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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Approval of Special Permits to Allow Animals in Veterans’ Memorial Park for Entertainment or Exhibition Purposes on August 28, 29, and 30, 2015 during the Fiesta La Ballona.
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Contact Person/Dept.: Dan Hernandez/PRCS
Phone Number: 310-253-6655
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: Yes [] No []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Commission Name:
Public Notification: (Email) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (07/08/15); (Email) Freckle Farms (07/08/15); (Email) Culver City Police Department (07/08/15); (Email) Fiesta La Ballona Committee (07/08/15); (Email) Found Animals’ Adopt and Shop (07/08/15).
Department Approval: Dan Hernandez (06/30/15)
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council approve the following special permits to allow animals in Veterans’ Memorial Park for entertainment or exhibition purposes during the Fiesta La Ballona on August 28, 29, and 30, 2015: (1) Freckle Farms for a petting zoo and pony rides; (2) Culver City Police Department (CCPD) for a police K-9 demonstration; and, (3) Found Animals’ Adopt & Shop for a pet adoption promotion.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
For the public’s enjoyment, the City Council has routinely approved special permits for animals for the Fiesta La Ballona (Fiesta) event in years past. Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Section 9.10.055(A) states:
§ 9.10.055 PROHIBITIONS. Within the limits of any public park it shall be unlawful for any person:
A. Having charge, care, custody or control of any dog, except as permitted by § 9.10.400 or § 9.10.600, or other animal, fowl, or reptile to cause, permit or allow the same to be within the limits of any public park within the City, unless such person shall have obtained a special permit from the City Council to conduct an entertainment or exhibition in which an animal is a participant. (emphasis added)
(Note: § 9.10.400 relates to the Rules and Regulations of the Off-Leash Dog Park and § 9.10.600 relates to Designated Dog Paths.)
Staff is requesting that the City Council approve special permits to allow animals in Veterans’ Memorial Park for entertainment or exhibition purposes to Freckle Farms for a petting zoo and pony rides, to the CCPD for a police K-9 demonstration, and to Found Animals’ Adopt & Shop for a pet adoption promotion during the 2015 Fiesta La Ballona.
While the Freckle Farms petting zoo and CCPD K-9 demonstration have been featured at the Fiesta for several years, this is the first time that staff has requested a special permit for Found Animals’ Adopt & Shop. If the special permit is approved at this evening’s meeting, dogs and cats from Adopt & Shop will be on display in an enclosed area within Veterans’ Memorial Park during the Fiesta. Supervised interactions between spectators and the animals will be encouraged as a way of promoting pet adoption. Informational materials will be available to the public. Per Adopt & Shop’s pet adoption procedures, guests wishing to adopt a pet will complete the adoption process offsite at Adopt & Shop’s Culver City store location rather than at the Fiesta.
If approved, these special permits will pertain only to the applicants and their specific requests to allow animals in the park for entertainment purposes during the Fiesta. Pursuant to CCMC Section 9.10.055(A), no other animals will be allowed in Veterans’ Memorial Park.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The approval of these special permits allowing animal attractions at the Fiesta will have a nominal positive fiscal impact to the City due to the accrual of a small percentage of the fee that the public pays to ride the ponies and pet the animals. This revenue will total less than $1,000 and will be deposited in the General Fund (10130285: Community Events - Fiesta La Ballona).
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
That the City Council:
Approve the following special permits to allow animals in Veterans’ Memorial Park for entertainment purposes during the Fiesta La Ballona on August 28, 29, and 30, 2015: (1) Freckle Farms for a petting zoo and pony rides; (2) Culver City Police Department for a police K-9 demonstration; and, (3) Found Animals’ Adopt & Shop for a pet adoption promotion.