City Council · meeting of Wednesday, Feb. 18
Larkspur puts a price tag on exclusive use of Piper and Nan parks
The City Council on Wednesday adopted three linked park measures, building a fee structure and rulebook for groups that want to take over public park space. Under Resolution 11-26, large special events — those drawing 250 or more attendees — will pay roughly $500 an hour at Piper Park and $300 an hour at the smaller large-park venues. All three items passed unanimously by voice vote.
“The target of this policy is not Mr. Resident of Larkspur. This is for organizations that want to take a piece of public space out of public use for a period of time and have exclusive use, potentially doing fundraising and charging admission.”— City staff, explaining the new park special event fees
Staff drew a hard line between a family birthday picnic and a ticketed fundraiser. Council members pressed on the arithmetic — one asked what happens to a four-to-six-o'clock event that also needs setup time, noting "that's $1,000 because that's two hours." A council member also credited staff for taking the proposal to the Parks Commission back in October and returning with the commission's suggestions.
The companion policy, Resolution 13-26, defines reservable spaces at Piper, Nan, Greenbrae School and Heatherwood parks and sets thresholds for security, composting and site plans, while limiting eligibility to Larkspur-based community organizations. City-sponsored staples — Music in the Park, the egg hunt, the pumpkin patch and Nightlights — are exempt. Mayor Andre pushed for flexibility: "Maybe we should put something in here where it gives you latitude to waive fees for schools or events where they're not charging an entrance fee to attendees." The policy passed with that amendment, giving the Recreation Director discretion to waive or reduce fees for schools and nonprofits that don't charge admission. Recreation Director Nick Stone said school groups already send custodians in afterward, and the park typically comes back cleaner than they found it.
City Council · meeting of Wednesday, Feb. 18
Bounce houses get an outlet at Piper Park — and a single approved vendor
At the Piper Park picnic areas, the Council adopted Resolution 12-26, setting fees of $50 for a half day and $75 for a full day to plug a bounce house into city electrical hookups. The idea is to retire the gas generators that have powered them, and to get a handle on inflatables that show up without a permit.
“One of my more humiliating stories at a music in the park was when the generator ran out of gas and everything kind of just stopped.”— Nick Stone, Recreation Director
Recreation Director Nick Stone made the case with a story: "One of my more humiliating stories at a music in the park was when the generator ran out of gas and everything kind of just stopped." Staff added that "one of the complaints we get are that somebody has brought in a bounce house from some random vendor with no permit or rental ticket associated with that bounce house."
The measure also moves the city to an exclusive vendor arrangement, partly to manage who gets keys to the locked electrical breakers. Vice Mayor Poulson suggested the city line up two trusted vendors for backup, calling it a minor point. The resolution passed unanimously.
City Council · public comment, Feb. 18
Resident to Council: the flood problem is the tide, not the storms
Resident Ross Aselstein used public comment to argue that the city is aiming its flood money at the wrong target. He urged officials to direct the roughly $7.8 million in remaining flood district grant funds toward tidal flooding mitigation rather than storm-focused projects, and called for updated flood maps reflecting a foot of sea level rise over 20 years.
“The entirety of Larkspur, Kentfield, Greenbrae, and unincorporated's problem is tide. It's not storms, and it's going to go up by a foot.”— Ross Aselstein, in public comment
"The entirety of Larkspur, Kentfield, Greenbrae, and unincorporated's problem is tide," he told the Council. "It's not storms, and it's going to go up by a foot."
Vice Mayor Poulson, who works on Flood Zone 9, said he was well aware of the concerns and welcomed residents passionate enough to make the Council think. No action was taken on the item.