KC says "NO" to street performers
 I received an email this morning from an upset mother. She fears the City Council is trying to take away her son's ability to play his trumpet as a sidewalk performer. He earns his spending money by playing his trumpet for tips in the City Market and on the Plaza.Taking a look at proposed ordinance 070180 I see why she's upset. At first glance it looks harmless enough. It prevents loud amplifiers that I agree are a bit much for street performance. What she's upset about is the Council's definition of "panhandling." (c) Panhandling. (1) As used in this section, panhandling means any solicitation made in person upon any public street, sidewalk, alley, park or other public place, in which a person requests an immediate donation of money or other gratuity from another person, and includes but is not limited to seeking donations: (i) By vocal appeal or for music, singing, or other street performance; and, (ii) Where the person being solicited receives an item of little or no monetary value in exchange for a donation, under circumstances where a reasonable person would understand that the transaction is in substance a donation. So the Council wants to take away street performers in Westport, The Plaza and Zona Rosa among other areas. I personally enjoy most of the street performers. They bring vibrancy to street life in any metropolitan city. New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Portland, Seattle... Pretty much every major city I've traveled to has street performers, especially a "gold man!" Of course they also have pedestrian activity but that's another matter. I would love to see that kind of street activity in KC. Most cities have similar ordinances restricting panhandling but street performers use a loophole of having no signage that openly begs for money. An open instrument case is the universal appeal for donations. In the case of Kansas City's ordinance it appears that the Council is trying to close that loophole by using the legalese of "a reasonable person would understand." They're trying to do too much with one ordinance in my opinion. With a little extra work they could have separated panhandlers from street performers. A couple of extra sentences. A well placed Whereas here, a carefully worded is to be enacted there and I think we could have a much better ordinance. Since I'm running for office I avoid testifying at things like this because it seems like every candidate is down there grandstanding for the cameras. That's not my style. I will however ask you my faithful readers to weigh in on this. Contact your elected officials. They're all right here on the City Council webpage. Agree with me, disagree with me, but whichever side you take let your voice be heard! Uhh... I mean of course let your voice be heard as long as it isn't amplified by anything more powerful than a 9V battery! |
posted by Mark at 8:44 AM
Comments on "KC says "NO" to street performers"
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post a commentI have to say, we just got back from New Orleans last night where 1/2 of the entertainment of the city is the street performers. In a city that hosts the 2nd best jazz tradition in the country, it seems to me that we should be encouraging street performance vs taking it away.
Granted, there is a difference between street performance New Orleans style and the woman who plays three notes on her clarinet hoping to get money down by Barnes and Noble, but I digress.
Seems like there is a happy medium on this one...but I certainly know that street performers liven up Westport, and hopefully the new downtown entertainment district...
Typical. That bunch at City Hall has no idea what it takes to have a vibrant city. If they want Overland Park they should move to Overland Park.
It's no surprise - this is the same bunch who, prodded by Chuck Eddy, wanted to eliminate food vendors from the streets. Sanitizing a city creates boredom, which eliminates reasons why people want to live there. The panhandlers & homeless are a totally separate issue.
KC is home to the American Jazz museum. Most of the legends in jazz got their start by playing music on the streets. It's sad that the city council is determined to eliminate culture, heritage and interest from the downtown areas in favor of just another mall experience.
I think the SHitty CounSHil haSH a point.
If people give money to local performers then that money stays here in the city polluting local businesses. But if we only allow people to spend their money in big multi-national shops and restaurants, then we take it completely out of our metropolitan mix so we don't have to worry about it anymore.
This is right up there with kicking out all the businesses from downtown who have been there for years, paying taxes, etc so that we can give TIF breaks to bigger out-of-town businesses that quickly take the money and run.
I just never understand how all of that makes sense for our city and our citizens.
The incompetent horn blower down by B&N on the plaza shows how some beggars try to pass themselves off as street musicians to increase (or legitimize?)their income. As a (former) musician, I am offended that anyone tips bad performers. I know people feel sorry the crappy three note honkers out there, but the people you should feel sorry for are the musicians who kick ass at their art but have no job security or public support. The distinction between legitimate street performer and poser-panhandler should NOT be determined by the city council. Have you seen what their art critiques did to the airport?
Friggin great. That'll effectively end our comedy in the street missions.
http://kcimprov.com/missions
It's not hard to figure this out. Lots of cities have come up with a way to separate real street performers from the panhandlers. Something simple like a short, cheap permit and a few minutes time to fill out an application.
Dear PLANNING, ZONING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: Chairman Nash and Committee Members;
At your meeting today at 2:00pm, I ask you to strongly consider delaying a vote on Legislation #: 070180, a proposal for "Enacting a new section 50-8.5, Code of Ordinances, entitled “Prohibitions in special areas”..."
I am the co-founder of Kansas City's largest and oldest street brass band, the Dirty Force Brass Knuckle Street Band and Soul Revue. We have been performing on the public sidewalks and streets in the Kansas City area for 7 years. We have played benefits and fundraisers for the Mutual Musicians Foundation, we have played at funerals and memorial services for local musicians and community leaders, we participate actively in Kansas City's growing Mardi Gras celebration, we participate in the American Royal festivites, The Jackson County Historical Society's Priests of Pallas fundraisers, and have been practicing and performing in the streets of the West Bottoms, the Westside nieghborhood, and the Crossroads District since 2001.
Never once have we solicited money or other compensation for our performances, but we have been offered "donations" as described in the language of this proposal. All donations that we have been offered are turned over to charities and non-profit arts groups. We actively support the Review Magazine, Kansas City's premier arts magazine, the Marching Pythons, a local drum and step drill team, and the Mutual Musician's Foundation.
My reading of this proposal indicates that our activities will be made criminal within certain areas of this city if the language of this ordinance is passed. And the punishment is not insignificant. We are deeply concerned about how this ordinance will specifically affect our ability to continue to support our community (and your constituents) and what this means in general for the future of the freedom of speech and the right to assemble in this city.
Of course, we are not opposed to the need for continued economic growth of Kansas City's important public shopping districts, especially when our financial health as a city is so closely tied to the financial wealth of the developers the City Council has chosen to support with our taxes. Nor are we opposed to the idea of citizens enjoying a safe, pleasant environment, which I believe is the /intent/ of this ordinance. We do, however, take strong exception to casual way in which street musicians are grouped with simple panhandlers. Therefore, we feel that the wording of this proposal needs to be further considered before passing into law.
We implore you to consider delaying a final vote until the public has had more time to consider the impact of this ordinance.
I appreciate your time and consideration in this matter.
Robert A. Asher, Jr.
Top of the Bottoms
SA - PC - BS
Dirty Force Brass Knuckle Street Band and Soul Revue
I would be against permits. What little kid with bottle caps on the bottom of his shoes putting on a tap dancing performance or a teenager with a plastic bucket and a pair of drumsticks is going to go down to City Hall and fill out a form?
We can tighten up on the panhandling without destroying street activity.
Thanks for all the comments and emails. It's been 100% in favor of the street artists. Oh, and 100% against Westport Jerry. Apparently all you blog readers have grown tired of the "down payment for a cheeseburger" routine.
I work for a non-profit arts agency downtown and am pleased at the growth of First Fridays in the Crossroads Art District. One valuable and exciting component of these warm summer nights are the proliferation of street performers who've come out to entertain the crowds. I don't see this as a threat to Kansas City's economic viability--in fact, it only increases the popularity of the Crossroads and entices more visitors to our city. Please, please, please, if you are at all alarmed about this proposed ordinance which could hamper the growth of art and culture in this city--come to the city council meeting today at 2pm!
It's a full time job making sure the local govt doesn't take away all our rights. There are enough pot holes, violent crime and crappy schools in this town to deal with - pan handlers aren't even on the first page of my list. It's laughable to think this issue is a huge detriment to KC's economic viability in comparison...
Any looser terminology and you would soon have the females of Independence Avenue fully covered as "street performers". After all, they are performers too.
I heard they were trying to make it a crime to give to beggars. Thats their new wording. Thats how KC does it. Just like with the prostitutes; the police have no manpower to arrest the prostitutes, BUT they have manpower to ticket the losers trying to pick up some cheap entertainment. Its a money thing. Kansas City is truly pathetic.
Street performers are harmless. If the business owners who allow these people to be near their shops, etc, don't have a problem with it, then neither should the city government. If the business owners do have misgivings, then simply figure out a better street for them to entertain. Set a certain time of day that they can perform. Utilize regulations that only ACTUAL musicians and other performers be allowed to play. Instead of name-calling, and naysaying, find the positive. Music and other entertainment has been a part of American culture for centuries, as has the love of music/entertainment.