totally different spaces and that affects the kinds of events they draw. One of the biggest trends of the last 15 years or so is a shift toward smaller venues, and Northeast Florida is out in the cold as we have few of those venues and they all have serious drawbacks.
Interesting, first – not enough seats. Now too many.
All I was saying, outdoor events should not run late. I cannot see the draw to being in an outdoor venue in the middle of the night. At that point, you may as well be indoors. If you are really exposed to the concert industry, you will recognize many of the arguments against the noise restrictions are not substantiated. If my show ends at 12:00 am – I get paid. If my show ends at 10:00 pm – yep, I still get paid. Economic impact? then collage kids like you can get loose early and hit the clubs for a few more hours and actually put money back in the local economy.
^Well, no one said anything about seats, and no one said there should be no noise restrictions. I was responding to your comment that we should have no outdoor concerts at night.
I'm not a "college kid", I'm professional staff at UNF, and yes, I've worked on dozens of concerts and other events, many of them outdoors at night. Everyone accepts reasonable noise restrictions, including volume restrictions and cutoff times. At UNF we always do sound checks and stick to the cutoff times, which are 10 pm during the week and 11 pm on weekends. This is a suburban area, one would expect downtown be later. There are plenty of acts who do want to play in this market but wouldn't go to the Arena. Increasingly, they go to the St. Augustine Amphitheater, or just pass by the area entirely. That will continue to happen until we have better venue options in Jax.