Miami Herald article - City rejects Caribbean Carnival October 7 2007

MIRAMAR
City rejects Caribbean carnival at regional park
Miramar leaders refused Wednesday to allow an international carnival to be held at the city's regional park Oct. 7.
Posted on Thu, Sep. 06, 2007

BY NATALIE P. McNEAL
nmcneal@MiamiHerald.com

A sharply divided Miramar City Commission shot down a request from organizers of a Caribbean carnival to hold the event in the city.

''The ultimate deciding factor is past performance,'' said Commissioner Yvonne Garth, who voted against letting the carnival be held in Miramar Regional Park Oct. 7.

Commissioner Troy Samuels and Mayor Lori Moseley joined Garth.

E-mails and letters about the group's past events at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and Markham Park in Sunrise caused city leaders concern.

Representatives from Lockhart Stadium and Markham Park complained about trash left after the event. And Markham Park had about 25,000 attendees at Carnival last year, although the park can hold only about 15,000 people.

Miramar Regional Park also can accommodate only about 15,000 people.

LOTS OF ISSUES

Miramar staff had been working closely with organizers to come up with a plan to control crowds and traffic.

Miramar said organizers would have to have a $2-million insurance policy and 50 police officers to work the event. Also, the city required off-site ticket sales.

Commissioners Winston Barnes and Fitzroy Salesman voted for the five-year-old international event.

Organizers of the Broward Caribbean Carnival said the event is a major economic boost to Broward County and would help showcase Caribbean culture.

About 26 percent of Miramar's population is Caribbean in origin.

Salesman argued that since there were no incidents of crime or structural damage at previous carnivals, Miramar should give the event a chance.

''There was no human tragedy,'' Salesman said. ``What you are talking about is garbage that can be cleaned up.''

WORTH $60 MILLION?

But that was not enough to persuade the majority on the commission.

''I'm not sure they can handle it operationally,'' Samuels said.

Broward Caribbean Carnival Board member John Beckford said that the commissioners should have looked at the tourism dollars that the event would generate for the region.

Organizers estimated they pump $60 million into the local economy. Organizers say the international event drums up business for local eateries and hotels.

''We were all ready to make the accommodations that the city wanted,'' Beckford said.

Beckford said he has no idea where the Carnival will be held.