HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-02-02; TGIF Concerts in the Parks Status Update (Districts 2, 3 & 4); Barberio, GaryTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date 2/ 2.(23 CA / CC ✓
CM _\L"ACM __\C'OCM (3) _.JL"
Council Memorandum
February 2, 2023
To:
From:
Via:
Re:
Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager
Suzanne Smithson, Library & Cultural Arts Director
Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager ~
TGIF Concerts in the Parks Status Update (Districts 2, 3 & 4)
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2023011
This memorandum provides an overview of the 2022 TGIF Concerts in the Parks season including
key details around costs. This memorandum also recommends process improvements focused on
public safety and staying within budget by recommending a modified 2023 concert schedule.
Background
From its origins as "jazz in the parks," TGIF Concerts in the Parks (TGIF) has grown into one of the
city's most highly anticipated and beloved events. For more than 35 seasons, friends, families
and neighbors have come together every summer to enjoy music in Carlsbad's parks. The concert
series was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The concert series
returned in 2022 despite some early concerns and delays related to COVID-19. In March 2022,
the decision was made to produce a TGIF concert series consistent in presentation with its
history.
In that spirit, staff scheduled nine concert dates: two at Stagecoach Park (D4), three at Poinsettia
Park (D3), two at Calavera Hills Park (D2), and two at Alga Norte Park (D2). Cultural Arts staff
worked with a producer to find performers that offered a concert series reminiscent of seasons
past, while also celebrating the return of TGIF and postponed 35th Anniversary.
There were some changes to the 2022 TGIF operations:
• Contracted traffic control services were budgeted and added in response to a post-2019
recommendation from the Police Department, citing concerns about traffic safety
• Contract EMT services were added, due to staffing limitations of the Fire Department
• Food vendors were not included at the concerts. The short timeline made it difficult to
procure food vendors and meet the extensive health requirements at each concert site
• There have traditionally been three concerts at Stagecoach Park and two at Poinsettia
Park, primarily because no shuttle service is needed at Stagecoach Park which results in
simplified staffing and reduced costs. However, the date of the third concert coincided
with parking lot construction at La Costa Canyon High School (a primary parking location
for concertgoers) so the third concert was moved to Poinsettia Park.
Community Services Branch
Library & Cultural Arts Department
1775 Dove Lane I Carlsbad, CA 920111 442-339-2090 t
Council Memo -TGIF Concerts in the Parks Status Update (Districts 2, 3 & 4)
February 2, 2023
Page 2
2022 TGIF Attendance
The 2022 TGIF concert series was overwhelmingly successful. Attendance figures for the 2022
season were similar to pre-pandemic years. Additionally, the demographics of the audience
appeared to shift from mostly mature adults to young families with school age and younger
children. Table 1.1 provides five years of TGIF attendance. Despite the two-year hiatus,
attendance for the 2022 TGIF season is commensurate with the previous four years and just
2,500 attendees short of meeting the statistical average per year.
Table 1.1 Five-year TGIF attendance comparison
YEAR ATTENDANCE
2022 27,500
2019 30,084
2018 28,940
2017 31,648
2016 29,966
Average Annual Attendance 29,927
Staffing
Early in the 2022 recruitment process, the city received very few applications for the part-time
seasonal TGIF crew. In response, Human Resources reduced the age requirement for the crew
from 18 to 16 and increased the hourly rate from $18 to $20. The salary offered was within, but
at the top of, the range for the crew position. That combination of modifications resulted in a
larger number of applications. The city ultimately hired 3 TGIF crew supervisors and 26 TGIF crew
members.
The TGIF crew provided a total of 2,561 hours of labor over nine weeks. This averages 285 staff
hours per concert in which the crew turns a baseball field into a concert venue, and then back to
a baseball field, all within 14 hours.
Pop Up Art participated in all nine concerts and served 2,908, or 323 children per concert in
2022, which aligns with the historical averages. Staffing for this program included three arts
instructors for each concert.
Budget
Table 1.2 below illustrates the budget for 2022 TGIF, the actual costs to produce 2022 TGIF, and
actual costs from the 2019 season for a pre-pandemic comparison. TGIF budget and costs cross
fiscal years because the concert contracting starts in January of one fiscal year and the series
continues through late summer of the next fiscal year. Because there was no TGIF series in
summer 2021, there were funds remaining to absorb the cost increase associated with 2022
TGIF.
Council Memo -TGIF Concerts in the Parks Status Update (Districts 2, 3 & 4)
February 2, 2023
Page 3
The cost of 2022 TGIF was impacted by the same factors present in much of the United States
post-pandemic: inflation, labor shortages and supply chain issues. For example, the shuttle
transportation company, used at three park sites and seven concerts, added a surcharge for
gasoline, a first for TGIF.
Table 1.2
2022 TGIF Season
%
TGIF Contracted Services (Ge neral Fund, Over/Under For Comparison:
001-4065 / 001-4061) 2022 Budget 2022 Actual · Budget 2019Actual
Producer Anthology $ 66,100 $ 75,000 13% $ 61,000
Security Guards of
Security America $ 5,000 $ 12,227 145% $ 4,950
Portables United Site Services $ 10,100 $ 10,491 4% $ 6,966
North Coast Student
Shuttles Transportation $ 10,700 $ 16,826 57% $ 9,500
Recycling Urban Corps $ 6,600 $ 14,220 115% $ 10,500
Sottek Trippe
Enterprises LLC, DBA
EMTs Air Care Ambulance $ 3,500 $ 10,440 198% N/A (FD provided)
Traffic Control West Coast Traffic, LLC $ 20,400 $ 41,790 105% N/A (New)
.Supplies/
Equipment $ 1,060 $ 365 -66%
Stage Set-up
Training $ 7,974
General Fund Total: $ 123,460 $ 189,333 53% $ 92,916
Hourly Staff Total
(TGIF crew+ Arts Instructors): $ 47,519 $ 50,498 6% $ 40,258
Friends of the Arts Support Total: $ 23,350 $ 16,135 -31%
GRAND TOTAL: I $ 194,329 $ 255,966
Council Memo -TGIF Concerts in the Parks Status Update (Districts 2, 3 & 4)
February 2, 2023
Page 4
Given these numbers, the average cost per concert in 2022 was $28,440. Staff anticipate a 10%
increase in costs for 2023, resulting in a new cost per concert estimated at $31,285.
Discussion
At the close of every TGIF season, staff holds a debrief with the city departments who collaborate
with Cultural Arts to produce the TGIF concert series. On October 5, 2022, staff conducted a
debrief with representatives from police, fire, public works, facilities, parks & recreation, fleet
operations, park maintenance and human resources to offer observations and recommendations .
that improve the concert series and the public experience. Key takeaways included:
• The Library & Cultural Arts Department would need to submit a supplemental budget
request in the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24 budget process to adequately fund a nine-concert
season in the summer of 2023.
• All departments agree that Poinsettia Park (D3) is the most challenging park to hold
concerts in for a number of reasons:
o The park has only one entrance for both people and vehicles with limited on-site
parking in four separate areas
o The baseball field where the concert takes place has only one main entrance/exit
plus one small gate to move all concertgoers in and out safely; emergency exits at
the back of the field (north and east) are up steep hills and not easily navigated
o ADA and mobility issues greatly impact accessibility: there is a steep incline to
traverse from the parking areas and from the shuttle drop off/pick up area to the
field; the single small at-field-level parking lot cannot be navigated by the shuttle
buses; if the at-field-level parking lot were set as a designated drop-off/pick-up
area, those vehicles would be competing with pedestrians along the same narrow
drive path
o Vehicle traffic & vehicle parking greatly impacts the surrounding neighborhoods; it
has been challenging to find appropriate nearby shuttle service parking areas;
Poinsettia Park is the only TGIF location that is not immediately adjacent to a
major street which impacts access
o Debrief team would support that Poinsettia Park is not used for TGIF in the future
• Traffic control and parking is a significant challenge at every park:
o Off-site parking and the impacts in the surrounding neighborhoods was an issue,
especially at Poinsettia Park (D3)
o · Explore motivational prizes to encourage shuttle use
o E-bikes reduced vehicle traffic but need a designated, secure parking area at all
concert locations
o Consider no "on-site" parking at ALL locations. Shuttles and e-bikes only
• Start crew recruitment in March, to allow ample time for human resources to complete
the process
• Environmental services have an increasing role at concerts:
o Reported TGIF attendees successfully diverted 50% of the waste at each
concert
Council Memo -TGIF Concerts in the Parks Status Update (Districts 2, 3 & 4)
February 2, 2023
Page 5
o Do not recommend food vendors as it is very hard to divert waste. lffood
vendors return, they must know and adhere to all new recycling and
composting guidelines
• The Fire Department anticipates being able to provide EMT services for all concerts next
year, potentially eliminating the need to contract that service
Next Steps
For 2023 TGIF, staff is recommending the following changes:
• To allow for a concert series that does not require a budget increase over the amount
budgeted in FY 2022-23, staff propose to reduce the concerts held at Poinsettia Park (D3)
for safety and mobility issues to one concert and host a total of six concerts with two
concerts at Stagecoach Park (D4), one at Poinsettia Park (D3), one at Calavera Hills Park
(D2) and two at Alga Norte Park (D2), as noted in Table 1.3 below. This will allow for a
concert series that can safely be presented within existing funding
• Continue to program more musical niche genres to reduce crowd size (a tactic which
proved effective in 2022)
• Staff will work with traffic engineers and park event permit staff to redesign the traffic
control plan for the concerts to reduce the burden on the surrounding neighborhoods
• Staff will create incent ives fore-bikes and shuttle usage
Table 1. 3
2023 TGIF
PARK Proposed Schedule
1. Stagecoach 7/7/2023
2. Stagecoach 7/14/2023
3. Poinsettia 7/21/2023
4. Calavera Hills 7/28/2023
5. Alga Norte 8/4/2023
6. Alga Norte 8/11/2023
These staff recommendations are for the 2023 TGIF concert season. Should the City Council have
any questions with the above recommendations, including the number of concerts and the park
locations, they can request that it be docketed for a future City Council meeting for
consideration.
Council Memo -TGIF Concerts in the Parks Status Update (Districts 2, 3 & 4)
February 2, 2023
Page 6
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Mickey Williams, Police Chief
Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief
Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director
Zach Korach, Finance Director