CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY THIRD COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-18-66 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Klarissa J. Peña
RESOLUTION
title
Directing The Cultural Services Department To Develop A Special Interest Vehicle Club Recognition Program (Peña)
body
DIRECTING THE CULTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A SPECIAL INTEREST VEHICLE CLUB RECOGNITION PROGRAM.
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque recognizes cruising and other special interest vehicle club activities as being deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric and heritage of the City; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque passed R-17-250 in 2017 creating a Cruising Task Force that explored options for promoting responsible cruising and one of the recommendations that was provided by the Task Force was to establish a Special Interest Vehicle Club Recognition Program; and
WHEREAS, establishing a Special Interest Vehicle Club Recognition Program that requires club members to promote and abide by a standard Code of Conduct for cruising and special interest vehicle club activities on public streets and public spaces can help promote public safety, more efficient traffic flow, and economic activities associated with cruising and special interest vehicle enthusiasm and cultural tourism; and
WHEREAS, many special interest vehicle clubs have already established their own codes of conduct that could help inform the development of city-wide standards of behavior for recognized special interest vehicle club members; and
WHEREAS, establishing city-wide standards of behavior, responsibilities, and incentives for special interest vehicle clubs and procedures for coordinating their events through agreements with the City could have a significant impact on the growth of the City of Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico’s cultural tourism industry; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque already has a process for permitting special events that this Resolution is not intended to duplicate, this is intended to complement the special events permitting process by providing standards for organizing, promoting, attending, and operating events; and
WHEREAS, visitor spending in New Mexico hit $6.4 billion in 2016 which generated $642 million in state and local taxes from cultural tourism alone; and
WHEREAS, according to Visit Albuquerque the City of Albuquerque attracted 6.2 million visitors in 2017 and during that same year cultural tourism accounted for a $2 billion share of the tourism industry in the City, and the tourism industry in Albuquerque which employed more than 40,000 people in Bernalillo County and generated about $69 million in tax revenue; and
WHEREAS, there is a demonstrated interest in tourism and cultural activities associated with special interest vehicles such as cruising as demonstrated by the 2018 Lowrider Supershow in Albuquerque, which garnered an estimated attendance of over 9000; and
WHEREAS, continuing to promote and cultivate responsible special interest vehicle club events could help sustain and promote a part of the City’s cultural heritage while contributing to and developing the cultural tourism industry in the City.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. The Cultural Services Department shall develop a voluntary special interest vehicle club recognition program that recognizes organized groups or clubs of one or more licensed motor vehicle enthusiasts who specialize in collecting, purchasing, trading, disposing of, restoring, and operating Special Interest Vehicles (the “Program”). The Program shall be implemented by July 1, 2019.
A. For purposes of this Resolution, a special interest vehicle is a licensed motor vehicle which is either already operative, or is being diligently worked on for the purpose of making the vehicle operative, for purposes of preservation and exhibition because of its historic or cultural interest.
B. For purposes of the Program, the Cultural Services Department shall, in collaboration with the Albuquerque Police and Fire and Rescue Departments, establish a code of conduct that identifies specific forms of behavior that are neither tolerated at events nor at any other location within City limits. In order to gain City recognition as a special interest vehicle club, members will be required to review, sign, and comply with the code of conduct when operating a special interest vehicle under the membership of a Special Interest Vehicle Club.
C. The Cultural Services Department shall, in collaboration with special interest vehicle enthusiasts, establish an official City of Albuquerque recognition placard that will be disseminated to participants in the Program who have entered into an agreement with the City to abide by and promote the code of conduct. The recognition placard shall embody a culturally and artistically appropriate design and have the capability of being displayed on or in club member vehicles on dashboards or other appropriate, highly visible location on or in the vehicle. The Cultural Services Department, City Council Constituent Services, and Special Interest Vehicle Clubs shall be given the opportunity to provide input on the design of the recognition placard.
Section 2. In addition to the foregoing, and any other reasonable considerations, the Program shall consider the following factors:
A. Establishment of an agreement between the City of Albuquerque and individual special interest vehicle clubs wherein clubs commit their individual members to agree to the code of conduct in exchange for recognition placards from the City. This agreement shall include general expectations for Special Interest Vehicle Clubs to be recognized by the City, including standards for organizing, promoting, attending, and operating events. Special interest vehicle enthusiasts who do not affiliate themselves with a particular special interest vehicle club are required to comply with the same provisions of the Traffic Code as are members of special interest vehicle clubs. This agreement shall also include quarterly meetings with the Cultural Services Department and City Council Constituent Services. The Cultural Services Department may establish a reasonable fee to be charged to clubs for administration of this program and the fee shall be calculated with the goal of maintaining a balanced City budget;
B. The findings and recommendations provided by the Cruising Task Force in April 2018;
C. The public safety recommendations of the Albuquerque Police Department and the Albuquerque Fire and Rescue Department.
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