SPECIAL EVENT SUBSIDY POLICY

Los Angeles Administrative Code div. 5, ch. 4, art. 4

in effect

Los Angeles Administrative Code § 5.66.5 Special Event Subsidy Policy.

Sec. 5.66.5. Special Event Subsidy Policy. (a) The City Council may provide funding for Special Event Subsidies in the General City Purposes Fund No. 100/56, Council Fee Subsidy Account, with a sub-account for each Council District and a sub-account for Citywide Special Events, or in another fund and accounts and sub-accounts as it deems appropriate. The amount of funding, if any, to be appropriated in the City budget for Special Event Fee subsidies shall be in the sole discretion of the City Council and Mayor. Special Event Fee subsidies may be provided only for Non-Commercial Special Events that promote a public purpose and provide a public benefit, and shall be limited to an amount up to 50 percent of the total eligible fees and charges, including salary costs, for services, equipment and materials required for the event. Further, subsidies shall be limited to two Non-Commercial Special Events per Sponsor per fiscal year. Provided, however, that this two event limitation shall not apply to recurring Certified Farmers’ Markets Sponsored by a non-profit organization or a local government entity (state, county or district). Provided, further, that block parties shall be eligible for a subsidy of 100 percent of fees and charges, including salary costs, and that recurring Certified Farmers’ Markets Sponsored by a non-profit organization or a local government entity (state, county or district) shall be eligible for a subsidy of up to 100 percent of fees and charges, including salary costs. No Special Event Fee subsidy shall be approved or provided for any Special Event unless it is confirmed that sufficient funding authorized for the subsidy exists in the fund and account or sub-account designated for that purpose in the City Budget. (b) Requests for Special Event Subsidies shall be made in writing and presented to the affected Council office. Upon request made in writing and supported by the necessary information and documentation to establish that the requirements of this Article are met, including proof of non-profit or charitable status, as applicable, a subsidy may be provided by the affected Council office. As proof of their non-profit status, all non-profit organizations requesting Special Event Fee subsidies must provide a letter of determination by the IRS that the organization is exempt from federal income taxes under the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) or other similar provision of the Internal Revenue Code. (c) If the affected Council office determines that the event qualifies for a fee subsidy and that there exists sufficient funding authorized for that purpose, the Council Member shall notify the City Clerk in writing of that determination, the public purpose promoted and public benefit provided by the event, the total amount of the subsidy approved to be provided for the event, and the City fund and account from which the subsidy is to be provided. The subsidy shall be documented and provided in accordance with the procedures approved by the Council for expenditure of Council District Community Services appropriations and the requirements set forth in this Code. The City Administrative Officer shall report each quarter of the fiscal year or more frequently to the Council on the amounts of the subsidies provided since the last report. (d) The group or organization receiving the benefit of the Special Event Fee subsidy must provide written assurances to the City’s satisfaction that the event will provide the stated public purpose and public benefit. (e) Requests for Special Event Fee subsidies shall be referred to the Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA) for review and recommendation prior to a determination by the affected Council office. The CLA shall review the request for compliance with the requirements set forth in this Article and include a determination of the ability of the organization to fund the total cost of the event. Requests for Special Event Fee subsidies from non-profit organizations with an operating budget of less than $5 million will qualify for consideration by the affected Council office if all applicable requirements of this Article are met. A non-profit organization may be disqualified for consideration for a Special Event Fee subsidy depending on the organization’s operating budget, or its refusal to provide sufficient financial information to the CLA to make a determination of its financial capability. (f) Each action by an affected Council office to approve a Special Event Fee subsidy request must include a finding that there are sufficient funds available in the amount approved from the appropriate sub-account in the General City Purposes Fund No. 100/56, Council Fee Subsidy Account. (g) The City Clerk shall track the number and amount of Development Fee subsidies approved by the Council and forward that information to the CAO for inclusion in financial status reports. (h) The CAO and the Chief Legislative Analyst shall review the Special Event Fee Subsidy Policy set forth in this Article annually, in conjunction with the annual budget deliberations, and report to the City Council on the fiscal impact on the General Fund. (i) Special Event Fees shall not be waived except as expressly authorized by applicable law. Subsidies of Special Event Fees shall be provided only in accordance with this Article. (j) The City Clerk is authorized to prepare and execute, subject to the prior approval of the City Attorney as to form, all contracts required to accomplish the authorized subsidies of Special Events, including Citywide Special Events. SECTION HISTORY Article and Section Added by Ord. No. 180,881, Eff. 10-26-09.

Los Angeles Administrative Code § 5.66.6 Citywide Special Events Sub-account.

Sec. 5.66.6. Citywide Special Events Sub-account. The City Clerk shall administer the Citywide Special Events Sub-account on behalf of the City Council and process the subsidies for events designated as Citywide Special Events by the City Council in the same manner and subject to the same requirements and limitations as set forth in this Article for subsidies to other Special Events, including a determination by the affected Council office of the amount of the subsidy to be provided, up to 50 percent of the total eligible fees and charges, including salary costs, for services, equipment and materials required for each event. The prior written approval of the President of the City Council shall be obtained before processing any payment for a Citywide Special Event. Events included on the list of Citywide Special Events do not thereby automatically qualify for a subsidy. In each instance, the requirements of this Article must be met and the necessary information and documentation must be provided. SECTION HISTORY Article and Section Added by Ord. No. 180,881, Eff. 10-26-09.

Los Angeles Administrative Code § 5.66.7 Definition of "Public Purpose", Minimum Requirement for Provision of "Public Benefit".

Sec. 5.66.7. Definition of "Public Purpose", Minimum Requirement for Provision of "Public Benefit". (a) For purposes of this Article, a Special Event will be deemed to promote a public purpose if it enhances the activities and services routinely provided by governmental entities and if it will be open to the public without charge. In order to approve a Special Event Fee subsidy request, the affected Council office must make a written finding, that the project will promote a public purpose for the City and provide a public benefit. SECTION HISTORY Article and Section Added by Ord. No. 180,881, Eff. 10-26-09.

Los Angeles Administrative Code § 5.66.8 Definitions.

Sec. 5.66.8. Definitions. For purposes of this Article, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings set forth herein: (a) Athletic Event means an event, not involving as a primary component, Expressive Activity, as that term is defined in Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 103.111(b), in which a group of people collectively engage in a sport or form of physical exercise including, but not limited to, jogging, bicycling, walking, roller skating, or running, upon any public street, sidewalk, alley or other public place, that does not comply with normal and usual traffic regulations and controls. (b) Certified Farmers’ Market shall have the same meaning as set forth in California Code of Regulations (Title III, Division 3, Chapter 1, Subchapter 4, Article 6.5, Direct Marketing) Section 1392.2(a) as a location approved by the County Agricultural Commissioner of that county where agricultural products are sold by producers or certified producers directly to consumers. A Certified Farmers’ Market may be operated by one or more certified producers, a non-profit organization, or a local government agency (state, county or district). For purposes of this Code, a Certified Farmers’ Market shall mean the direct marketing, as that term is used in the California Code of Regulations, of agricultural products by certified producers to consumers in accordance with the applicable provisions of the California Code of Regulations. (c) Charitable Event means an event, or a series of related events, involving a subject matter of interest to a significant portion of the residents of the City of Los Angeles all net proceeds of which, if any, will directly benefit a charitable organization that maintains its charitable status pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). (d) City of Los Angeles Special Event means an event, or series of related events, involving a subject matter of interest to a significant portion of the residents of the City of Los Angeles, that is also an event officially sponsored and produced or managed using City employees and resources by the City of Los Angeles, its operating departments, boards, commissions or bureaus, and which is a Special Event and a Non-Commercial Event. (e) Citywide Special Event means a Special Event involving a subject matter determined to be of interest to a significant number of City residents from three or more Council Districts, as evidenced from the active support or past attendance at the event of residents from those Council Districts. The Chief Legislative Analyst shall prepare a list of Citywide Special Events anticipated to occur during the ensuing fiscal year and submit it to the City Council for approval. The City Council may add or remove events from the list in its discretion. Events included on the list of Citywide Special Events do not thereby automatically qualify for issuance of a permit for the event. In each instance, a Special Event Permit Application, if applicable, must be filed with the Bureau of Street Services. (f) Commercial Event means an event that does not qualify as a “non-commercial” event as defined herein. (g) Community Event means an event, or a series of related events involving a subject matter of interest to a significant portion of the residents of the City of Los Angeles that promotes civic pride in the City or in a local community within the City, that is not a commercial event, all net proceeds of which, if any, will directly benefit either a charitable or non-profit organization. Community Events include Block Parties that meet these requirements. (h) Non-Commercial Event means a Special Event that is open to the public, or in the case of block parties to all residents living within the block party area, free of charge and without restriction, sponsored and produced by a charitable or non-profit organization, and from which no individual or other entity receives any proceeds, or benefits from those proceeds either directly or indirectly, other than as compensation for goods, equipment or services provided. At such events, advertising, sponsorship, and food and merchandise sales shall be permitted, provided all net proceeds, if any, from such activities are used for the benefit of a non-profit or charitable organization or of the charitable or non-profit sponsoring organization. The Sponsor(s) of Non- commercial events must comply with all legal requirements, including all applicable requirements regarding registering with the Police Commission for charitable solicitations. Non-Commercial Events include, but are not limited to, Charitable Events, Community Events and City of Los Angeles Special Events. (i) Special Event means an event, or series of related events, of cultural, civic, economic, social, recreational or educational nature, including Athletic Events, Sponsored by an individual or individuals, a non-profit organization or community group, charitable organization or for-profit organization or group, that is: (1) held wholly or partially on property owned or maintained by the City; or (2) held on any other property, and that requires for its successful execution, the partial or complete closure of streets or sidewalks or the provision and coordination of municipal services to a degree over and above the level that the City normally provides. Special Events also include any other organized activity that involves the use of, or has an impact on, public property or facilities or that can reasonably be foreseen to have an impact on, or to require a higher level of, public safety services or other municipal services, including advance planning services, than that normally provided by the City. (j) Sponsor means the person(s) or entity that assumes or is charged with the responsibility for, as well as the act of, producing or managing a Special Event. The Sponsor may or may not be financially responsible for the event and may or may not be responsible for conducting or carrying out the activities of the event. For purposes of this definition, a person or entity that provides only financial or in-kind support for a Special Event and has no responsibility for producing or managing the event is not a Sponsor. The terms “sponsors”, “sponsored” and similar variations shall be given a meaning consistent with this definition. SECTION HISTORY Article and Section Added by Ord. No. 180,881, Eff. 10-26-09.

Source: City of Los Angeles, Charter and Codes (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/laac/0-0-0-69693Fetched: 10/24/2026