New Parks Policy Requires Groups to Obtain Permits

A new town facilities use policy will set rules for reserving the use of town parks and buildings and limit the town’s risk liability exposure, officials told the Town Council Tuesday.

"It’s all about managing risk and taking better control of town owned property," said Director of Administration and Management Paul Hongo Jr., who was joined by Mayor April Capone to present the proposal to the Town Council.

The new policy also shortens the process and reduces the expense for obtaining permission from the town.

They said the policy divides organizations seeking permission to use town facilities into two groups, those who have used parks, the town green, the senior center and town buildings regularly over the years and those who are applying for the first time.

The process for the former group is slightly streamlined, although organizations in both categories would have to be approved after a public hearing by the Town Council.

That raised an objection from representatives of the East Haven Arts Commission, even though two commission members were there to support the proposal. The commission hosts three events each year, including an upcoming arts festival. 

Arts Commission Chairman Fred Marotti and member Sam Giglio said planning for the arts festival already takes a whole year. They felt it was a nuisance to require a Town Council public hearing as well.

"I don’t see why we should have to come for a public hearing," said Giglio.

Marotti noted the Arts Commission is a town entity. "A town entity should be exempt," he said.

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Nevertheless, the Arts Commission members supported the new policy because it makes the approval process much easier and quicker than the present process.

Currently, the Town Council must hold a public hearing and pass an ordinance every time a group wants to obtain permission to hold an event on town property. Besides being time consuming and difficult, it necessitates purchasing legal notices in local newspapers for both the public hearing and the decision, an expense that adds up over the course of a year, Hongo said.

The new policy breaks down the approval process into several steps. First the individual, group or organization must meet with the Facility Use Subcommittee of the Recreation & Athletic Complex Commission, which determines if the event is suitable for a town-owned facility and check to see if the facility is available on the requested date.

The subcommittee would go over the rules and rental agreement with the applicant to make sure they are understood and answer any questions. After the agreement is signed, it is scheduled for a public hearing and approval by the Town Council.

The town’s insurance advisor and broker, Christopher Wardrop of USI Insurance Services, said many groups could obtain insurance through TULIP (Tenant User Liability Insurance Program), which helps provide low-cost insurance for nonprofit municipal events.

Wardrop also noted that many organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, already have liability insurance that could cover public events on town-owned property.

He explained events such as an amateur rock band event on the town green presents potential insurance liability if participants are hurt or someone damages town-owned property.

Hongo said once the new policy was approved, town officials would reach out to groups and organizations that regularly use town facilities and ask them to begin the application process.

He said events on school property or at the Hagaman Library would not be covered by the new town facilities use policy, because the public schools and the library already have separate use policies.

Editor's note: This article was updated to reflect that Arts Commission members Marotti and Giglio support the new process, but are opposed to the public hearing requirement, and to further explain the existing permit process.