Island beach gatherings face tougher rules

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Everyone knows Spring Break brings in lot of money.

But the dynamics of Spring Break on the Island have changed over the past two years as other beach towns began prohibiting alcohol on their beaches.

Those changes made the Island more attractive for Spring Breakers.

Mayor Barry Patel says the city had to come up with some new rules and ordinances to address the issues the city has faced during Spring Break to better deal with its challenges.

“We started with a lot of people on the beach and we had rampant underage drinking and EMS that was stretched out to the limit,” Patel said.

So that is why the City Council recently passed, on first reading, an ordinance with new regulations for large gatherings.

Prior to permitting by the city, an applicant for an event of more than 1,000 people is required to submit a plan for security, emergency medical services, food, sanitation, litter, parking and transportation, expected attendance, a site plan and proof of insurance.

The ordinance also calls for mitigation requirements if the event is expected to impact surrounding neighborhoods.

“When you read the ordinance, you know what is going to be expected from you when you plan an event here (on SPI),” said Susan Guthrie, SPI city manager.

Patel said, “We want to prevent some of the things we saw this year. There has been ample opportunity for the public to come and voice their concerns.”

A committee was formed to include all Island constituencies, and included large-scale event operators.

“It was a really well-rounded committee so we could get all perspectives on the table,” Guthrie said. “The committee had a tough job to draw middle ground.”

The committee met for 12 weeks and submitted the ordinance to the council after a majority vote.

The ordinance to regulate “mass gatherings” on the Island was passed on first reading this month.

It would go into effect after a second reading at the next City Council meeting.

“The city’s primary concern was for the safety of our residents and visitors,” said Dennis Stahl, SPI mayor pro-tem. “We never intended for the ordinance to ‘kill’ Spring Break, which generates significant tax revenues for the city.”

Clayton Brashear is in the business of hosting very large parties with more than 1,000 people in attendance.

So he drafted the framework of the “mass gatherings” ordinance for the committee.

The committee spruced up Brashear’s work and recommended it to the council for approval.

But, Brashear was against the ordnance because he thinks it singles out his business — Clayton’s Beach Bar.

“There has been Spring Break on the beach since I can remember,” Brashear said recently during an open forum to discuss the ordinance.

He said his normal course of business is to hold Spring Break beach parties, and he did acknowledge those who attend sometimes leave a mess in their wake. That is not a good thing, he admits.

The ordinance defines a mass event as anything over 1,000 people.

It defines regular course of business as something that attracts 1,000 people daily.

And it outlines spillover as more than 1,000 people outside a venue or property gathering on a public road or beach, the responsibility of the venue or event organizers.

It also references the noise ordinance, outlines the permit process and security plan.

“I most closely equate the ordinance to placing guardrails on the highway,” Stahl said. “The intent was not to be onerous, but rather to address issues we felt important and upheld public safety.

“We are not trying to run off events. We need as much as we can bring to the Island,” Stahl said, “because we need this revenue to help all of us throughout the year.”