Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Jonathan Douglass, City Clerk/Assistant to the City Manager
CC:	Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police Charles Soules, Director of Public Works Mark Bradford, Fire Medical Chief Ernie Shaw, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation
DATE:	August 19, 2013
RE:	Color Run

The Lawrence Sports Corporation has requested City Commission approval to host the Color Run in Lawrence on Saturday, September 14, 2013, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Color Run is a run/walk approximately 5 kilometers in length. Participants start the race wearing white clothing, and at various points along the route pass through “color zones” where bystanders throw colored powder (food grade cornstarch) onto the participants. The event was first held in Lawrence in October 2012.

Street Closures and Traffic Control

The race would begin and end at Watson Park near downtown. Runners would travel south on Tennessee Street to 18^th Street, east on 18^th Street to Kentucky Street, and north on Kentucky Street back to South Park (see attached map). These streets would be entirely closed beginning at 6:00 a.m. until cleanup is complete at approximately 11:00 a.m. Major cross-streets such as 9^th Street can remain open until close to race time and can re-open shortly after the runners pass through. Staff is working with race organizers and a private traffic control company on the details of the traffic control plan.

Because this will be a closed course (i.e. the streets will be completely closed in both directions) the number of police officers needed for traffic control is minimized. Almost all traffic control will be accomplished through the use of signage and barricades, with course marshals helping local traffic access their properties. The police department will likely assign a couple officers on motorcycles to race support, just to be available to respond to issues along the route.

Last year’s event required more police presence than initially expected because fewer volunteer resources materialized than expected. Additionally, volunteers tended to leave their posts when police officers showed up at an intersection, apparently assuming they were no longer needed. Staff recommends requiring, as a condition of the permit issuance, that volunteers be present at both sides of every street and alley intersection with the race route for the duration of the race.

This event is the same day as Bike MS. Bike MS will have Massachusetts Street from North Park Street to South Park Street closed all day, which means that for a few hours on Saturday morning north-south traffic in this part of town will be significantly impacted.

Post Race Cleanup

The colored powder thrown onto the runners is basically food-grade cornstarch, according to the race website’s FAQs:

Do the kilometer “Color Zones” affect runner vision? Or breathing?
The Color Run explosions are basically food grade cornstarch and are 100% natural and SAFE. As with any substance, you want to keep it out of your eyes and our “certified” color throwers make sure to aim low as you pass by. Some “Color Runners” opt to wear glasses or goggles for their eyes and use a bandana or dust mask for their mouths. As shown on the “about” page the middle lane is the “low color lane,” which offers a “lighter” color experience. In summary: We work pretty hard to make it so our precious “Color Runners” get as much or as little color on them as they like.

After last year’s event, cleanup by the race organizers and volunteers was somewhat less thorough than city staff expected. As a condition of the permit, staff recommends requiring the organizers to ensure that volunteers sweep powder and debris away from curbs and gutters so street sweepers can pick it up better, and stay at the Color Zones as long as we want them to be there to complete the cleanup. After volunteers have completed that work city street sweepers will pass through each color zone area.

Notification to Affected Properties

Staff has mailed postcards to all properties along the route and on the cross streets that are enclosed by the route, notifying them of the city commission’s consideration of this event.

Special Conditions and Deposit Requirement

Staff recommends that certain special conditions be attached to the permit, as well as other conditions that city staff deems necessary, and that a deposit of $20,000 be required prior to permit issuance, refundable only upon satisfactory compliance with the conditions of the permit.

Conditions of the permit will include, at a minimum:

Volunteers will stay at Color Zones after the race until dismissed by the Public Works Department, to complete cleanup duties to the city’s satisfaction.
Payment of full actual costs of city services in support of the event, including Police, Fire Medical, Public Works, and any other services rendered by the city, within 30 days of being invoiced.
At least one volunteer provided by the race organizers will be present on each side of each street and alley intersection along the route during the entire duration of the event, even if police are also at the intersection.

ACTION: Authorize issuance of a Temporary Use of Public Right-of-Way Permit, with conditions, for the Color Run on Saturday, September 14, 2013.