City of Purcell, Ordinance No. 26-07

No. 411-May 7-1 Time

ORDINANCE NO. 26-07

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PURCELL, BY ADDING CHAPTER 11 (SPECIAL EVENTS) AS FOLLOWS; AND REPEALING ALL OTHER ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PURCELL, OKLAHOMA:

Chapter 11 is created and shall hereafter read in its entirety as follows:

SECTION I:   ADDITION.

ARTICLE 11-1, In General

Section 11-1-1, Purpose.

The City of Purcell finds that unregulated special events may pose a threat to the health, safety, welfare, and environment of the community. Unregulated special events which attract large numbers of patrons and their vehicles can prevent passage of emergency vehicles, obstruct entrances to homes and businesses, and impede the use of streets and sidewalks by the inhabitants. Unregulated special events can create situations which exceed the City’s capacity to provide adequately for security, public safety, health, sanitation, parking, water, medical care, lodging and waste disposal. Further, unregulated special events can harm sensitive environmental areas, create noise, congestion, and other nuisances which interfere with the inhabitants’ peaceful enjoyment of their homes, businesses, and property. It is the intent of this article to regulate special events held on dates following the effective date of this Chapter. 

Section 11-1-2, Definitions. 

1. a) “Special event” means an outdoor meeting, festival, gathering, amusement, show, concert, or other activity that is expected to last two (2) or more hours, is open to the public, and is reasonably expected to attract people at any time during the event. 

(b) “Special event area” or “special event site” means any outdoor place which will be maintained, used, or operated for a special event. 

1. c) “Operator” means an individual, group of individuals, association, partnership, corporation, firm, company, or property owner who intends to hold or sponsor a special event, but shall not include the City of Purcell.

Article 11-2, Application

and Approval

Section 11-2-1, Permit Application and Approval Process. 

(A) To obtain a permit under this chapter, an operator must submit an application to the City Planner or his/her designee on a form prescribed by the City Planner. The application must be submitted no less than ninety (90) days prior to the proposed date of the event. The City Manager may waive this deadline at his/her discretion. 

(B) The City of Purcell staff including the Police, Fire, Emergency Manager, Street Department, Electric Department, Water Department, Parks Department, and City Planner must review and agree upon the approval or denial of the special event permit. If the permit is denied it can be taken in front of the City Manager and City Council for reversal. 

(C) An operator must submit the necessary fees as determined by the City of Purcell after processing of the permit application. Fees will be determined by a resolution approved and passed by the City Council. These fees may include but are not limited to: an electrical permit fee, a sign permit fee, a temporary food service fee, a solicitor/peddler license fee, a beer license fee, and a building permit fee. Special events sponsored by the City of Purcell are exempt from the fees associated with this ordinance. Permit Fee shall be $75.00.  Said Permit Fee shall be waivable at the option of the City Council or the City Manager.

Section 11-2-2, Supporting documents required.

 (A) An operator shall provide the following supporting documents for the application:

(1) A map of the event area showing the location of all street closures, fire lanes, barricades, booths or vendors, stages or production areas, portable toilets, location of water supplies, points of illumination, tents, trash containers, first aid stations, EMS stations, parking areas, public entry points, banners, and other equipment or materials the operator intends to place in the event area.

(2) A copy of the promotional literature the operator intends to use to advertise the event. 

(3) The names and contact information of the promoter, the owner, the sponsors of the event, and volunteers or staff working the event. 

(4) A certificate of liability insurance in the amount and type of coverage required by the City of Purcell.

(5) If street closures are involved, a notice of proposed closure including statements that the operator has provided a map of the event area and the event’s promotional literature to each property owner and tenant on streets affected by the proposed closure area. 

(6) An executed indemnification agreement provided by the City in which the operator agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold the City harmless for any and all negligent, intentional,  willful acts or omissions of the operator and its employees, representatives, contractors, or agents of the operator otherwise. 

Section 11-2-3, Security, Fire, and EMS Approval. 

(A) The Police Chief or his/her designee shall review the detailed security plan provided by the operator. The plan must provide measures that will be in place to ensure crowd control, protection of public and private property, and include steps to be taken to prevent trespassers from gaining access to the event site. The plan must include an explanation of how and when City of Purcell police officers or private security officers will be deployed and where they will be located during, before, and after the event. The Chief of Police or his/her designee will determine the number of police officers and/or private security officers required based on the number of persons reasonably expected to attend the event and on any other reasonably reliable information regarding security risks, if any, posed by the proposed special event. 

(B) The Fire Marshal or his/her designee must approve the proposed location and size of any fire lane, booth, tent, stage, and other equipment. The Fire Marshal or his/her designee will determine the appropriate level of adequate fire protection equipment and personnel, if any, which will be required to provide adequate fire protection at the special event site. Fire department personnel may conduct a compliance inspection at a permitted event. 

(C) The Fire Chief or his/her designee shall review the number and type of emergency medical personnel, services, and equipment provided in the operator’s proposed map of the event area. The operator must provide assurance that adequate first aid and emergency medical services are available at the site in light of the nature of the event, its expected duration, and the number of persons reasonably expected to attend.

Section 11-2-4, Approval and issuance of permit.

 (A) The City Manager, or his/her designee, may issue a permit to the operator if the application complies with this chapter and guidelines approved under this chapter, and approves the map of the area showing the location of services, street closures, and equipment for the event. 

 (B) The City Manager, or his/her designee, may not issue a permit until the operator has paid the permit fees associated with the event. 

(C) The City Manager, or his/her designee, may not issue a permit unless the description of the event in the application and related documents meet all requirements. 

(D) The City Manager, or his/her designee, reserves the right to deny issuing a permit if in his/her discretion determines that the permit would unduly interfere with the City’s operations or surrounding businesses.

Section 11-2-5, Appeal of denial of application. 

(A) An operator who has been denied a permit may submit their case to the City Manager. Such appeal must be made within ten (10) working days from the date of the City Planners determination and only after all issues relevant to the permit process have been determined. Upon receipt of the appeal, the City Manager will then have up to ten (10) working days to grant relief upon an adequate showing that undue hardship would be suffered if not granted. 

(B) After having been denied relief by the City Manager as provided in (a) above, the operator shall have the right of appeal to the City Council of Purcell. Such appeal shall be taken by filing with the City Clerk within ten (10) working days after denial of relief by the City Manager a written statement setting forth fully the grounds for the appeal. After receipt of the written statement, the City Clerk shall schedule the appeal for hearing by the City Council on the next regular agenda. The operator shall be notified of the time of the hearing at least seven (7) days prior to such hearing. Proper mailing to the address shown on the application shall be adequate notification. The decision and order of the Council on such appeal shall be final and conclusive. 

Article 11-3, Access,

Safety, and Health

Section 11-3-1, Event Access Requirements. 

(A) A permittee may not block off a street in a manner that prevents the free movement of pedestrians into and out of the closure area. 

(B)The permittee may not block sidewalks or have vendors blocking sidewalks that prevent free movement of pedestrians. 

(C) If an entry fee is charged for an event, a permittee may not charge the fee to: 

(1) A person who resides or operates a business in the event area; or 

(2) A customer of or a person making a delivery to a business or residence in the event area. 

(D) A permittee shall post a sign at each entrance and exit to the event area visible to all patrons entering the area that includes the amount of the entry fee, if any, and the rules of access to the event. A permittee must post the sign required under this section during the time the entry fee is in effect. 

Section 11-3-2, Safety Requirements. 

(A) A permittee must supply adequate personnel for security and crowd control. A security agent employed under this section must: 

(1) Be in uniform.

(2) Be able to contact the City police or emergency medical services if necessary.

 (3) Not consume an alcoholic beverage or participate in the event.

(B) A permittee shall provide emergency medical personnel and EMS stations as approved by the Fire Chief or his/her designee. 

(C) A permittee shall comply with the Uniform Fire Code and the Fire Department’s street closure guidelines and maintain adequate fire lanes within the event area. 

(D) A permittee shall comply with all requirements of the Alcohol Beverage Licensing Enforcement Commission, Oklahoma Tax Commission, and City of Purcell Code of Ordinances, if alcohol or beer is to be sold at the event. Permittee shall provide proof of said compliance no less than ten (10) business days prior to the start of the event. 

(E) The operator must provide adequate illumination at night to protect the safety of the persons in attendance. Lighting must be adequate to protect safety but must not unduly impact neighboring properties. 

(F) The operator must provide an adequate, safe supply of potable water. In addition, there must be access to adequate water supply to extinguish any fire at the site. The plan must detail the source and location of the water supplies. 

Section 11-3-3, Health Requirements. 

(A) If food or beverages will be sold at the event, all relevant Oklahoma State Department of Health and City of Purcell regulations must be followed and appropriate licenses must be obtained. 

(1) These requirement include valid food handlers’ licenses for each person staffing the booths and compliance with temporary establishment requirements of Oklahoma State Health Department Rule. However, if the special event is a farmers’ market properly registered with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture and the Oklahoma State Department of Health do not require duplicate permitting. 

(B) No outside food or drinks are allowed inside the event. Ice chest/coolers are also not allowed inside the event.

(C) If food or beverage booths are used during an event, a permittee shall clean the sidewalk and area around the food and beverage booth within twenty-four (24) hours from the end of the event or prior to reopening the street whichever is earlier. 

(D) If a permittee fails to promptly clean the sidewalk and area around a food and beverage booth, within twenty-four (24) hours after the end of the event or prior to reopening the street whichever is earlier, the City of Purcell shall provide the clean up and charge the permittee the incurred costs of the clean up.

(E) The permittee must arrange for the City of Purcell Street Department to provide an adequate number of trash receptacles, dumpsters, and containers for recyclables for the event. The total number of receptacles, dumpsters, and containers for recyclables shall be determined by the City in its sole discretion. If the City of Purcell Street Department does not have a sufficient number of trash receptacles, dumpsters, and containers for recyclables available for use as the special event, the permittee shall be responsible for providing any additional trash receptacles, dumpsters, and containers for recyclables needed.  

(F) A permittee shall provide an adequate number of portable toilets based on the estimated number of participants at the event as specified by the Oklahoma Department of Health. A permittee may not place a portable toilet within twenty-five (25) feet of an entryway to an adjacent business or residence, unless the adjacent property owner or tenant approves a distance of less than twenty-five (25) feet.

SECTION II. SEVERABILITY

That if any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.  The City Council of the City of Purcell hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance, and each section, subsection, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses and phrases be declared unconstitutional.

SECTION III. REPEALER

All other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.

PASSED AND APPROVED by the Council of the City of Purcell, Oklahoma, on the 4th day of May 2026.  

SIGNED by the Mayor of the City of Purcell on the 4th day of May 2026.

/s/ Jay Tate

Jay Tate, Mayor

ATTEST:

/s/ Andrea Millsap

Andrea Milsap, City Clerk

Approved as to form this

4th day of May 2026.

/s/ Christopher C. Lind

Christopher C. Lind/

Hannah Bigbee, City Attorney