City of Arlington
SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT REQUEST INSTRUCTIONS
The success of your special event depends upon the planning and preparation that you do. It is our intent that your event be successful but that it does not significantly impact public facilities and resources. This permit must be applied for no less than 60 days before the event. The following are the steps that you will need to take to acquire a Special Event Permit.
1. Contact the Administration office to see if the date is available for event facility requested at 360-403-3448 or recreation@arlingtonwa.gov . Meet with the special events coordinator to provide information about your event and be prepared to discuss what resources and assistance that you will need from the City of Arlington. Please be ready to address the potential applicable issues, such as traffic circulation, trash collection and disposal, signage, restroom facilities, parking, security, utilities, banners, and fire safety issues. The City will assist you in how to make the event a success. Make an appointment by calling 360-403-3448.
2. Return the application and supplemental information on the specific details of the event to the special events coordinator. This specifically includes insurance certificate naming the City as additional insured, hold-harmless agreements, site maps, banner designs, safety plan, insurance certificate, and completed application. The City must receive the application at least 60 days prior to the event. Please allow for two weeks for the City to review your event.
Attachments:
Safety Plan: It is necessary to be mindful of a safety plan for your event. For larger events, the minimum number of crowd managers shall be established at a ratio of one (1) crowd manager for every 250 persons per the International Fire Code. Crowd managers should be trained, uniformed, adult volunteers. Depending on the size and features of your event, you may be required to submit a formal Safety Plan.
Public Relations: Please state what efforts, if any, have occurred, or you intend to make, to notify residents or businesses that will likely be affected by your event. If permit is granted it will be the responsibility of event organizers to alert those likely to be impacted. (i.e. street closures, no parking zones, noise, etc.).
Insurance: The types and amounts of insurance required shall be determined by the City and based on the risk exposure of the event (liability limit requirement will be at least $1,000,000 per occurrence), for all events not protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. A general liability insurance policy shall be written on an occurrence form, shall name the City as an additional insured using an endorsement at least as broad as ISO additional endorsement form CG 20 26, shall be written for a period not less than twenty-four hours prior to the event and extending for a period not less than twenty-four hours following the completion of the event, or for the entire period of set up and tear down, whichever is longer. The applicant shall provide the City and all additional insureds for this event with written notice of any policy cancellation within two business days of their receipt of such notice.
3. Review: All the affected City departments will review the entire application package, and changes to the event may be required. Additional conditions may be placed on the permit as necessary to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public. It is your responsibility to know if there are any additional permits that will be required for your event. The City will make every effort to assist you through this process.
4. 1st/14th Amendment Protected Events: Please indicate on the application if you believe your event is protected by the 1st/14th Amendment, i.e., is your event involving political or religious activity intended primarily for the communication or expression of ideas and is the event properly characterized as a demonstration, march, rally, vigil, sit-in, protest, picketing, or similar public assembly?
1st/14th Amendment events may not be located in the same place and at the same time as other events on public property.
5. Camping: The chief of police or his or her designee is authorized to permit persons to camp, occupy camp facilities, use camp paraphernalia, or store personal property in parks, streets, or any publicly owned parking lot or publicly owned area, improved or unimproved, in the city. Applications for camping may be approved if the chief or his or her designee finds that: adequate sanitary facilities are provided and accessible at or near the camp site; adequate trash receptacles and trash collection is to be provided; the camping activity will not unreasonably disturb or interfere with the peace, comfort and repose of private property owners; and the camping activity is not reasonably likely to cause injury to persons or property, to provoke disorderly conduct or create a disturbance. The chief of police or his or her designee is authorized to extend rules and regulations regarding the implementation and enforcement relating to camping. Camping shall not be allowed for a period of time in excess of seven calendar days.
6. Secure the additional permits that are prerequisites to attaining this permit, such as food handler’s permits, supplemental electrical and water service permits, etc.
7. Tents and canopies: The City requires all tents and canopies to be properly secured. Please indicate on the application if you will have tents and canopies and the City will provide instructions.
8. You may be asked to appear before the Arlington City Council if your event is extraordinary. City
Council approval is required on events that use public funds, or those that are closing a public
street. If the permit applicant requests the City to provide extraordinary services or equipment or
if the City otherwise determines that extraordinary services or equipment should be provided to
protect the public health or safety, the applicant shall be required to pay to the City a fee sufficient
to reimburse the City for the costs of these services. This requirement shall not apply if the event is a 1st/14th Amendment event, or if it has been anticipated in the budget process and sufficient funds have been included in the budget to cover the costs incurred. If your permit is approved, you will be required to provide a security payment that will be used to ensure compliance with the permit.
9. Upon approval of an application for a permit for a special event, not protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the City will provide the applicant with a statement of the estimated cost of providing City personnel and equipment. The applicant/organization of the event could be required to prepay these estimated costs for City services and equipment ten (10) days prior to the special event. City services and equipment may include the use of police officers and public employees for traffic and crowd control, pickup and delivery of traffic control devices, picnic tables, extraordinary street sweeping, and any other needed, requested or required City services and the cost of operating the equipment to provide such services. Airport use fees apply to events held at the Arlington Airport.
10. The Administration office will issue your special event permit, if approved, within 2 weeks of the
application. You will be notified if your permit is not approved, or if conditions are required before
approval.
