Notice of Public Hearing and Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Rules
What are we proposing? The Street Activity Permit Office (SAPO) of the Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management (CECM) is proposing amendments to extend the existing moratorium on street fair applications to Calendar Year 2026.
When and where is the Hearing? CECM will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule online. The public hearing will take place on November 20, 2025, at 10:00 am.
- To join the hearing via your browser either click on the following URL link or copy and paste it into your browser’s address bar: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join .Then follow the prompts. When prompted enter the following Meeting ID: 232 017 644 846 8 and Password: vc9Ha26w
- To join the meeting by phone, use the following information to connect:
How do I comment on the proposed rules? Anyone can comment on the proposed rules by:
- Mail. You can mail written comments to Shaneek Meachum, SAPO Director, Mayor’s Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management, at 253 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10007.
- By Speaking at the Hearing. Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed rule at the public hearing must sign up to speak. You can sign up before the hearing by emailing saporules@cityhall.nyc.gov by November 19, 2025, at 5:00 pm. You can speak for up to three minutes. Each speaker will be timed. Please note that the hearing is for accepting oral testimony only and is not held in a “Question and Answer” format.
Is there a deadline to submit written comments? Written comments must be received no later than 1 pm on November 20, 2025.
Do you need assistance to participate in the Hearing? Please inform CECM if you need reasonable accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter. Request these services by email or mail at the address given above no later than November 13, 2025, at 5:00pm.
Can I review the comments made on the proposed rules? You can review the comments made online on the proposed rules by going to the website at www.nyc.gov/nycrules. A few days after the hearing, a summary of oral comments made at the hearing and copies of the written comments will be available to the public at CECM.
What authorizes CECM to make this rule? Section 1043 of the City Charter as well as Executive Orders No. 100 and No. 105 of 2007 authorize CECM to make this proposed rule. This proposed rule was not included in CECM’s regulatory agenda for this Fiscal Year because it was not contemplated when CECM published the agenda.
Where can I find the CECM rules? The CECM rules are in title 50 of the Rules of the City of New York.
What rules govern the rulemaking process? CECM must meet the requirements of Section 1043 of the City Charter when creating or changing rules. This notice is made according to the requirements of Section 1043 of the City Charter.
Statement of Basis and Purpose of Proposed Rule
The Office of Citywide Events Coordination and Management (CECM), which oversees the Street Activity Permit Office (SAPO), administers New York City’s permit system for street activities, including block parties and fairs.
Each year SAPO issues permits to over 200 street fairs and over 5,000 other events, most of which include the use of multiple blocks over several days, the erection of structures, the vending of food, apparel and other goods and the use of amplified sound and the performance of music. To ensure the safety and proper order of these events, members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) must be on-site. This diverts resources away from regular assignments and increases overtime costs to the City. These events also divert NYPD from core crime fighting, public safety and counter-terrorism duties.
To more effectively deploy police resources and control overtime costs, the NYPD has recommended that SAPO exercise its discretion to deny permit applications for new events in calendar year 2026. The proposed rules will authorize SAPO to deny permit applications for street fairs if the street fair was not held in the calendar year 2025. Events that received permits in calendar year 2025 may be eligible to receive permits again in calendar year 2026. SAPO will continue to accept applications for new street fairs that are no more than one block in length and one day in duration.
CECM authority for these rules is found in section 1043 of the New York City Charter and Executive Order Nos. 100 and 105 of 2007.
New material is underlined.
[Deleted material is in brackets.]
“Shall” and “must” denote mandatory requirements and may be used interchangeably in the rules of this department, unless otherwise specified or unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Section 1. Subdivision (d) of section 1-05 of chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Rules of the City of New York is amended to read as follows:
- For the calendar year [2025] 2026, the Director will deny applications for Street event permits for Street fairs not held in the calendar year [2024] 2025, provided however that the Director may, in his or her discretion, grant applications for new Street fairs that are no more than one block in length and one day in duration.
NEW YORK CITY MAYOR’S OFFICE OF OPERATIONS
PURSUANT TO CHARTER SECTION 1043(d)
RULE TITLE: Extension of Street Fair Moratorium
REFERENCE NUMBER: CECM-SAPO-19
RULEMAKING AGENCY: Citywide Event Coordination and Management - Street Activity Permit Office
I certify that this office has analyzed the proposed rule referenced above as required by Section 1043(d) of the New York City Charter, and that the proposed rule referenced above:
1. Is understandable and written in plain language for the discrete regulated community or communities;
Minimizes compliance costs for the discrete regulated community or communities consistent with achieving the stated purpose of the rule; and (iii) Does not provide a cure period because it does not establish a violation, modification of a violation, or modification of the penalties associated with a violation.
/s/ Francisco X. Navarro
Date October 16, 2025 Mayor’s Office of Operations.
NEW YORK CITY LAW DEPARTMENT
DIVISION OF LEGAL COUNSEL
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULE TITLE: Extension of Street Fair Moratorium
REFERENCE NUMBER: CECM-SAPO-19
RULEMAKING AGENCY: Mayor’s Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management
I certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced proposed rule as required by section 1043(d) of the New York City Charter, and that the above-referenced proposed rule:
*. is drafted so as to accomplish the purpose of the authorizing provisions of law;
* is not in conflict with other applicable rules;
* to the extent practicable and appropriate, is narrowly drawn to achieve its stated purpose; and
* to the extent practicable and appropriate, contains a statement of basis and purpose that provides a clear explanation of the rule and the requirements imposed by the rule.
/s/ STEVEN GOULDEN Senior Counsel Date: October 15, 2025
