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04/20/2004, BUS 4 - ALCOHOL-RELATED ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING MARDI GRAS
council M�[�,°� April 2Q'2004 acenba RepoRt CITY O F SAN L U I S O B I S P O FROM: Deborah Linden, Chief of Police 4 V Ken Hampian, City Administrative Officer SUBJECT: ALCOHOL-RELATED ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING MARDI GRAS CAO RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Accept the report summarizing strategies being used by the City and its partners to address and impact alcohol-related problems in the community; and 2. Discuss the Mardi Gras issue, consider staff recommendations, and provide direction accordingly; and 3. Direct staff to take all appropriate steps that are within our control to plan for 2005 to avoid a recurrence of this year's Mardi Gras problems; including returning to Council with any new City rules or other initiatives that might be needed to help support this effort. REPORT IN BRIEF Crimes and disturbances related to alcohol consumption in the City of San Luis Obispo pose a significant problem for our community. The majority of arrests by the Police Department during the past three years involved alcohol. A recent survey at Cal Poly revealed disturbing trends in student drinking that exceed national averages. Equally concerning is the behavior of our teenagers who are reporting alcohol and drug use far above state averages. The Police Department works with many partners in the community to combat the problems through a variety of methods, including prevention and education, enforcement, alcohol-related grants, and task forces focused on alcohol issues. Alcohol-related problems are particularly acute during major events in the City, with Mardi Gras being the most significant. Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo has become a top destination for young adults from throughout the United States intent on partying and drinking to excess. This year, the ever increasing crowds and alcohol-fueled behavior resulted in a riot during Mardi Gras. The community enjoyment that used to be realized from Mardi Gras in years past is now clearly overshadowed by the violence, danger, and extraordinary costs to the City to manage the event. On April 6, 2004, the City Council directed staff to include a specific discussion of Mardi Gras in this report so that the Council could express a position about the event. 4 ,t Alcohol Related Issues In The Community,Including Mardi Gras Page 2 DISCUSSION How significant is the overall problem of alcohol and drug abuse and related crimes? Alcohol related crimes and injuries pose one of the most significant problems in the City, particularly within the student community. Each year, excessive alcohol consumption and underage drinking lead to large numbers of arrests and citations, and cause illness and injury both to the users and to others. Many of the calls for service, crimes, and arrests handled by the Police Department are alcohol-related. The following tables illustrate the alcohol and drug related arrests and offenses, and party/noise complaints and citations, in the City of San Luis Obispo during the past three years. TABLE 1: ALCOIIOUDRUGS INVOLVED CRIME AND ARREST TOTALS 2003 2002 2001 Total Alcohol Drugs Total Alcohol Drugs Total Alcohol Drugs Involved Involved Involved Involved Involved Involved Reported 8,815 20% 5% 10,398 22% 4% 9,551 20% 5% Crimes* Arrests 2,945 53% 13% 3,568 58% 12% 3,005 55% 14% •Alcohol&drug involvement are reported only for those crimes in which a suspect is known and it can be verified that alcohol or drugs were involved. Many reported crimes may involve alcohol or drugs;however they are not coded as such because this cannot be verified. TABLE 1: ALCOIIOLIDRUGS INVOLVEMENT IN CERTAIN CRIMES 2003 2002 2001 Total Alcohol Drugs Total Alcohol Drugs Total Alcohol Drugs Involved Involved Involved Involved Involved Involved Public 943 100% 3% 1240 100% 3% 958 100% 3% Intox. DUI** 411 95% 7% 499 95% 7% 392 95% 7% Open 653 100% 0% 952 100% 0% 989 100% 0% Container M.I.P. 155 100% 0% 206 100 0% 177 100% 0% Urinating 179 Not Not 271 Not Not 238 Not Not in Public Collected Collected Collected Collected Collected Collected Assaults 469 29% 2% 502 26% 1% 478 27% 1% &Fights* Sexual 94 17% 1% 115 17% 3% 103 20% 1% Assault* Domestic 84 17% 6% 87 16% 6% 106 8% 5% Violence •Alcohol&drug involvement are reported only for those crimes in which a suspect is known and it can be verified that alcohol or drugs were involved. Many reported climes may involve alcohol or drugs;however they are not coded as such because this cannot be verified. ••Some DUks were for alcohol and drugs combined,as indicated by the overlapping percentages. TABLE 3: PARTY&EXCESSIVE NOISE CALLS AND CITATIONS 2003 2002 2001 Party/Noise Calls 3406 2750 3026 Party/Noise Citations 238 190 266 �a Alcohol Related Issues In The Community, Including Mardi Gras Page 3 The problem of excessive alcohol use is particularly concentrated among student-age residents and visitors to the City. Alcohol use and abuse, including underage drinking and binge drinking, has become a significant facet of student culture. This phenomenon is not unique to San Luis Obispo; many communities that host large universities experience the same problems. Although specific counts are not available, it is the experience of the police officers and Student Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP) personnel that almost all of the noise and party complaints handled by the Police Department involve widespread alcohol use. The same is true of the Urinating in Public citations — the vast majority of citations are issued to individuals who have been drinking. Cal Poly Survey Results: Cal Poly conducted a survey of almost 600 students in February of 2002 regarding their alcohol and drug use. Among the findings, the survey indicated that during the last year, 31.2% of respondents were involved in an argument or fight due to their drinking or drug use; 35.7% had driven a vehicle under the influence; 40.6% had a memory loss due to drinking or using drugs; 57.2% were nauseated or vomited due to alcohol or drugs; and 31.9% missed class because of the substance use. Almost half of the respondents (49.8%) reported that they had consumed 5 or more drinks in one sitting within the last two weeks (binge drinking). All of these percentiles were above the national average. Youth and Teenage Substance Use: Equally as concerning is the rate of alcohol and drug use among children and teenagers in our county. The following table illustrates the percentage of students in San Luis Obispo County who, in 2001, reported using alcohol or marijuana within 30 days, as reported in the United Way of San Luis Obispo County 2003 Action for Healthy Communities Report. The entire report is available online at www.unitedwayslo.org . TABLE 4: STUDENT REPORTS OF AL COHOL/MARIJUANA USE IN 30-DAY PERIOD 7 Graders -9` Graders 11th Graders SLO County State SLO County State SLO County State Alcoholw/in 13% 10% 36% 29% 52% 41% 30 Days Binge 3% 3% 18% 14% 32% 21% Drinking w/in 30 days* Marijuana 3% 4% 18% 13% 28% 23% W/in 30 Days *Binge drinking is defined as 5 drinks consumed within a couple of hours. The dynamics that are associated with alcohol abuse are complex, and there are no quick fixes or solutions. It is, however, apparent that strategies to impact the problem have a much greater chance of succeeding if the major stakeholders cooperate and work together in the effort. What are we currently doing? The City and its Police Department are involved in a number of efforts and initiatives to address the problems of alcohol abuse in the community. 4-3 Alcohol Related Issues In The Community, Including Mardi Gras Page 4 Prevention and Education: Both the City and University Police Departments are very involved in prevention and education activities regarding alcohol and drug use. Both departments make presentations to students at Cal Poly during new-student orientation, and at other club and group meetings. The City Police Department makes training presentations to bar employees in the City regarding alcohol laws and drug issues. A City Police Officer is assigned as a liaison to the Cal Poly Fraternities to provide a forum for information sharing and education regarding responsible conduct in the community. Many of our prevention ads circulated in the student and community newspapers, and on TV and radio, are focused on safety and alcohol issues. The Police Department has several prevention and education programs for children .and teenagers. The Juvenile Diversion Program (partially funded through a federal grant) provides an opportunity for teenagers arrested for certain misdemeanors, including alcohol and some drug violations, to avoid formal prosecution by participating in an intense education and community service program. This effort is coordinated with San Luis Obispo County Drug and Alcohol Services to ensure appropriate follow-up for diversion program participants. The Police Department assigns an officer full-time as a School Resource Officer (SRO) at San Luis Obispo High School to handle student issues, including alcohol and drug violations. In addition to enforcement activities, the SRO is very active in making presentations to students and in acting as a resource to school officials in linking students and their families to community services. The Police Department also assigns an officer to teach DARE in the City elementary schools to fifth and sixth grade classes. Enforcement: Enforcement of alcohol and drug related offenses in the community is done by a variety of agencies, including the City Police, University Police, California Highway Patrol (CHP), Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), and the San Luis Obispo County Narcotics Task Force. Strategies include on-view enforcement of alcohol and drug violations, such as public intoxication, open container in public, driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (DUI), minor in possession of alcohol, and providing alcohol to minors; targeted enforcement, such as DUI checkpoints; and undercover operations conducted by officers and ABC agents. Unfortunately, our ability to more aggressively enforce alcohol offenses is greatly hampered by staffing and the large number of calls requiring police response on weekend nights. Local Ordinances: In addition to state laws dealing with alcohol and drugs, the City has enacted several ordinances related to these issues. It is unlawful in the City to possess an open container of alcohol, or to consume alcohol, in public places or in City parks (unless authorized by permit). It is also illegal to host a gathering where there are five or more people under age 21, and three or more are drinking alcohol. A cost recovery ordinance allows the City to recover costs associated with police officers having to respond to a party or excessive noise violation within 24 hours after an official warning had been issued. The City's conditional use permit process allows us to regulate certain activities at businesses and fraternities, including large gatherings and live entertainment. Alcohol-related Grants: The SLO Police Department aggressively pursues grants to fund additional efforts related to alcohol enforcement and education. In the process, we have cultivated a very strong and productive relationship with ABC and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS),which brings additional non-grant resources to the City. 4 Alcohol Related Issues In The Community, Including Mardi Gras Page 5 In 2003, the Police Department was awarded a grant for$91,860 funded through a partnership of ABC, OTS, and the California State University system (CSU) that targets the enforcement of underage drinking laws and policies to reduce alcohol consumption by CSU students. The grant is providing funds for officers from the City and University Police Departments to conduct joint patrols for alcohol violations, DUI checkpoints, alcohol decoy and sales-to-minors stings, alcohol licensee education programs, and other activities focused on underage drinking. This grant will provide funds through June 2004. The Police Department has also been selected to receive funding through a federal grant called the Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) grant. This grant is also administered by ABC and OTS. EUDL is a Community Trials initiative that provides funding to both law enforcement and non-profit community coalitions to address underage drinking through enforcement and local school program and policy development. The Police Department will be working with the San Luis Obispo Prevention Alliance, the DUI Task Force, and the Mayor's Youth Task Force during the EUDL grant program. The EUDL program will run from July 2004 through June 2006, and we expect the Police Department's portion to be approximately$39,000. In addition, the Police Department is applying for a new competitive ABC grant for fiscal years 2004-06 that would provide up to $100,000 to conduct alcohol licensee education programs, underage drinking and purchase stings, DUI checkpoints, special "party patrols" on weekend nights, and alcohol enforcement activities at the high school.. CSU Research Grant: In addition to the enforcement/education grants, the City Police Department is participating in a CSUIUC research grant called Safer California Universities: A Multi-Campus Alcohol Problem Prevention Study. This study is designed to help identify ways to prevent and deal with alcohol abuse by college students using a preventative "risk management" approach. Half of the campuses in the study will be randomly assigned to implement experimental programs, while the other half conducts "business as usual" for comparison. All campuses will participate in data collection. The Police Department will be providing significant amounts of data regarding alcohol-related crimes to Cal Poly during the multi-year study. Working with Community Partners: Police and City employees are involved in a number of groups and task forces that deal with alcohol issues in the community. The longstanding Student Community Liaison Committee (SCLC) provides an on-going forum to discuss issues involving students, and to develop strategies promoting positive student involvement in the community. The Police Chief and other police department managers are members of the Substance Use and Abuse Advisory Committee (SUAAC), a group consisting of representatives from Cal Poly and various local government and community organizations, who gather several times each year to discuss issues regarding substance abuse at Cal Poly, and to act as an advisory body to the Cal Poly President about these issues. The newest initiative is an Alcohol Task Force convened by Dr. Cornel Morton, the Vice President of Student Affairs at Cal Poly. The Task Force consists of Cal Poly officials, student leaders, the SLO and Cal Poly Police Chiefs, and representatives from ABC, the District Alcohol Related Issues In The Community,Including Mardi Gras Page 6 Attorney's office, and the Downtown Bar and Restaurant Association. The mission of the task force is to examine and implement initiatives and polices to impact the excessive use of alcohol by students in the community, with a focus on methodologies that have proven to be successful in other jurisdictions. The Police Department is a member of a countywide DUI Task Force with a variety of other law enforcement agencies. The purpose of the task force is to coordinate our efforts and resources for DUI prevention and enforcement activities. Finally, the Police Department works closely with various community groups and organizations, such as the Downtown Bar and Restaurant Association and the Off Campus Housing Association, to discuss and exchange information related to alcohol use and associated problems. What else can be done about the alcohol.-related problems in our community? During the next year, the Police Department will be looking closely at what else can be done to impact the serious problems associated with excessive alcohol and drug use in our community. We will be contacting other cities that host major Universities to examine strategies they have found effective, including those designed for major problem events, such as Mardi Gras. We will be looking at alcohol and party related ordinances in place in other communities to see if any would be appropriate in San Luis Obispo, and we will continue our work with both Cal Poly and Cuesta College to research and discuss school policies to address the problems. We will be intensifying our work with the high school,junior high school, and school districts to look for education and enforcement strategies focused on the serious problem of teenage alcohol and drug use, including programs dealing with truancy. Finally, we will examine the policies of the District Attorney and Court in dealing with alcohol and drug cases to determine if they are appropriate and effective. Mardi Gras and its Future Although excessive alcohol consumption in the community is a year-round issue, particular focus needs to be placed on major events that involve even more significant alcohol-related problems in the community, especially Mardi Gras. The problems and disturbances associated with Mardi Gras in our community have steadily increased over the past several years, culminating in a riot this year. City and Police officials worked diligently and cooperatively with Mardi Gras organizers and other stakeholders for many months prior to Mardi Gras in an effort to have a safe event weekend,but unfortunately, this did not occur. Summary of Disturbance: The crowds of attendees in town for Mardi Gras weekend this year exceeded any prior year. The majority of the crowds gathered and congregated in large groups in the Foothill/California and surrounding areas beginning Friday night, February 20, 2004. The vast majority were college-age individuals, including large numbers from out of town, and many under 21 years old. Officers contacted countless students from throughout California and other states who had specifically traveled to San Luis Obispo for Mardi Gras. Many were invited by our local students and were staying with them in their residences in the City; many others( T1 —t-P Alcohol Related Issues In The Community,Including Mardi Gras Page 7 "spontaneously" visited the community based on the reputation this event has achieved via the Internet and word-of-mouth. In essence, San Luis Obispo has become "the place to be on Mardi Gras weekend" for thousands of young people in search of a"wild time." In anticipation of the large crowds, there were approximately 120 officers from various law enforcement agencies already deployed throughout the City on Saturday night, with most concentrated in the north end of town. On Saturday evening at approximately 10:00 PM, as Officers were attempting to close off the intersection of Foothill and California from vehicle traffic in order to protect the individuals on foot, the crowds amassed in the intersection and along the railroad tracks and began throwing bottles, rocks, chunks of concrete, and bricks at the officers. At the same time, a large crowd overran barricades and private security guards at the Cedar Creek apartment complex. The situation at Foothill and California quickly escalated and became extremely violent,with officers and patrol cars getting pelted with bottles and rocks. Mutual aid was requested from other law enforcement agencies and officers responded to assist from throughout San Luis Obispo County, as well as Santa Barbara and Monterey counties. The situation was brought under control several hours later, utilizing a total of approximately 250 officers and with the aid of rain (if not for our luck with the weather, our experience would have been much worse—something to keep in mind as we contemplate the possibilities for the future). In addition to the Saturday night riot, officers dealt with large disturbances and problems on Friday night and the following Tuesday night (Fat Tuesday). It also rained steadily on Sunday, which we believe helped prevent additional problems. Throughout the weekend (including Tuesday) officers made a total of 195 arrests for a variety of charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, inciting a riot, failure to disperse, DUI, and public intoxication. Sixty-one percent of all the arrests were for public intoxication. Estimated Cost: The following are our costs to date for managing and policing the Mardi Gras 2004 weekend (through Fat Tuesday), including the riot. Some of the figures are likely to change as we continue to gather cost information from other agencies: COST SUMNRRY EVENT AND MUTUAL AID SLO City Police and Information Technology 108,700 Other City Deptartments(Parks&Rec,Public Works and Fire) 24;500 City of San Luis Obispo Total $133,200 Allied Law Enforcement Agencies Total $350,400 TOTALI $483,600 The above costs do not include the thousands of hours of staff time dedicated to Mardi Gras both before and after the event; time that could have been spent on other city priorities. These figures also do not include any costs associated with the prosecution of individuals arrested during Mardi Gras. The costs do include over $15,000 spent to repair significant damage to police vehicles done by rioters. �fj l .9 Alcohol Related Issues In The Community, Including Mardi Gras Page 8 SCLC Follow-Up: In response to the 2004 Mardi Gras experience, SCLC has developed a working group to determine SCLC's role in dealing with the problems associated with Mardi Gras in the community. The group has not yet met, but includes representatives of the City, Cal Poly, Cuesta college, Cal Poly ASI, and Cuesta students. A City Position on the Future of Mardi Gras: Despite our best efforts, Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo has become something it was never intended to be. It is apparent that the goal of the majority of individuals who were here for the Mardi Gras weekend, including many local residents, was not to enjoy a fun, community event, but to engage in excessive and raucous party behavior, which included drinking to excess, flashing, and in some cases, challenging authority. Mardi Gras itself is meant to be a final release of inhibitions prior to Lent, and, for some, this is distorted into unacceptable and illegal behavior. Whether we like it or not, Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo has become the west coast party destination among college students and teenagers from throughout the state and beyond. This has occurred despite the best efforts of City officials,police, and the Mardi Gras organizers. In light of this year's events, we believe it is time that we as a community subordinate what we would like to do to what we must do because it is in the best overall interest of our community. Therefore, we strongly suggest that it is time to shift away from efforts to preserve Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo and direct our efforts instead toward doing whatever is necessary to break the ever-growing and more dangerous "Mardi Gras Weekend"phenomenon in San Luis Obispo. In order to begin this process, we must be able to send a.strong, unambiguous statement that "Mardi Gras Weekend in San Luis Obispo is over. " However, we cannot do this as long as our City is host to large, public Mardi Gras events over the weekend. Despite our good intentions, we can no longer separate the planned events, such as the parade, from the unplanned violence and drunkenness. The public events anchor the weekend and help create the destination that attracts so many irresponsible people here for the sole purpose of drinking and partying and having an "exciting time", whatever the damage. Therefore, we recommend that the Council ask the Mardi Gras organization to voluntarily end its public events for the greater good of the community, particularly the parade. Even if this occurs, however, we must recognize that "taming" Mardi Gras weekend will not be easy, inexpensive, or fast. We have much work ahead on several fronts, including tapping into the best strategies of other cities that have faced similar challenges. Our efforts will involve added law enforcement strategies and costs, new and stronger City rules, collaboration with other agencies, the continued work via SCLC and with Cal Poly and Cuesta students, bar owners and many others. However, with a firm resolve and strong community cooperation, we can get on top of this problem. On the other hand, to delay further will only mean a bigger problem next year and the expenditure of even more time, effort, and money before we can solve it. It also will mean exposing the community to greater public safety risks into the future. -4-2 Alcohol Related Issues In The Community, Including Mardi Gras Page 9 If Council concurs with these observations,we would recommend two follow-up actions: 1. That staff drafta letter for signature by the Mayor to the Mardi Gras organization, that includes the following: 1) Calling for the end of the open, public Mardi Gras events, including the parade, as well as any widespread and web-based advertising of Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo; and 2) Asking that the organization, whether it agrees with this request or not, express its intentions for next year at the earliest possible time so that we can begin planning accordingly as soon as possible; and 2. That Council direct staff to take all appropriate steps in planning for 2005 to avoid a recurrence of this year's problems, including returning to Council with any new City rules that might be needed to help support this effort. With regard to recommendation #1 above, like the abandonment of the term "Poly Royal" for several years, in addition to canceling the parade, we believe that it will be very helpful to abandon using the "Mardi Gras" label in anyup blic events (of course, this would exclude any private events, such as the Ball), and this request should be included in the letter. With some flexibility, other names for public events — perhaps held on other weekends — can be used to capture experiences similar to the "Mardi Gras Fest". If, however, "Mardi Gras"continues to be used to promote public events in San Luis Obispo (including in web-based and other forms of advertising), then it will weaken the clear message and goal we must have over the next few years if we hope to end our status as the Mardi Gras Weekend destination of the west coast. A Closing Word About Special Events in San Luis Obispo In closing, San Luis Obispo's tradition of supporting community special events is exceptionally strong — in fact, one would be hard pressed to find a community of our size that holds and supports more special events. Annually, over 50 special events are held on public property not counting the weekly Farmer's Market, which the City supports at a very high level in many ways, including with law enforcement and paramedic services). In addition to much in-kind staff and equipment support for such events, the City provides over $100,000 in grant support annually through our PCC Grants-In-Aid process. This kind of commitment will not be diminished by equally strong efforts to reduce excessive substance abuse and bad behavior, even if that means withdrawing support from one event. In fact, taking such a stand may assure that our tradition of positive and spirited community activities remains alive, well and ever-growing into the future. • �u!!Illllllll����������ll �������1 council mcmoizanbum ci of san Luis ows o. aammistuation 0e aMment DATE: April 19, 2004 RECEIVED TO: City Council APR 'l 9 2004 FROM: Ken Hampian, CAO $�Q CITY CLERK SUBJECT: Another Sign of the Times Attached are two articles describing rioting in Ames, Iowa over this last weekend associated with an annual Iowa State University event known as "Veishea". These articles illustrate an unfortunate national trend that composes the larger "SLO Mardi Gras Weekend" context, and you will note many common themes. HuOUNCIL Z--SDD DIR LAO �21IN DIR CACAO JZ"FIRE CHIEF ,0"ATTORNEY 1-21110W DIR ,2 CLERKORIG ,' POUCE CHF ❑ DE EADS ,ZREC DIR RED FILE D �'UTIL DIR -F iR DIR - M ING AGENDA DATE ITEM #h&_q lowa State riot transmittal Page 1 of 3 TheIowaChannel . com Will Riots End VEISHEA? Students Plan Rally To Save Event Diane Kock/er, Staff Writer POSTED: 5:46 AM CDT April 18, 2004 UPDATED: 12:57 PM CDT April 19, 2004 ANS ES, Iowa -- Iowa State University officials are considering the future of VEISHEA after a five-hour riot Sunday A I } morning. The annual student celebration in Ames has a - history of violence, and this year, police in riot gear used tear gas to break up the large, unruly crowds. W Video:Rioters Destroy Campus Police said the crowd of about 1,000 got out of hand Town just after midnight, throwing rocks breaking of light W Video: Raw Riot Footage poles and breaking dozens of windows in the campus 0 Sideshow: town area. VEISHEA Riots Q Discussion: What Do You Police say the problems started when they went in to Think? DOW nioad crack down on a party in the 2600 block of Hunt Street, Egaaiw aef which is on the edge of campus town. Continue VEISHEA? Should Iowa State University continue to hold the annual VEISHEA celebration after several years of rioting? Thank you for completing this survey from TheIowaChannel.com. Yes, VEISHEA should continue. No, the event should be canceled. Officers said when they arrived, several hundred people were in the area and were overflowing into the street. Police said the crowd started throwing bottles and cans at the officers and at their vehicles. Then, police said some people began yelling and chanting "Riot, Riot." Officers said after the crowd was dispersed on Hunt, several hundred people began gathering in the area of Lincoln Way and Welch and the http://www.theiowachannel.com/print/3016059/detail.html?use=print 4/19/2004 Page 2 of 3 area of Welch and Chamberlain. Police said the crowd committed many acts of vandalism, including damaging parking meters, setting dumpsters on fire, breaking store windows and attacking passing cars. Some people also attempted to lift and overturn police cars (pictured, below left). Officers said they used riot gas to disperse the crowd. More than 30 people were arrested for a variety of charges, including ISU basketball player Jared Homan. About 20 people were hospitalized with skin and eye irritation. Ames police, the Iowa State Department of Public Safety, the Story County Sheriffs Office and the Iowa State Patrol were finally able to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control about 5 a.m. Sunday morning. "This will be my 13th VEISHEA, and this is by far the most violent as far as damage up and down Welch Avenue," Ames Police Chief Loras Jaeger said. History Of Riots The VEISHEA celebration has a history of riots and other disturbances happening during its long tradition at Iowa State. College officials have tried a number of different remedies to avoid the repeat of violence, including moving the celebration earlier into the year in the hopes that cooler weather would prevent unruly crowds. Also, Iowa State and the City of Ames has cracked down on alcohol use by students and visitors on the streets. The event has been dry since 1998, the year after a homicide occurred during the festivities. There were also riots in the late '80s and early http://www.theiowachannel.com/print/3016059/detail.html?use=print 4/19/2004 Page 3 of 3 '90s. Continue VEISHEA? College officials say they will now meet to determine the future of VEISHEA and whether it will return next year. _ - ISU President Gregory Geoffroy said it's time to "seriously assess the future of VEISHEA, including a determination on whether or not it should continue, and if it does, in what form and with what changes." "That kind of behavior is not what VEISHEA is supposed to be about and we simply cannot tolerate violence and destruction," Geoffroy said. VEISHEA was named in 1922 for the five colleges at Iowa State: V standing for Veterinary Medicine, E for Engineering, IS for Industrial Science, HE for Home Economics, and A for Agriculture. The event's Web site touts VEISHEA as "the largest student-run, alcohol-free celebration of entertainment and education in the nation and second largest in the world." Students Speak Out Iowa State students have planned a rally Monday at 5 p.m. Student leaders say the event is a chance for students to show their support of VEISHEA. The rally will be held next to Lake LaVerne on the Ames campus. Watch KCCI for coverage of the VEISHEA rally. w Discussion: What Do You Think? Copyright 2004 by ThelowaChannel.com. The. Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. http://www.theiowachannel.com/print/3016059/detail.htn-d?use=print 4/19/2004 owa State Daily I Online Edition Print-friendly format_ http://www.iowastate6ily.com/vnews/disp...ARGET=printable&article_id=4083551526014 i ONLINE EDITION April 19, 2004 r RIO 1 ENGULFS VEISHEA 'Most violent' riot ends in 32 arrests e Vb riot participant pushes a flaming dumpster down Lincoln Way early Sunday morning after a riot broke out during Veishea weekend. By P. Kim Bui Dai ly Staff Writer The facts were apparent in the hours after a riot erupted early Sunday morning,but accountability was less clear as the Campustown and ISU communities surveyed the damage. Ames Police Chief Loras Jaeger said during a news conference Sunday afternoon that Ames police of 4 4/19/04 9:42 AM owa State Daily I Online Edition I Print-friendly format_ http://www.iowastatedaily.com/vnews/disp...ARGET=printable&article_id=4083551526014 received a citizen complaint at 11:56 p.m. Saturday. The complaint was about a party on the 2600 block of Hunt Street that was spilling out into the street. Ames police estimated about 400 people were at the party. The group then moved down to Welch Avenue and two groups began to form-- one at the southern part of Welch Avenue and the other at Lincoln Way and Welch Avenue.. A trash can was set on fire in front of the Campanile replica on Welch Avenue, and altercations rose to riot intensity with hundreds crowding Welch Avenue and taunting police by mooning them and shouting phrases such as "Fuck the police" and "No dry Veishea." Officers held out pepper spray and tear gas in front of them. Lamp posts,parking meters and many storefront windows were damaged or destroyed. Businesses closed as rioting escalated and many employees were locked in. Jaeger said there were more than 100 officers out by the end of the night. There were 32 total arrests Sunday morning, with charges including assault of an officer, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and interference with official acts. The most serious injury reported was a broken foot caused by a falling lamp post. "I would characterize this as the most violent experience[in my time at Veishea]," said Jaeger,who has seen 13 Veisheas. Iowa State's image and Veishea's future are in question by many community members. "It's going to be embarrassing for the school and the students that acted out," said Nic Stockdale, sophomore in agricultural systems technology. ISU President Gregory Geoffroy addressed the community's concerns Sunday. "I believe that we now seriously have to address the future of Veishea, including a consideration of whether it should continue," he said. Some business owners said they hoped this would be the end. "I would like to see Veishea end," said Jennifer Doty, former manager of the Ames Vogue Vision Center. "The kids get drunk, have fun, destruct, and the city and the businesses have to pay for it the next day." ISU Police, Ames Police, Story County sheriffs officers and the Iowa State Patrol used riot control techniques -- including pepper spray and tear gas -- to push back the crowd toward the Towers residence halls after the crowd damaged several businesses, including Kum & Go, 203 Welch Ave., and Welch Ave. Station, 207 Welch Ave. However, the crowd regrouped on Lincoln Way,gathering in the portion of the street in front of Friley Hall and pushing officers back. "We're having fun," said Derek Weber, of Dike, as he walked away from a lamp post he and others pulled from the ground. "This is about us leaving the bars and them gassing us." Several lamp posts and street signs were torn down and thrown across Lincoln Way. A sign was thrown into Welch Avenue Trading Post, 105 Welch Ave., and a fire hose, which was turned on, was also dragged into Copyworks. The crowds of police and rioters clashed until about 5:30 a.m. Those in the crowds used a number of words to describe the situation: "crazy," "liberal," "conservative," and "fun" being a few. However, one word was prevalent. of 4 4/19/049:42 AM owa State Daily I Online Edition I Print-friendly format http://www.iowastatedaily.com/vnews/disp...ARGET=printable&article_id=4083551526014 "Whatever adjective you use [to describe the riots],put 'fucking' in front of it,because it wouldn't do it justice otherwise," said Matt Christiansen, senior in political science. "This is mass chaos." Photo: Eric Rowley/ Iowa State Daily , An Ames police officer sprays pepper spray on an unidentified man who tried to resist arrest outside Kum and Go, 203 Welch Ave., early Sunday 5, morning during a riot in Campustown. Thirty-two people were arrested z - . during the riot. Now G , Many involved in the riots claimed they were victims of police brutality, saying they were sprayed with gas for not moving off the streets and into buildings. "I was in the bars, and I walk out, and immediately a cop walks out and sprays me, and tells me to get the fuck out of there," said Tony Feldmann,junior in computer engineering. "After that,I headed to come,to Kum&Go and turned onto Chamberlain toward Big Shots, and two cops were standing there, and I got sprayed for a second time, and then they told us to go the other way." Other students agreed they were sprayed without cause: "The left side of my face is burning up. We didn't do anything. We were just walking away with the crowd [and were pepper-sprayed]," said Andrea Seminara,junior in dietetics. Ames Police Cmdr. Jim Robinson said Sunday afternoon officers made it clear rioters needed to leave the area. "Once you're in a riot situation, all individuals that are within the area of the riot, they are [told] to leave," he said.. "Officers can't differentiate [between onlookers and rioters]." Students living in Campustown also made claims of unnecessary brutality. "It's unreasonable; they're charging my yard when we were all sitting here peacefully," said Tim Rash, junior in computer engineering."It's unreasonable to provoke people who are minding their own business. To come into my yard and yell at me and my friends who were all sitting down and minding their own business is a violation of their rights." Several students and other attendees attempted to reason with the crowd and police. Two men stood outside of Welch Ave. Station as crowds threw rocks at the building, breaking windows of both Welch Ave. Station and Pizza Pit, 207 1/2 Welch Ave. "This is not our intention," said Ezra Kelderman, sophomore in mechanical engineering. "Some people are out of control." The men tried to talk to the rioters, but were repeatedly taunted and pelted with objects. "We just want peace. The cops, they're kind of making it worse ... but people are making it worse too," said Seth Chicas,junior in psychology. Comparisons were made to past Veishea riots, such as those in 1992 and 1994. 3 of 4 4/19/04 9:42 AM owa State Daily I Online Edition I Print-friendly format http://www.iowastatedaily.conVvnews/disp...ARGET=printable&article_id=4083551526014 "I've been here for 10 years," said Tony Sheperd, general manager of Sips and Paddy's; 124 Welch Ave. "I was here for the stabbing and the other riots, but there wasn't anything like this." Some blamed the past six years of an alcohol-free Veishea as the cause of the riots. "[Veishea] used to be a blast,just a big house party ... then that one kid got stabbed," said Ben Holtrop, junior in political science. "[The riots are], like, six years of frustration coming out." --Leah McBride, Tom Barton, Jason Noble,Ayrel Clark, Alicia Ebaugh and Lucas Grundmeier contributed to this article. Copyright© 2004,Iowa State Daily of 4 4/19/04 9:42 AM RED FILE April 19,2004 MEETING AGENDA D;,,-�TE—!/�ZVTEM #� San Luis Obispo City Council Members, The goal of the Mardi Gras Fest is to provide a child and family festival with a Mardi Gras theme. The Fest highlights the flavor of Mardi Gras while providing activities,arts and crafts and entertainment all appropriate for children. It's a day designed for children,where kids can learn what a doubloon is and what purple,green and gold stand for,they can collect colorful beads,create a mask,dress up for the Children's Costume Contest,color in the Coloring Booth, taste some gumbo and watch their siblings and peers perform to lively music. The fifteen year family festival brings together many community organizations. In the past we've worked with and received support and volunteers from the California Conservation Corps,AmeriCorps, SLO Art Center, Boy Scouts, Police Explorer Program, Cuesta and Cal Poly Child Development Majors,local SLO county high school Students and Cal Poly Recreation majors. For the past 5 years Cal Poly Recreation majors have been intricately involved in organizing the Mardi Gras Fest as a part of their class and certificate requirements. Many students and youth groups have benefited from field experience and hands on training,fulfilling their community service requirements and academic credit through the Mardi Gras Fest. The Mardi Gras Fest provides a stage for children and youth groups to entertain and perform. Some past participants include Academy of Dance, Central Coast Dance and Performing Arts, Central Coast Gymnastics, Central Coast B-Boyz and Revolution Twirlers,to name a few. Parents,grandparents,auras and uncles all come out to support and cheer their children on. The Mardi Gras Fest promotes the arts by providing a venue for artists and craft persons to display their art and wares. The Fest supports musicians and other performing artists. The Fest provides an avenue for community organizations to fundraise and promote their groups. Participants have included SLO Symphony, SLO High School Band, Kiwanis and California Conservation Corps. Several local restaurants have enthusiastically joined in our annual Gumbo Cook Off, an opportunity for chefs to showcase their culinary skills with a Cajun flavor. Local restaurants donate gumbo and rice to our Gumbo Booth,which is our biggest fundraiser for the event. The Mardi Gras Fest was voted`Best Festival' in the Best of SLO New Times Reader's Poll in 2002.We also receive other community support for the Mardi Gras Fest in the form of donations and discounts from local businesses. The Mardi Gras Fest annually donates funds back to local community organizations through the Mardi Gras Golf Tournament. Beneficiaries have included the AIDS Support Network,Ride Share and the Women's Community Center.The Fest annually donates to the California Conservation Corps for continued support of our event. The Mardi Gras Fest rallies together many organizations and parts of our community to present a fun-filled wholesome family friendly event for the benefit of the community. In conclusion,the Mardi Gras Fest asks the SLO City Council to look at the benefits that the Fest contributes to the community and support us so we may continue our tradition of providing the residents of SLO county with this family orientated festival. '— Sincerely, _l%OUNCIL COD DIR SAO FliADIR RECEIVED 'CFO FiRECHIEF =w C)IR eresas dt rroRn r AM 14 2004 ! 2tERK,ORIG POLICE CHF Mardi Gras Fest Coordinator ' F i DEPT HEADS REC DIR /`O SLO CITY CLERK i U IL DIR r a l / � 'Tip ' °•`� .a i WIN Re I No tj i CIF4 WIT iv •`��. 1 a may. �`_ � kl�.1 ��, �'�) II� � ` �'� ���rl ` � ,. � N \, 1, �I �+� � "1.� r :�� •• i •�i l� l 1� 1 :l 1 t — .1 CYDNEY HOLCOMB 86S 594 0365 04/20/04 04:29pm P. 001 `, ll W _ Q Residents for Quality Neighborhood P.O. Box 12604 •San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 RECEIVED APR 2 r 2004 SLO CITY CLERK DATE: April 20, 2004 TO: San Luis Obispo City Council VIA: Fax: to 781-7109 RE: Meeting Date: April 20, 2004 Item # BUS 4: ALCOHOL-RELATED ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING MARDI GRAS Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council, The RQN Board of Directors has voted to support your staff's recommendation to draft a letter, for the Mayor's signature, asking the Mardi Gras organizers to permanently cancel all open, public. Mardi Gras events, including the parade. Foe the past several years the City of San Luis Obispo has gone to great lengths and expense to facilitate an event that is rooted in a centuries old tradition of pagan revelry and that is historically celebrated in and around New Orleans. Several other cities, such as Seattle, Fresno and Philadelphia have had Mardi Gras fetes that ultimately turned violent, causing dozens of arrests and injuries. So, why does it work in New Orleans and fail in other cities? Most agree their success is based on an understanding of the history and culture of Mardi Gras in New Orleans which dates back to mid-1600. According to Mardis Gras historian Arthur Hardy: "We've been doing this for 150 years, so I guess most of the kinks are worked out You can try to import Mardis Gras, but if you don't have the traditions behind it, its a tough thing to duplicate." The other Mardi Gras question we pondered was asked recently in a letter to the Tribune by RQN member, Betty Schetzer: "Should our tax dollars be used to deal with unruly, destructive behavior triggered by a weekend event that has no historical ties to this region? Or, should our dollars go to assist our friends and neighbors as they work to meet real community needs?" We definitely favor the latter. Respectfully submitted, Cydney Holcomb TCDD DIR Chairperson, RQN ;%OAO .2FIN DIR jrACAO FIRE CHIEF c: Deborah Linden, Chief of Police 2 ATTORNEY e2-PW DIR Ken Hampian, CAO -CLERK/ORIG �2–POLICE CHF RED FILE i LJ D�T HEADS 21 REC DIR �-1 �yUTIL DIR ME ING AGENDA /!r o.r. DATE 91TEM #,� APR-20-04 03 :57 PM BROWNSON 805 473 3219 P. 01 l RECEIVED APR P. n 2004 Apkil ? . 2004 SLO CITY CLERK letter to: Mayor Dave Romero and Citv Council Persons City of San I.Ws Obispo Frdm: I Bob Brownson 653 Asil° RED FILE Arroyo Grande. CA 93420 805-474-1014 M I G AGENDA i hrotivnsotai�u'charter net DATE ZZEM # I Subject The annual Mardi Gras Festival in Mission Plaza • This year marked 15 years of enchantment for children throughout the County • Earlier this year,the"free"family Festival was held on Saturday, February l...without incident...as it has been every year since its inception. • Families look forward to bringing their children to the event for face painting, ask painting, a)loring and costumes. Volunteers from across the community judge the various contests and award the winners. It is a gleeful time of laughing., picture taking and hugs from parents and grandparents. • There's music, balloons, hot dogs, cokes and candy, plus clo vn;on stilts • Local restaurants cook up Gumbo for an annual gumbo conic-s-1, that the grownurs enjoy each year. • And absolutely no liquor is served. And it never has been over those 15 years. In past my wife, Linda, and I have volunteered several times and we've spotted the likes o0l.Arrc yo Grande Mayor Steve Adams with his children, plus mcmbtrs of your City C�unci I and others from San Lois Obispo City government and the S 1.0 Chamber of C6mm rce...all having a wonderful and very innocent time. 1 4rgc ou to keep this wonderful event a part of your City's annual events agenda...it is a treasured event that continues untouched by any bad behavior .yc;sr after-year. Tbank you for considering this plea to save the Festival j �COUNCIL DD DR E3n>wnson 1� i CAO ,.2"FIN DIR Robert P. ;CACAO --r FIRE CHIEF ATTORNEY 2'1:W DIR CLERK/ORIG ;'POLICE CHF O D T FADS ,2"R=C DIR , UT IL DIR i .�. /HRDi^ 1 RECEIVED APR 2 0 2004 SLO CITY CLERK San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce April 20, 2004 1039 Chorro Street • San Luis Obispo, California 93401-3278 (805) 781-2777 • FAX (805) 543-1255 • TDD (805) 541-8416 David E. Garth, President/CEO Mayor Dave Romero and Members of the City Council City of San Luis Obispo 990 Palm St. RED FILE San Luis Obispo,CA 93401 ME NG AGENDA Re:Council Business Item 4,Meeting Agenda for April 20 O,4TE`� ITEM - Alcohol-related issues in the community including Mardi Gras Dear Mayor Romero and Council Members: At our Board of Directors meeting this morning, we passed a motion to support the CAO recommendations and suggestions for follow-up actions that you have before you this evening regarding the future of Mardi Gras events in San Luis Obispo. We concur that this has become a public safety issue and that for the benefit of the community as a whole, public Mardi Gras events should come to an end as well as widespread and web- based advertising of Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo. Our Board members noted out that the event has become an "attractive nuisance" despite the best efforts of our local Mardi Gras community to work with the city and other stakeholders to make it safe. Unfortunately, a connection has occurred between the San Luis Obispo Mardi Gras and excessive drinking and partying by out of town revelers,many of them underage. We must be realistic about what has occurred and while we recognize that a situation like the riot at Foothill and California is an unintended consequence of Mardi Gras celebrations sponsored by community members, it is nevertheless a real threat to the health and well-being of us all. You have our support as you take appropriate steps in planning for 2005 to avoid a recurrence of this year's problems. Sincerely, 1 1CDD DIR yCAO 2-TIN DIP ZUaq4hy 2-ACAO AFIRE CHIEF Chamber Board Chair ATTORNEY uPDIP � CLERK,ORIQ ,2 POLICE CHF ❑ D)EPT HEADS ZREC DIP Cc:Jay Mueller, President of Mardi Gras, San Luis Obispo i e-mail: slochamber@slochamber.org • websites: www.slochamber.org www.visitslo.com Ei�gcounclt memoizanoum Ecrty of s n Luis OBISPO. aammistmxtion 6e"autmeht DATE: April 20, 2004 RECEIVED APR n 2004 TO: City Council SLO CITY CLERK FROM: Ken Hampian, CAO SUBJECT: Item B-4: Vice Mayor Schwartz Proposed Letter,to Mardi Gras Attached is an alternative letter to Mardi Gras prepared by Vice Mayor Schwartz. Staff thinks that the letter is excellent and that Council should focus its review on this proposed draft rather than the earlier staff draft. RED FILE ��ouNCIL =!CDD DIR MEETING AGENDA ACA.RT CAO FIN DIR ,Q CAO ,E.-FIRE CHIEF ,# � ATTORNEY � PW DIR ®ATE ITEM -� CLERKiORIG 1Z POLICE CHF DEPT EADS ,L�RECDIR r� 7TIL DIR Hl DIR Schwartz Proposed Letter re Mardi Gras DRAFT: Alternate letter to Mardi Gras president Dear Jay. On behalf of the San Luis Obispo City Council, I would first like to thank you and the many others who, over the years,have taken on leadership roles in the annual celebration of Mardi Gras in our community. You have worked in good faith with City officials to plan events and to deliver amazing and delightful parades and fests. However,we have all witnessed that a parasite has attached itselfto your Mardi Gras celebrations and grows stronger with each succeeding year. Regardless of how much time, effort and money we have jointly spent trying to cure this infection,it keeps returning with each succeeding celebration. Over the last ten years every reasonable idea for treating this infection has been tried—and each of these ideas has failed miserably. A magical silver bullet has not been found. This year the Mardi Gras parasite cost taxpayers nearly$500,000. Many citizens and police officers were placed at physical risk and the"cure"was less than satisfactory. The City Council has concluded that it is time that a definitive cure be found and that clear and resolute action be taken. The Council and the City staff are of the opinion that the parasite can only be cured if the host elects not to expose itself In other words,the care depends on the Mardi Gras organization determining not to host those events that attract the parasite. The legal right to hold a parade or other events is not the issue. The issue is the inability of the City to control the disruptive and riotous conditions that are now connected with Mardi Gras events The issue,therefore,is one of citizenship responsibility. We are obligated to request that you cancel all`Mardi Gras events for the foreseeable future. We take no pleasure in making this request.For many years Mardi Gras was an event that provoked inventive celebrations that were enjoyed by the entire community. This is no longer the case. Please take up this request with your governing board and provide the Council with a definitivereessponse within the next 30 days. As you your response,it might be useful to reflect on how the old Greek philosopher,Heraclitus, described the problem of human society;Heraclitus said: `The problem of human society is to combine that degree of liberty without which law is tyranny with that degree of law without which liberty becomes license. ' Sincerely, DFR, Mayor From:Sandra Rowley To:SLO Mayor and Council Date:04/1912004 Time: 1:29:10 PM Page 1 of 3 FACSIMILE COVER PAGE To : SLO Mayor and Council From : Sandra Rowley Sent : 04/19/2004 at 1:28:08 PM Pages : 3(including Cover) Subject : April 20th Council Meeting --Mardi Gras and Drinking For distribution to the Mayor and City Council before the April 20th Council Meeting. Comments regarding Mardi Gras and related drinking in San Luis Obispo. RECEIVED APR 10, 2004 SLO CITY CLERK // OUNCIL "CDD DIR �LCAO ;SIN DIR JZACAO "FIRE CHIEF Z-ATTORNEY Q'PW DIR CL. . EAK,10RIG �POLICE CHF D PT HEADS ,2"REC DIR i I DIR RED FILE MEETING AGENDA DATE y�_t='ITEM #� From:Sandra Rowley To:SLO Mayor and Council Date:04/19/2004 Time:1:29:10 PM Page 2 of 3 The above questions, and others, must be addressed when establishing new city policies and procedures or resurrecting old ones. Also, there are some things I wish the city would do. 1. When asked to approve another liquor license, use the Nancy Reagan approach and "just say no." 2. Require that two(or more)downtown liquor licenses be surrendered before one can be issued. 3.Encourage the police department to aggressively enforce the law regarding possession of fake ID cards, confiscate and punish. 4. Ancillary to the drinking and bad behaviors is the matter of"boom cars." Encourage aggressive police action to stop the use of car subwoofers within the city. (If the city's noise ordinance needs revised to make this easier,I know some RQN members willing to work on it.) Thank you for your time and attention, Sandra Rowley Resident San Luis Obispo From:Sandra Rowley To:SLO Mayor and Council Date:04/19/2004 Time:1:29:10 PM Page 3 of f Re: Mardi Gras and Drinking Mr. Mayor and City Councilmembers, Although the antisocial behaviors connected with underage/binge drinking and Mardi Gras are related, they are separate problems with different solutions. The most reasonable approach to Mardi Gras, in my opinion, is to cancel it. (You might, also, want to consider an ordinance against"flashing"just to have it on the books.) The actions needed to curb underage/binge drinking are not so clear out and will require much brainstorming and soul searching by the Council,the Chamber,the Downtown Association and the colleges. There is a tradition associated with Mardi Gras that interferes With any attempt to portray it as a harmless, clean cut event. As "The Shredder" so aptly stated, "It(a Mardi Gras parade) is lewd and lascivious, crude and creative, a face full of farce for the pious and pompous." "I'm not talking about a Christmas parade for the whole family. . . Mardi Gras is supposed to be an offensively colorful riot of disrespectful drunken madness." It is naive to think we can redefine and distinguish our Mardi Gras from "Mardi Gras." I support and strongly recommend that all Mardi Gras activities be stopped. By that I mean no parade, no activities in Mission Plaza or elsewhere,no beads,no coins,no special Cajun menu items during the Mardi Gras timeframe, no mention whatsoever. If Mardi Gras advocates want to continue having their Ball,I hope they would agree to do it unobtrusively. Eliminating these activities will probably not be sufficient to curb riotous behavior the first year, it may not be enough for several years. The chaos took a while to build and it's likely to take a while to go away. SLO can certainly publicize the demise of Mardi Gras;hopefully, getting the word out to those interested in a big, anything-goes party will be sufficient to encourage them to go elsewhere to find such a venue. I seriously doubt that a Mardi Gras celebration can ever occur again without escalating into the situation we experienced this year- or worse. Its cancellation must, therefore, be permanent. We must remember that although about half of those arrested were from out of the county, about half were from within the county— most from Cal Poly and Cuesta—and half of the crowd the police faced would still be a mighty big crowd. If we only postpone Mardi Gras for a year or two, I believe we will merely be postponing another riot. It seems ludicrous, as well as unfortunate,that the Mardi Gras Committee must be asked to cancel this event when it's obvious that it incites bad behavior. I think it is unconscionable for Mardi Gras spokespersons to persist in denying any responsibility for what occurred. The Mardi Gras celebration is an attractive nuisance: The rowdiness that occurred was certainly not what the members wanted or intended; nevertheless,those activities acted as a catalyst for what happened. With regard to the problem of alcohol/drug abuse by underage and binge drinkers, the City needs to look not only at actions taken in other communities,but also at the city's own policies and procedures. It may make fiscal sense to approve so many liquor licenses,but is it a socially responsible policy? Is the City encouraging college students to drink by providing so very many drinking establishments for them to go to and increasing the types of places they can buy liquor by the bottle/can? When we as a community tacitly condone drinking by college students, are we subtly encouraging our high school students to do the same? Is Cal Poly providing adequate police support(adequate for policing the 10-15,000 students who reside and/or party in the city),and if not,has the City pestered the Trustees? Ditto for Cuesta. The City, also,needs to look at what is happening downtown. Have noise,property damage,and/or the proliferation of urine and vomit been on the rise? What are the trends? How many merchants routinely clean sidewalks, doorways and store fronts before opening their stores? Is there a risk that, someday,the downtown will smell bad enough that reasonable people won't want to shop or live there? Should there be more shops instead of more bars? How about enforcement, is it strict or tax? Downtown is awake at night. Is it safe to be downtown then, or are there drunken rowdies milling around? RECEIVED ANR ? 0 2004 SLO CITY CLERK L w m,AAX `(-Q ?'0 m �-- r h-o- :wet ��pl�oseco 40 CL CIL 1pp DIF ,,2-ATTORNEY,GA CA ,�FIN DIP RED FILE TZ'FIRE CHIEF ME I G AGENDA L7'pyy DIR LERK'ORIG FPOWUCE CHF n -TE `Oo ITEM #&L DEPT HEAD �RTC DIP t/ � Zi UTIL DIP Barbara Ehrbar- Expenditures Page 1i From: "ROBERT WHEELER" <jubo262@msn.com> RECEIVED To: <dromero@slocity.org> Date: 4/16/04 5:25PM APR 1 q 2004 Subject: Expenditures 4.17.04 SLO CITY CLERK Dear Mayor Romero, My wife and I want to go on record to have you oppose with all of your might any consideration of allowing Mardi Gras to proceed in this town. We think that it is an obscenity to have to spend limited dollars to police unruly individuals when that money could go for much better causes. Thank you for consideration. Bob and Julie Wheeler 262 Luneta Drive San Luis Obispo RED FILE M ING AGENDAp, DATE ITEM #_ `t " fCOOUNCIL 'CDD DIR CAO FIN DIF ACAO FIRE CHIEF � ORNEY PW DIR A CLERK/ORIG POLICE CHF ❑ DET EADS zREC DIR jr1 u �UTIL DIR �i-IR 0!R Get Y 0j. ¢44 CityOf SAnWIS OBISPO � n o �1 �� OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL 41 $ O� 990 Palm Street ■ San Luis Obispo,CA 93401-3249 ■ 805/781-7119 April 20, 2004 Mr. Jay Mueller, President, Mardi Gras 1302 Eighth Street Los Osos, Ca 93402 Dear Jay: On behalf of the San Luis Obispo City Council, I would first like to thank you and the many others who have been associated with Mardi Events for your sincere efforts. In recent years, the Mardi Gras organization has been nothing but professional and totally committed to providing the safest possible experiences at public Mardi Gras events. You have worked in good faith with City officials to plan the events and to reduce problems, and you have delivered amazing and delightful parades and fests. However, as we all know by now, a Palms Springs Weekend like"parasite"has grabbed a hold of San Luis Obispo over Mardi Gras weekend, and regardless of how much time, effort, and money we have spent trying to loosen its grip, it grows stronger every year. Over the last 10+years, every reasonable idea for reversing the trend has been tried—and every effort has failed miserably. This year, the long Mardi Gras weekend cost taxpayers nearly$500,000 and put many citizens and police officers at risk. If SLO continues to be the Mardi Gras Weekend destination for the western United States, we have undoubtedly not seen the worst of it, in either cost or danger. We have concluded, therefore, that it is time to stop experimenting with new techniques for reversing the trend, and to instead take clear and resolute action. The San Luis Obispo City Council, therefore, wishes to declare—and enforce—the following crystal clear message: Mardi Gras Weekend in SLO is over! We cannot send this message, however, as long as we are host to huge Mardi Gras events, including a parade, over the weekend. Because the Mardi Gras organization has won the legal right to parade, to hold other events, and to limit related costs to the organization, we currently do not have the power to cancel these events or control our costs. This power—and this responsibility—now rests with your organization. We therefore respectfully ask the Mardi Gras organization to assist us by canceling all public Mardi Gras events for the foreseeable future. You recently indicated that the organization was considering this possibility and would reach a conclusion in the next 2-3 weeks. We ask that you do so, so that we may begin planning in earnest for 2005. It is our sincere hope that we will be planning for the "beginning of the end" of Mardi Gras Weekend in San Luis Obispo—and not for an experience even worse than the Mardi Gras weekend of 2004. Sincerely, David Romero Mayor GAProjects&Programs\Mardi Gras\Mardi Gras Muellerietter.DOC Barbara Ehrbar- Page 1 RECEIVED From: Sally Newland<newlandzoo@sbcglobal.net> APR 19 2004 To: <dromero@slocity.org> Date: 4/15/04 4:48PM SLO CITY CLERK I want to express that I am against the city supporting Mardi Gras in any way.The activities are a benefit to only a small sector of the population of this city, but the damaging effects are felt by the entire population. I believe that our community has suffered way too much. Mardi Gras has a proven track record of placing our community and it's workers in danger, which is unnecessary. There are many other events that are worthy of our time and energy to celebrate. Many community members strive to make this a great place to live and to promote a positive public image, it is very defeating to have this negative national attention. Please vote against supporting Mardi Gras. Sally Newland resident of San Luis Obispo RED FILE TII ME NGG,AGENDA DATE '�"tu- 'TEM Z�f COUNCIL ZCDD DIR ICAC ,FIN DIR �'ACAOFIRE CHIEF 12rA7TORNEY qPW DIR ,. CLERK/ORIG POLICE CHF ❑ DET HEADS Z REC DIR LL L p eUTIL DIR �'�R Difl �u�uuuiiii111illllllli""'°9111111 council mcmoRAnoum Iciq of san LUIS oafs o. a0ministiaation cue antment DATE: April 19, 2004 RE TO:. City Council CEIVED APR 1 c, 2004 FROM: Ken Hampian, CAq�`j SLO CITY CLERK SUBJECT: Draft Letter to Mardi Gras Should the Council choose to send a letter to the Mardi Gras organization with a message similar to the staff recommendation, the Mayor thought that it would be helpful for staff to prepare a draft for the Council to consider (otherwise, the letter would be prepared after the meeting without the opportunity for Council review and input). The Council, of course, may modify the letter or choose to not send one. If, however, the Council desires such a letter, the attached draft is provided for your consideration. /COUNCIL CDD DIR SAO l �/ IN DIR.0ACAO Z FIRE CHIEF RED FILE 8'ATTORNEY 2-PW DIR M ING AGENDA �CLERK/ORIG Z: POLICE CHF l / ITEM �% I I D FT HE < �.�ADS UTC DIR DIR DATE Ik SHR DIR Mardi Gras Transmittal 4-20