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Home My WebLink AboutResolution No. 2026-14 | Community Event Support Program Policy Resolution | Adopted 03/16/2026RESOLUTION NO. 2026-14 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GILROY ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY EVENT SUPPORT PROGRAM POLICY AND AUTHORIZING IMPLEMENTATION DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 FUNDING CYCLE WHEREAS, the City of Gilroy recognizes the value of community-based special events that promote cultural enrichment, civic engagement, and economic vitality; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to formalize a transparent and equitable process for providing limited City service cost offsets to eligible nonprofit-organized events that are free to attend and inclusive; and WHEREAS, the Community Event Support Program (“Program”) aligns with Gilroy City Code Chapter 13A and advances Council Goals and Priorities by supporting events that deliver measurable community benefit, ensure public safety, and foster equitable access; and WHEREAS, the Program establishes clear eligibility criteria, allowable uses of funds, review considerations, and reporting requirements to ensure fiscal stewardship and accountability; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed and considered the revised Community Event Support Program Policy, which includes updated timelines, application windows, and compliance requirements for the FY 2027 transitional cycle and beyond. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Gilroy does hereby: 1. Establish the Community Event Support Program Policy as outlined in Attachment 1, formalizing a nonprofit subsidy program for community special events that are free to attend, inclusive, and provide measurable community benefit; and 2. Authorize City staff to implement the FY 2027 funding cycle in accordance with the updated timeline, review considerations, and reporting requirements, including: o Application availability from March 23 through April 27, 2026, for events occurring July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027; o Council review and approval of award recommendations at the May 18, 2026, Council Meeting; o Compliance with pre-event requirements and post-event reporting as specified in the Program Policy; and 3. Authorize staff to administer the Program annually thereafter using the established application window (January 15 – March 15), review process, and reporting standards, subject to annual budget allocations and Council priorities. Docusign Envelope ID: 841C86C2-73AC-4448-8325-F775394C7499 Resolution No. 2026-14 Community Event Support Program Policy Resolution City Council Regular Meeting | March 16, 2026 Page 2 of 3 ATTACHMENT 1: Community Event Support Program Policy PASSED AND ADOPTED this 16th day of March 2026 by the following roll call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: BRACCO, CLINE, FUGAZZI, HILTON, MARQUES, RAMIREZ, BOZZO NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NONE APPROVED: Greg Bozzo, Mayor ATTEST: _______________________ Kim Mancera, City Clerk Docusign Envelope ID: 841C86C2-73AC-4448-8325-F775394C7499 Resolution No. 2026-14 Community Event Support Program Policy Resolution City Council Regular Meeting | March 16, 2026 Page 3 of 3 CERTIFICATE OF THE CLERK I, KIM MANCERA, City Clerk of the City of Gilroy, do hereby certify that the attached Resolution No. 2026-14 is an original resolution, or true and correct copy of a City Resolution, duly adopted by the Council of the City of Gilroy at a Regular Meeting of said Council held Monday, March 16, 2026 with a quorum present. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Official Seal of the City of Gilroy this Wednesday, March 18, 2026. ____________________________________ Kim Mancera City Clerk of the City of Gilroy Docusign Envelope ID: 841C86C2-73AC-4448-8325-F775394C7499 ATTACHMENT 1 Attachment to Resolution Establishing a Community Event Support Program Policy and Authorizing Implementation during the FY2027 Funding Cycle CITY OF GILROY COMMUNITY EVENT SUPPORT PROGRAM POLICY Purpose The Community Event Support Program (“Program”) provides City service cost offsets to eligible nonprofit-organized events that deliver measurable community benefit, are free to attend, and inclusive. The Program evaluates requests annually, aligned to the City’s budget cycle and in accordance with Gilroy City Code Chapter 13A, to allocate limited funds transparently and equitably. Definitions • Free to Attend: No mandatory admission fee; open to the public. • Inclusive: Welcoming to all, ADA accessible, and reasonably accommodating language needs for the event’s target audience. • City Services: Services provided by City departments pursuant to adopted fee schedules or operational plans. Program Goals • Community Benefit and Inclusion Promote cultural enrichment, civic engagement, and broad access to free programming for Gilroy residents and visitors. • Public Safety and Compliance Ensure events meet safety, permitting, ADA, and insurance standards. • Equitable Access Support a diverse portfolio of events, including those serving underrepresented communities and first-time organizers. • Fiscal Stewardship Allocate limited City funds with clear criteria, controls, and reporting to maximize impact and accountability. • Alignment with the General Plan Economic Prosperity Element Advance the Goals and Priorities established within the General Plan for economic prosperity. Eligibility • Event Location Must occur within Gilroy city limits. Docusign Envelope ID: 841C86C2-73AC-4448-8325-F775394C7499 ATTACHMENT 1 Attachment to Resolution Establishing a Community Event Support Program Policy and Authorizing Implementation during the FY2027 Funding Cycle • Timing Funded activities must be carried out between July 1 through June 30, and in some way address the Economic Prosperity Element of the City’s 2040 General Plan. • Applicant Type Gilroy based non-profit organization with a 501(c) status. A "Gilroy based non-profit" is any tax-exempt organization with offices in Gilroy or proof of substantial work or activities conducted in Gilroy. Must be in good standing. • Public Access No admission fee (free-to-attend). Vendor sales, sponsorships, or optional donations are permitted if the event remains free to enter and participate. Furthermore, consistent with the Community Event Banner Policy, a Community Event is a public, community-oriented, non-political, non-sectarian event, celebration, or meeting that will be held on public property. • Inclusivity Open to the public, ADA accessible, with reasonable language access for the intended audience (e.g., bilingual outreach where relevant). • Compliance Must meet all federal, state, and local requirements (permits, insurance, licenses, certificates) and deadlines. • Prohibited Activities City support may not be used for religious or political campaigning. Secular community-benefitting events hosted by faith-based nonprofits may be eligible if the content is strictly non-religious and non-political. Event content or themes must align with the City’s General Plan Economic Prosperity Element. Allowable Use of Funds City allocations are applied directly to City service costs for the event. No direct financial payments are issued to applicants. NOTE: Any City service costs above the award amount are the responsibility of the applicant. Examples of Allowable City Costs: • Police and Fire public safety services • Public Works support • Fire/Hazmat inspection fees Fund Distribution Consideration Docusign Envelope ID: 841C86C2-73AC-4448-8325-F775394C7499 ATTACHMENT 1 Attachment to Resolution Establishing a Community Event Support Program Policy and Authorizing Implementation during the FY2027 Funding Cycle • Annual Program Allocation Set by Council during the Budget Development or Mid-Cycle Budget Review process. • Per-Event Cap Council may for any given funding cycle recommend a per-event not-to-exceed amount. • Per-Organizer Cap Council may for any given funding cycle recommend a not-to-exceed amount per fiscal year. • Portfolio Balance Allocation distribution (award amounts) may consider the mix of new and recurring events, and representation across cultural interests. Review Considerations • Alignment with Economic Prosperity Element (2040 General Plan) • Community Benefit and Inclusion free access, ADA, language access, diverse reach • Event Readiness and Capacity operational plan, staffing/volunteers, vendor management • Public Safety and Operational Feasibility realistic City service estimates, non-City funding secured • Track Record and Reporting Compliance prior performance, timely reporting Application Windows and Deadlines FY 2027 (Transitional Year) • Availability Applications for events occurring between July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027, are available online at www.CityofGilroy.org/EventSupport from March 23 through April 27, 2026. For hard copies, call 408-846-0207. • Deadline Applications must be submitted by April 27, 2026, by 5pm. Requests for event funding received outside of this application process and/or after this deadline will not be accepted. Docusign Envelope ID: 841C86C2-73AC-4448-8325-F775394C7499 ATTACHMENT 1 Attachment to Resolution Establishing a Community Event Support Program Policy and Authorizing Implementation during the FY2027 Funding Cycle • Submission Email completed applications to EconDev@CityofGilroy.org. • Council Action City Council will review award recommendations and approve final allocations at the May 18, 2026, Council Meeting. FY 2028 and Beyond • Availability January 15th - March 15th annually at www.CityofGilroy.org/EventSupport for events occurring during the subsequent fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). For hard copies, call 408-846-0207. Deadline March 15 by 5pm Requests for event funding received outside of this application process and/or after this deadline will not be accepted. • Submission Email to EconDev@CityofGilroy.org. • Council Action City Council will review award recommendations and approve final allocations at an April or May Council Meeting. NOTE: applications, awards, and reports are subject to public records laws. Award Notification and Pre-Event Requirements • Notice of Award Issued after Council adoption • Pre-Event Compliance Insurance certificates, permits, site plans, traffic control plans, and ADA/language access plans (if needed) must be submitted 60 days before event. Award Allocation Method • If eligible requests exceed the annual Program allocation, staff will prorate awards- based review against the above Scoring Considerations. • If actual City service costs exceed the award amount, the organizer is responsible for paying the difference. Reporting Requirements Docusign Envelope ID: 841C86C2-73AC-4448-8325-F775394C7499 ATTACHMENT 1 Attachment to Resolution Establishing a Community Event Support Program Policy and Authorizing Implementation during the FY2027 Funding Cycle Within thirty (30) days following the conclusion of the event, the organization must submit a report to the City outlining pertinent information related to the event. For ongoing activities or a series of events, the report must be submitted by July 30 for the prior fiscal year, or 30 days after the final event in the series, whichever comes first. NOTE: applications, awards, and reports are subject to public records laws. The report should include: • Attendance (estimated) and demographics if available • Observed accessibility performance (ADA compliance) • Public safety outcomes (e.g. incidents, medical calls, other concerns) • Vendor counts, local participation percentages • Economic indicators (e.g. merchant feedback, foot traffic sampling, if collected) • City services actually used, and costs as reconciled by City • Optional: photos, media mentions, and community testimonials Docusign Envelope ID: 841C86C2-73AC-4448-8325-F775394C7499