A special event is an activity that materially affects the ordinary allocation of City personnel or the ordinary use of City streets, sidewalks, or parking lots. Special events may include the following:
- Run/walk/bike events
- Festivals/fairs
- Parades
- Free Speech events
- Commercial property events
Neighborhood block parties are a form of special event that is treated differently because of their smaller scale and location (a residential area). Organizers may not advertise neighborhood block parties to encourage attendance by the general public.
See the Special Events and Block Parties page for more information or to complete an application.
Work performed by any individual, contractor, or utility agency within the City right-of-way is subject to the City's Right-of-Way Standards and Utility and Right-of-Way Permit program. The Engineering Division of the Public Works Department manages the Utility and Right-of-Way Permit program.
Examples of work that requires a Utility and Right-of-Way Permit include:
- Sidewalk repairs
- Sanitary or storm sewer repairs
- Driveway repairs or installations
- Stormwater culvert installations
- Utility repair or installations
- Any work that requires a partial or full street closure
The right-of-way (ROW) is public property, defined as all space outside established private property lines. Public thoroughfares such as streets, roads and alleys, utility poles, sidewalks, and the area immediately adjacent to the street are typically found within the ROW.
See the Utility and Right-of-Way Permits page for more information or to complete an application.
Work performed by any individual, contractor, or utility agency that creates a land disturbance is subject to the City's Erosion Control Permit program. The Erosion Control Permit program is managed by the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department. The City requires Erosion Control Permits for the following projects:
- New Home Construction
- New Commercial, Industrial, Subdivision, or Institutional Construction
- Home Improvement Projects that add over 1000 square feet of building area
- Demolition Projects for Buildings
- Certain landscaping projects disturbing over 2000 square feet of land area
See the Erosion Control Permits page for more information or to complete an application
The installation and maintenance of infrastructure and utilities within the City Right-of-Way that are not owned and operated by the City require a License Agreement to be executed between the City and the owner to authorize the encroachment. Most common needs for these licenses include:
- Non-franchised, underground and above grade utilities,
- Canopies, banners, fences, signs, or other structures
License agreements typically require an annual fee and are subject to the approval of the Mayor and/or City Council dependent on the type you are applying for. For more information on utility License Agreements, please contact the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department.
The installation and maintenance of movable outdoor furniture or use of space for the consumption of food or beverages within the City Right-of-Way requires this type of license which are granted on an annual basis and can be renewed on January 1st of subsequent years. Typically, this is used for seasonal outdoor seating that activates public space for entertainment and/or consumption of food or beverages. There are additional requirements regarding liquor licensing if you intend to serve alcoholic liquor within the proposed sidewalk cafe area. Private use of public space for this type of use must maintain clear pathways for ingress/egress to adjacent buildings and for regular pedestrian traffic meeting ADA/PROWAG regulations.
All developments within the City municipal boundary and the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (area within 1.5 miles of the City's corporate boundary) are subject to the City's Land Development Code and Manual of Practice. As part of the Building Permit program, the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department reviews development plans for compliance with these standards.
Engineering will review a development (as defined by Article XI in the Building Code) for compliance with Article XI of the Building Code concurrently with the review for one or more of the following applications:
- Building Permit (as governed by Chapter 21 of the City Code of Ordinances),
- Right-of-Way and Utility Permit (as governed by Chapter 20 of the City Code of Ordinances), or
- Boneyard Creekway Permit (as governed by Section XIII-4 of the Zoning Ordinance)
The City does not have a separate permit application for floodplain development.