City Council Eliminates Block Party Permit Fees
At its June 25, 2013 meeting, the Los Altos City Council moved to eliminate block party permit fees. This fee elimination is effective July 1, 2013, which marks the beginning of the 2013 fiscal year.
Council came to this decision after reviewing revenue generated from block party fees in the 2012 fiscal year. At a cost of $105 per permit, a total of $2,400 was collected in 2012. Council felt the $2,400 cost to the City was worth subsidizing in order to promote building community and encourage residents to take advantage of the opportunity to host block parties in their neighborhoods.
Although the block party permit fee has been eliminated, permits are still required. A block party permit can be obtained from the Los Altos Police Department. Permit applications must be submitted to the Records Division a minimum of 10 business days prior to a planned event.
The required 10 business days is necessary in order to allow Police personnel time to process requests and communicate road closures to the Fire Department. The Fire Department must update its maps before each block party and establish routes around road closures to ensure the ability to quickly respond in the event of an emergency.
Obtaining a Block Party Permit
There are a number of ways you can submit a block party permit application:
- Visit the Police Department to obtain and submit your permit application. The Los Altos Police Department is located at 1 North San Antonio Road in Los Altos; business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Download a copy of the permit application from www.losaltosca.gov/police and:
- Email your completed application to records@losaltosca.gov
- Fax to (650) 947-2704
- Drop-off or mail your completed application to the Police Department:
1 North San Antonio Road
Los Altos, CA 94022
If you have questions about block party permits, contact the Police Department at (650) 947-2770.
