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Friday Night Street Fair Fracas Focuses on Safety on Myrtle; How will Arcadia’s Fair be Impacted?
Arcadia Weekly Jul 28, 2015
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City Sends Notice Of Intent to Terminate Franchise Agreement August 8
By Terry Miller and Susan Motander
Last week the city of Monrovia issued a warning to Los Angeles Partyworks demanding that the company comply with the terms of their contract to run the Friday evening Monrovia Street Fair. This action came just days after Kurt Anderson who has long been affiliated with the prior manager of the Friday event, presented the city council with a long list of what he called violations of the agreement with the city.
At that time Monrovia City Manager Oliver Chi stated that the oversight committee in charge of the Friday night event had already scheduled a meeting for the next day. By the end of last week rumors were pandemic.
Chi acknowledged that a notice of termination had been sent to the company. He explained that this was the manner prescribed by the contract to notify that company when it was not in compliance with the contract. Chi said that while the new managers “have been effective in expanding the event and making layout changes,” he also said there “have been a couple of significant concerns.”
Chi acknowledged that there had been “good feedback” regarding the music and other aspects of the Friday Street fair. However, he also noted that he and the oversight committee had real concerns about the set up and take-down of the event as well as about the general safety of the festival.
He explained that the city was obligated by the contract to give L.A.Partyworks formal notice of its concerns. That notice reads in part:
“In conformance with the provisions of Section 14, this notice has been prepared to provide LA PartyWorks with requisite advanced notification that the City intends to terminate the Agreement effective August 8, 2015. The selected Agreement termination date provides LA PartyWorks with a reasonable time to cure performance deficiencies identified by the City. Furthermore, the City is requesting that the operational issues at the Event as outlined below be addressed by the correspondingly identified date.”
The notice went on to list all the conditions with which L.A. Partyworks was not in compliance with contractual obligations and set out an exact time line for compliance. The letter also reminded the company that it had not accepted the city’s offer to assist it with training.
Many people, including the principals, would not go “on the record” for this article citing contractual/legal issues. However, it seems there is considerable disapproval with LA Partyworks’ initial events.
One old town merchant, Lisa Magno-Marino, owner of ‘Leven Oaks, an assisted living facility, said that she had heard many of the other merchants complaining about specific problems to wit, that employees of the new manager of the event were rude to merchants and had been argumentative with not only with various vendors, but also with representatives of the city, including the city manager.
She said while she has not attended the fair herself, she had heard from other merchants that the large trucks that had previously blocked traffic at both ends of the festival had been replaced with portable metal fencing. She expressed concern that these light-weight barricades would not prevent a “Santa Monica-like” disaster (It was at a farmer’s market in Santa Monica that a driver barrelled through the event killing ten and severely injuring 63 people in 2003).
Chi declined the opportunity to refute the allegation that employees of L.A. Partyworks had been rude, but did indicate that the issue of the street fair would be on the August 4 city council agenda. He said he had placed this on the agenda as a result of the company’s continued failure to comply with the city’s requests in a timely manner.
Here’s the letter sent to LA Partyworks:
NOTICE OF INTENT TO TERMINATE THE EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE FRIDAY NIGHT FAMILY STREET FAIR
Dear Mr. Nemetz,
Pursuant to Section 14 of the Exclusive Franchise Agreement (Agreement) between the City of Monrovia (City) and Los Angeles PartyWorks, Inc. (LA PartyWorks) for the production of the Friday Night Family Street Fair (Event), please accept this correspondence as an official notice of intent to terminate the Agreement.
In conformance with the provisions of Section 14, this notice has been prepared to provide LA PartyWorks with requisite advanced notification that the City intends to terminate the Agreement effective August 8, 2015. The selected Agreement termination date provides LA PartyWorks with a reasonable time to cure performance deficiencies identified by the City.
Furthermore, the City is requesting that the operational issues at the Event as outlined below be addressed by the correspondingly identified date.
By Friday, July 24, 2015
Implement an improved traffic safety program to ensure that vehicular–pedestrian conflicts do not occur at the Event
Improve event set-up and take-down procedures, paying particular attention to traffic safety issues
Provide adequate and trained staff to coordinate the set-up, management, and take-down of the Event
Provide the City with information regarding the licensed and bonded security guard company providing security
services for the Event
Implement a program to improve trash collection services for the proper removal and disposal of trash generated by
the Event
Provide the equipment necessary to provide all Event vendors with reliable electrical power
Correct any Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) deficiencies currently associated with the production of the Event
Cease operations of the LA PartyWorks kettle corn both, which is being operated in violation of the Agreement
Cease the prohibition on Event vendors from selling drinks, including soda and water
Cease operations of the LA PartyWorks drink booths, which is being operated in violation of the Agreement
Allow Jake’s Roadhouse to set-up and operate the Jake’s BBQ and Jake’s Kettle Corn booths in a similar location to
where they operated prior to LA PartyWorks taking over production of the Event
Present a plan for the City’s consideration to improve seating areas, both in terms of quantity and quality, at the
Event
Present a plan for the City’s consideration to improve the lighting at the Event after sunset
By Friday, July 31, 2015
Present a plan for the City’s consideration to limit the number of food vendor booths at the Event
Present a plan for the City’s consideration to upgrade the management, supervision, and safety of the Kids Zone
Present a plan for the City’s consideration to develop a plan for providing electrical power to the 800 block of Myrtle
Avenue
Present an overall traffic control plan for the Event for the City’s consideration
Implement the City approved plan to improve the lighting at the Event after sunset
Implement the City approved plan to improve seating areas, both in terms of quantity and quality, at the Event
By Friday, August 7, 2015
Implement the City approved plan for limiting the number of food vendors booths at the Event
Implement the City approved plan for upgrading the management, supervision, and safety of the Kids Zone
Implement the City approved plan for providing electrical power to the 800 block of Myrtle Avenue
Implement the City approved traffic control plan for the Event
It is also important to note that the City has previously offered to provide LA PartyWorks with training related to traffic safety,
Event set-up, and electrical power considerations. To this point in time, LA PartyWorks has not accepted the training
opportunities, and we would like to reiterate the offer at this point in time.
Thank you for your prompt attention to the issues identified in this correspondence. Please feel free to let me know if you
should have any questions – I can be reached via email at ochi@ci.monrovia.ca.us, or via cell phone at (310) 663-9837.
Best regards,
Oliver Chi
City Manager
The following are the above mentioned concerns of Kurt Anderson:
1.Information regarding vendor and event information on Partyworks website promised by July 1 still not available.
2.Public Works staff is setting out City traffic signage.
3.Public Works Edison service is being used to supply event electric power in the 500, 600 and 700 blocks of S Myrtle.
4.Public Works 220 KW generator and attendant staff is being used to supply electric power in the 800 S Myrtle block.
This is equipment and staff that Partyworks represented themselves as having. How are we being paid for the use of these services? In the event of an Edison power failure is the City responsible for replacement power supply? In the event of a generator malfunction resulting in equipment damage or human injury is the City responsible?
5.Partyworks has been closing Myrtle well in advance of posted 4:00 time, disrupting established delivery times and schedules.
6.Street closure has been poorly performed. Open and unattended barricades observed at Lemon and Colorado intersections. There is no physical barrier in place at Lemon to prevent a Santa Monica type of tragedy. Parking on Colorado looks chaotic and unorganized. There is no clear definition that the parking is for vendor vehicles and why are they being parked outside the window views of the Monrovian and Rudy’s restaurants anyway? Cars were still moving on the Street at 5:30 last Friday.
7.ADA requirements were not met at S/E sidewalk aprons at Olive/Myrtle intersection. Blocked by Popcorn and Info booths.
8.We now have porta potty outhouse toilets and dirty sinks instead of the high quality restroom trailer previously in use.
9.Why is Jakes Roadhouse not being allowed to sell from the location that they have had? More to the point why is this spot now being occupied by an outside vendor selling popcorn in spite of the contract prohibiting activities in direct conflict with local businesses? Why was the Partyworks owner harassing the Jakes food booth staff about their booth configuration last Friday? And why didn’t he identify himself to them?
10.At the end of the evening at 10:00 I watched a situation that causes me the greatest amount of concern. Two vendor vehicles were entering the Colorado/Myrtle intersection with no staff supervision. Due to the number of people and booths in that area the first vehicle could not proceed and started to back up. This was a van with limited rear vision. At this time a group of 4 or 5 Partyworks staff approached and were continuing unconcerned through the intersection until I stopped them and advised them that they had an extremely dangerous situation at hand. The response from one of them was “don’t worry, the vendors know what they’re doing”. This statement came from an individual approximately 16 to 17 years old. What do we think his experience is at this type of activity? This level of management and supervision is a recipe for disaster and it can only be a matter of time before someone is hurt or killed.
11.If Partyworks is going to staff this event with people mostly under 18 as a casual observation would indicate has the company owner obtained school issued work permits for each applicable individual as required by California labor laws? For that matter
are the rest of his permits and liability insurance requirements being met? Has his liability carrier visited the site and approved what they are insuring?
12. The Friday night street fair has an unblemished 23 year safety record and my first concern is that is remains that way but there are obviously many other issues needing attention.
Officials say these ‘barricades’ are not safe enough – Photo by Terry Miller
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