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A Study Session on Oak Park Special Events Process
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Introduction
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This study session provides an overview of the Village’s special events process, key challenges, and findings to support Board discussion and direction on potential program/ process updates.
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Recommended Action
This is a discussion item. No formal action is requested. Staff seek feedback from the Village Board on potential updates to the Village’s special events process. Staff propose many special events changes for consideration by the Board to address event holder feedback and improve operations. These changes would increase the number of events that go through the special event process, improve the platform and process for applying, and change how we financially support special events.
Prior Board Action
The Board has taken the following prior action(s):
• RES 26-148: A Resolution Approving and Adopting the 2026 Special Events Fee Schedule
• RES 25-148: A Resolution Approving and Adopting the 2025 Special Event Fees
• RES 24-138: A Resolution Approving and Adopting the 2024 Special Event Fees
• RES 23-65: A Resolution Approving and Adopting the 2023 Special Event Fees
• ORD 22-71: First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 30 (“Special Events”), Article 1 (“General Regulations”), Section 30-1-3 (“Policies and Procedures”) of the Oak Park Village Code to Provide a Discount for Certain Special Event Fees
• RES 22-59: A Resolution Approving and Adopting the 2022 Special Event Fees
Background
The Village of Oak Park administers a high volume of special events annually, requiring coordination across multiple departments, including Police, Fire, Public Works, Public Health, and Neighborhood Services. As events have increased in size, frequency, and complexity, staff initiated a comprehensive review of the Village’s special events process to evaluate operational efficiency, cost recovery practices, and overall program sustainability.
This effort supports the Village Board’s strategic priority of enhancing community engagement and delivering efficient, responsive municipal services.
In preparation for this study session, staff conducted:
• Internal discussions with Village departments involved in event planning and operations
• Outreach to event organizers to gather feedback on their experience
• Benchmarking with peer municipalities, including Park Ridge, Naperville, Elmhurst, and La Grange
Current Program Challenges
Staff identified several challenges with the current process:
• Limited alignment across departments regarding service expectations, staffing levels, and cost calculation methods
• Delays in issuing final invoices following events
• Limitations within the current permitting portal, including lack of transparency and status tracking
• Staffing constraints that impact the Village’s ability to support multiple events simultaneously
Internal Staff Feedback
Internal departments identified several operational challenges:
• Staffing constraints: Staff noted difficulty securing team members, particularly for larger events, with event support often impacting core service delivery
• Inconsistent cost estimation: Costs vary based on staffing availability, event conditions, and operational needs, resulting in differences between estimated and actual costs
• Lack of standardization: Departments use different processes for application review, cost estimation, and coordination; Public Health noted limited visibility into the overall process
• Operational strain: Increased event activity has resulted in higher costs and competing priorities for staff time
• Process improvement needs: Staff identified opportunities to standardize applications, improve timelines, and enhance coordination across departments
Event Organizer Feedback
Event organizers provided the following feedback:
• Lack of transparency and predictability in event-related costs
• Estimates provided shortly before events and final invoices issued months afterward
• Limited visibility into application status and review progress
• Communication gaps and need for a consistent point of contact
• Challenges navigating the current permitting portal
• Interest in a streamlined process for recurring events with minimal changes
Organizers consistently noted that unpredictability of costs and timelines is a greater concern than cost alone.
Peer Community Benchmarking
Staff met with peer municipalities to understand how other communities structure their programs. Key observations include:
• Most communities utilize a hybrid cost recovery model that balances service cost recovery with subsidies, discounts, or grant programs
• Several municipalities offer event grants or fee reductions to support community events
• Billing approaches vary between actual costs and standardized rates
• Staffing capacity is a primary factor in determining event approvals
• Many communities utilize permitting software to streamline application review and coordination
Financial Analysis
Staff are particularly seeking Board direction on how to approach special event cost recovery, a policy decision with financial impacts. Staff received lots of feedback from special events organizers on cost certainty and cost trends. The current process is built around past Board direction to pursue full cost recovery for events. Staff review special event applications, develop staffing plans with cost estimates, and the event organizer pays 50% of the estimated costs prior to issuing the event permit. After the event, staff calculate the actual costs and bill the organizer for any remaining amount due after netting out the 50% upfront payment. While this process allows for cost recovery, it has multiple drawbacks from the perspective of both staff and event organizers.
- New events and non-profit events find the 50% upfront payment challenging.
- Not all organizers understand that the upfront payment is for 50% of the estimated costs and that actual costs will be charged later.
- Unexpected differences between estimated and actual costs due to staffing differences can lead to cost increases that challenge event holder budgeting.
- Generating actual costs after events has led to lengthy delays in providing event organizers with final invoices, which in turn has led to challenges in collecting post-event fees.
- To receive reduced costs, staff and event organizers must go through a separate application/review costs with the Spark special event grants.
Event organizers also expressed concern about the level of fees, particularly for the largest events that need the most Village staffing support.
For context, the Village’s adopted budgets in both 2025 and 2026 only assumed $3,500 in special events revenue annually, primarily through application fees. Both Police and Public Works budget fully for the needed staff time to support special events through their regular salary/benefit accounts and overtime accounts. They do not separately budget for anticipated special events revenue. In sum, the adopted budgets for the past two years do not assume full cost-recovery. The Village collected about $41,000 in special events revenue in 2025, up from $32,000 in 2024 and $22,000 in 2023. Most of this revenue is for policing and public works costs. For comparison, in 2025, the Village provided $15,500 in Spark special event grants and anticipates a similar amount in 2026.
Recommendations
Based on this review, staff recommend several changes to improve special event operations and address community concerns. These include the following.
• Expand the definition of special events
• Move to a tiered application review process
• Improve communication with event holders throughout the process, particularly through the application platform
• Support the Police’s ability to staff events by authorizing the use of security consultants under OPPD oversight
• Charge event fees based on estimated costs rather than actual costs
• Reduce overall fees for events
• Discount costs for new events
Timing Considerations
Staff anticipate working through potential policy and procedural updates throughout 2026, with the goal of implementing any approved changes beginning in the 2027 special event planning cycle. This timeline allows for coordination with internal departments and event organizers.
Financial Impact
Staff received lots of feedback from special events organizers on cost-certainty and cost trends. The current process is built around past Board direction to pursue full cost recovery for events. Given our analysis and feedback received, staff recommend several changes that would move the Village away from a policy of full cost recovery to address concerns from special event organizers and improve operational efficiency.
- Charge event fees based on estimated costs rather than actual costs
- Reduce deposit to 20%
- Discounted costs for new events in line with the current Spark special event grant
- Place a $10,000 cap on special event fees, indexed to inflation
- Reduce all special event fees by 25%
Combined staff estimate that these will cost the Village appx. $13,300 in lost revenue, comparable to the amount spent on Spark grants.
Operations Impact
Special events have a significant operational impact across Village departments, including DEI, Police, Fire, Public Works, Public Health, and Neighborhood Services. The current process impacts staff workload, interdepartmental coordination, and the Village’s ability to effectively support the growing number of special events. The recommendations are intended to improve the allocation of resources by Police, Fire, Public Works, Public Health, and Neighborhood Services to ensure events are supported successfully.
DEI Impact
Special events contribute to community engagement, cultural expression, and economic activity across Oak Park. Any future updates to the program should consider equitable access for nonprofit organizations, small businesses, and community-based groups.
Community Input
Staff conducted outreach with event organizers who applied for a special event permit in 2025 to gather feedback on the current process and identify areas for improvement. This input informed the findings and policy considerations presented in this item.
Staff Recommendation
This is a discussion item. No formal action is requested. Staff seek feedback from the Village Board on potential updates to the Village’s special events process. Staff propose many special events changes for consideration by the Board to address event holder feedback and improve operations. These changes would increase the number of events that go through the special event process, improve the platform and process for applying, and change how we financially support special events.
Advantages:
• Addresses event holder concerns about the current system
• Improves operational clarity and efficiency
• Provides more support for special events in recognition of their benefits to the community
Disadvantages:
• These changes would move the Village away from a policy of full cost recovery
Alternatives
Alternative 1
The Board could choose to move forward with the operational changes suggested by staff but not the recommendations related to special event fees and cost recovery.
Advantages:
• Addresses event holder process concerns about the current system
• Improves operational clarity and efficiency
• Ensures that Village costs associated with externally sponsored special events are fully covered by those events
Disadvantages:
• Does not address many of the special event cost concerns identified by stakeholders
Alternative 2
Provide an alternative direction to staff’s recommendations on special events.
Advantages:
• This action can customize next steps based on Board direction
Disadvantages:
• This action may require additional research by staff prior to coming back for further discussion or action items
Anticipated Future Actions
Based on Board direction, staff will pursue appropriate next steps to implement that feedback, including bringing forward any ordinance changes.
Prepared By: Paola Garibay, Neighborhood Partnerships Administrator
Reviewed By: Jonathan Burch, Assistant Village Manager/Neighborhood Services Director
Approved By: Kevin J. Jackson, Village Manager
Attachment(s):
1. Presentation