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HomeMy WebLinkAboutXfinity Center Sub Comm 12/20/2012Hnal: Approved on January 14, 2013 7PJEO f ; FACE 2013 AN 23 P 2: 30 5ET I S Meeting Notes, Meeting #1 Comcast Center Entertainment License Subcommittee Town Manager's Office William R. Ross, Town Manager Telephone: (508) 261-7370 Facsimile: (508)261-7498 Email: townmanaeerAmansrieldma.com The Comcast Center Entertainment License Subcommittee met on December 20, 2012 at Town Hall. Persons present: Olivier Kozlowski, Selectmen Jess Aptowitz, Selectmen William Ross, Town Manager Arthur O'Neill, Police Chief Neal Boldrighini, Fire Chief Jim Puleo, Deputy Fire Chief Jim Seekell, Lt., Police Department Bruce Montgomery, General Manager, Comcast Center The discussion was general in nature and, for this initial meeting, was intended to address preliminary issues which were raised during a discussion of Comcast Center licensing at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting. The subjects were raised by members of the Board of Selectmen and are listed, not necessarily in order of priority, but in the order that they were written down during the Board of Selectmen's meeting. A. Consider creating a separate parking lot area that would be limited to persons age 21 or more in which consumption of alcoholic beverages would be permitted. This issue was discussed at some length and the conclusion was that it would be both difficult and time- consuming to establish a separate area and to both check i.d.'s and control access to the parking area. It would also create situations where there were families or groups with persons both over and under the age of 21 who wanted to perhaps prepare a meal before the concert and would not be able to either be together or be in the appropriate area because there were persons under the age of 21. B. Suggestion that video cameras be installed at various locations to observe the crowd. The Chief of Police indicated that it might be useful to have one or more cameras in the compound area that is used for handling of persons taken into custody. It was noted that cameras in the prisoner transport vehicles have proven effective. It was also mentioned that perhaps one Final: Approved on January 14, 2013 or more cameras in the EMS triage area might assist if there were any issues with treatment of persons brought to the area. It would be difficult to place cameras in the entertainment area itself and, while lowlight cameras are available, the lighting in the area would not be conducive to high quality video. C. Ticket checks. The suggestion that ticket checks be made in order to assure that persons entering parking lots actually had tickets for the shows has been discussed before and, in fact, has been conducted in certain instances. The concern with ticket checks is two -fold: (1) it tends to hold up traffic, and in one instance caused major backups of traffic on Highway 140 and especially created problems in the Town of Norton; and (2) that, except for certain shows, the situation of persons in the parking lot who did not have tickets to the show is reasonably limited and has not created significant problems. The bigger problem comes when the parking lot itself is the show, such as the Jimmy Buffett shows. In those instances, checks have been used, but with the accompanying problems of traffic and additional staff necessary to address the issue. D. Detouring Highway 140 traffic during shows, especially after shows. There really does not seem to be an alternative to this, because otherwise traffic flow becomes quite difficult. One thing that needs to be emphasized is that emergency vehicles always have priority and can get through the detour, so there needs to be better communication with adjacent communities, especially Norton, on this issue. E. Additional crowd misting areas. It was suggested that, especially during shows that take place on days of high heat and humidity, perhaps an additional area for misting of the crowd for cooling would be appropriate. The concern here is when and where to set it up and how to avoid the problem of improper use. A suggestion was made that a misting area and equipment could be available in the triage location and could serve to both act as an area for persons from the crowd who are in distress, or for persons who are brought to the triage area due to the heat. It was agreed that this is an idea which needs to be further examined. F. The issue of drug -sniffing dogs was discussed. It was noted that, due to the size of the crowd, a large number of dogs would be necessary, and a supply of trained dogs at that level is not readily available. It was noted that there are dogs at Gillette Stadium during major events, but those dogs are trained for bomb sniffing, not for drug sniffing. The utilization of those dogs is quite different from drug sniffing dogs. It was concluded that the idea of having drug sniffing dogs at the Comcast Center is not practical and other ways to address the drug issues need to be found. G. Patting down of all patrons entering the entertainment area. The private security provider already conducts pat -downs of persons that are suspected of having contraband before they are allowed to enter the area. They are selective in performing pat -downs and have training and background in how to conduct a pat -down. The police cannot perform pat -downs without probable cause because this would be a violation of the illegal search and seizure section of the Bill of Rights. The police can only conduct a pat -down if there is a specific issue that rises to probable cause. The group was satisfied that pat -downs are conducted. 2 Final: Approved on January 14, 2013 H. Eliminate seating in the lawn area. This is not practical, both because the lawn area provides substantial seating and because it provides an option for persons who may not have the financial resources to pay the full cost of reserved seating. There was discussion of providing more and better illumination in the lawn area. The problem with that issue is that this is an entertainment venue and to provide greater illumination in the lawn area or other seating areas makes it more difficult for patrons to observe the performances taking place on the stage. I. Put in place an incident command system. This suggestion sparked the most discussion. There is a central command system in place. However, it does not rise to the level of the full- fledged incident command system. The discussion centered around the necessity for a command system at the Comcast Center. There was disagreement about whether a system is necessary and whether or not the current system qualifies. There needs to be additional discussion of this issue, including input from appropriate representatives of the state who are responsible for assuring that standards of emergency medical care and public safety are met. J. Insurance for the worker's comp issue. The Town Manager indicated that the insurance has been priced and that a policy will be in place and billing sent to the Comcast Center prior to the season starting in 2013. Mr. Montgomery indicated that he has concerns about the number of Town staff at the Comcast Center and the increased cost and liability potential for the Town. It was noted that, with the liability waiver on the part of the Comcast Center and the insurance, the workers' comp issue for police and fire, that the Town's actual liability was relatively low. The meeting concluded at 3:45 p.m. The next meeting to be scheduled within the next two weeks. Respectfully submitted, William R. Ross Town Manager