Queer Northshore warns new rules could force Pride parade out of Mandeville
Ordinance removes council, mayor authority to waive fees
Biggest changes mostly affect lakefront parades, not other events
MANDEVILLE — The Mandeville City Council on Thursday unanimously adopted a sweeping overhaul of the city’s parade and special-event rules, a move supporters said will modernize safety standards and create a more predictable system for recovering city costs tied to large events.
Ordinance 25-34 will fundamentally reshape how most non-Mardi Gras parades and special events are permitted, routed and paid for, shifting Mandeville to an attendance-based, formula-driven fee structure that could push the cost of large lakefront parades into the tens of thousands of dollars.
The ordinance also removes the ability of the City Council and mayor to waive fees, requiring equal treatment of all applicants.
The vote followed a relatively brief discussion where concerns about growing event sizes and neighborhood impacts were weighed against fears the new system could discourage community-based events.
Leyla Hekmatdoost, executive director of Queer Northshore, said the new fee structure could ultimately force the organization to move its Pride Northshore parade — having rolled two years in a row — out of Mandeville due to the now-required fee structure. She argued that the event provides tangible economic benefits to the city, particularly for local businesses along the parade route.
“We feel like we bring value to the city with local businesses profiting as well as tax revenue, so if it became apparent that we would have to pay $20,000 for us to have a parade, we would have to look at a new location,” Hekmatdoost said. She added that relocating the event would come at a cost to Mandeville’s economy, noting that nearby businesses “would lose out on that new income they’ve had two years in a row.”
Mel Manuel and Jeremy “JF” Thompson, former executive directors of Queer Northshore, echoed concerns that the new ordinance could effectively end the group’s ability to hold its Pride parade in Mandeville. Manuel said the potential cost of complying with the new fee structure could exceed what the organization can reasonably absorb.
“If it’s true this is going to cost us $15,000 to $20,000 for this parade, that does represent fully half our annual revenue,” Manuel said. “I don’t know if we’d be able to do the parade here or not, just based solely on that.”
Under the ordinance, Mandeville will move away from its current discretionary approach to event permitting and instead require organizers to reimburse the city for public-safety and operational costs, including police, fire, EMS, sanitation and traffic control. Fees will be calculated in advance based on projected attendance and staffing needs, with the city retaining authority to bill additional costs if events exceed estimates.
The ordinance will also restrict most non-Mardi Gras parades to two predefined routes along Lakeshore Drive, tighten enforcement standards for participant behavior, and establish a new permit category for post-parade assemblies that significantly impact traffic or public spaces.
Although the ordinance does not assign specific dollar amounts, minimum-cost estimates based on the required staffing levels and typical municipal overtime rates indicate that a Lakeshore Drive parade turning up Girod Street with about 3,000 attendees could cost organizers approximately $15,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on final staffing and route conditions.
Post-parade gatherings will be limited to designated special-event areas such as the Mandeville Trailhead, Sunset Point Park or Lakeshore Park. Stationary activities extending beyond a typical parade disbandment — including events requiring police, EMS, sanitation or traffic control services, or involving amplified sound, vendors or alcohol — will require separate approval and, in most cases, a separate permit.
Traditional Mardi Gras parades will remain largely exempt, with existing routes, seasonal rules and City Council discretion over cost sharing left intact.
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Mandeville Daily 