Street Performers

[MostSeriousness]

Not sure if there's a better spot for this, but found this interesting.

Street Performers are technically not allowed by existing City Ordinance. This week, Blake Ewing proposed fixing that and making regulations out of it. I saw the first draft on the council page (http://www.tulsacouncil.org/inc/search/backup_list.php?id=I4ARJEP1020201735236) that seems mostly in favor of street performers pertaining to downtown.

What do you think works in this draft? What do you think doesn't work? I caught some word that the councilors were not in favor of the huge fine, but not much else. Wondering what the consensus is, considering I know there are downtown owners and visitors alike here.

[Conan71]

I saw this prohibition and I'm out:

Any knife, sword, torch, flame, axe, saw, animal or other object, thing or being that can cause serious bodily injury to any person, or engage in any activity, such as, acrobatics, tumbling or cycling that can cause serious bodily injury to any person.

I think the huge fine is egregious and I also think it leaves an awful lot to interpretation by whomever is enforcing the code in terms of how many feet someone was performing close to a school or church or whether or not they were creating a safety hazard with people spilling over the sidewalk.

That's my .02

[heironymouspasparagus]

We are just backwards "hicks from the sticks".... taking odds on whether this will pass or not?

[dbacksfan 2.0]

As long as I don't have to deal with them next week while I'm there.

But seriously, what could go wrong with a performer doing this?

[MostSeriousness]

We are just backwards "hicks from the sticks".... taking odds on whether this will pass or not?

I have no doubt SOMETHING will pass. Currently the ordinances are pretty clear (but not really enforced) that it's pretty much not allowed anywhere, anytime. I am hopeful for a lot of cuts to the draft (the current ordinance has a fine of $100, the draft has up to $1,200 and possible jail time for multiple offenses).

[hello]

I usually go to Chimera on Sunday mornings to get coffee (their donuts are amazing) and I can't express how lovely it is to walk down Main and hear the musicians playing in front of Antoinette's. It's a little slice of Paris right in Tulsa.

[MostSeriousness]

Agreed, same thing happened last week on my way to a meeting at Antoinette's. Guitar player just on the other side of Main, around 10 or so in the morning, just having a ball. It felt like a real city!

[cannon_fodder]

A friend asked me about this a couple of  weeks back.  My advice:  if you want street performances to continue, don't say a word.  As it stands, there is a vibrant street performer scene in the Tulsa Arts District (nee Brady District).  By current ordinance, its all illegal.  But it isn't enforced unless someone complains.  I know the City Council is trying to help, but if enforced the proposed ordinance kills basically all current street performances.

Look at a map of the Tulsa Art's District, now try to find performance space that complies with the ordinance.  Now ban everyone else for 50'. Ending the performances at 10[m on a Friday night in an entertainment district seems a bit off too. 1 block from any "event" also could eliminate a ton too (Tulsa Tough Cherry Street every run...).  But really, nearly every performer I have seen in Tulsa would be subject to a $1200 fine:

It prevents the woman from playing her electric violin because it is amplified. It stops the guy from doing his spray paint pictures, because he sells art.  It prevents the guy from juggling at Boston and Brady because he is too close to the corner and may be considered inherently dangerous.  It prevents the classical guitarist in front of the wood shop studio on Brady because he is too close to the door.  It stops the art seller across from him because he is selling things and the sidewalk isn't 5' wide.  It stops all the merchants near the Woody Guthrie center because they are too close to the door. It stops the Tulsa Tree guy (human statute) because he is too close to the corner.  It stops the dance troop that later appears at the corner of Brady and Main because they use amplification, are at the corner, don't leave the sidewalk open and don't start performing until about 10pm.  It  prevents the guitarist and accordion player in front of Antoinette's because they are too close to the door and don't leave 5' of sidewalk.  The keyboard player next to Caz Chowhouse uses amplification and is too close to a curb cut. It prevents the firepoi girl because fire would now be prohibited.  It prevents the guy that was doing bike tricks a few weeks back because that involves a bicycle.  The Tulsa Drummer guy is prevented from setting up because he can't carry all of his stuff in one trip.  The jazz musician that sometimes sits outside of the TAC Gallery/Spinster is too close to doorways.  The magician that shows up from time to time is too close to doors and doesn't leave anough sidewalk. The other trumpet guy that sometimes is over by prime stands within 10' of a corner.  All the performers by Cain's or the Sound Pony are too close to doorways for sure.  The singing quartet that Libby from Elote did at the start of the summer is out because it was too close to a curb cut.  The street performers just outside the Cherry Street Farmers Market are all banned by this too.  Nearly all of those are within 50' of some other performer anyway...


On a personal note, I need to clarify when my bicycle riding goes from encouraged transportation to a $1200 fine for prohibited "performing." Sometimes by riding gets pretty awesome.  

Did I mention the $1200 fine?

I get that we want to be able to enforce restrictions.  I wouldn't want to eat at a patio dining area if there was some performance I found detestable a few feet away, and the owner wouldn't want to lose the business.  But there has to be a better way.

[cannon_fodder]

The proposed ordinance sure does look familiar:

http://www.traversecitymi.gov/downloads/864.pdf

I assume there is a subscription serve with model ordinances.