*The Band Hayez plays some R&B and Soul before and after the panel discussion at State of the City Part 1 - More Live Music in Sacramento.*

Sacramento, CA (Aug. 22, 2023) – Mayor Darrell Steinberg Monday proposed a series of City ordinance and policy changes aimed at enlivening the Sacramento music scene by making it easier and less expensive to host live music shows.

The mayor made his recommendations in the first of three State of the City forums he is hosting this week in place of the traditional State of the City speech usually given by mayors each year. Each of the forums focuses on an issue important to the future of Sacramento and includes a short opening speech followed by a panel discussion by experts on the topic. Wednesday’s topic will be the City’s response to homelessness, followed by a proposal Friday for the long-term funding of transportation and affordable housing projects.

Watch 2023 State of the CIty Part 1

"We’re giving the State of the City a refresh this year as a series of forums to engage the community on matters that will affect the quality of life for all of us in Sacramento for many years to come,” Mayor Steinberg said. “Hosting these panels allows people intimately involved in grappling with these issues to contribute their insights and expertise.”

Scott Ford responds to a question from Mayor Steinberg during the 2023 State of the City discussion. From left to right: Julia Heath - Membership Director NIVA California, Tina Lee-Vogt - Nighttime Economy Manager, City of Sacramento, Megan Van Voorhis - Director of Convention & Cultural Services, City of Sacramento, & Scott Ford - Economic Development Director, Downtown Sacramento Partnership

Hosted in a vacant retail space on the 700 block of K Street, the first State of the City panel included Scott Ford, Economic Development Director at Downtown Sacramento Partnership; Megan Van Voorhis, Director of Convention & Cultural Services; and Tina Lee-Vogt, Nighttime Economy Manager, both from City of Sacramento; and Julia Heath, California Chapter President and National Membership Director at the National Independent Venue Association, or NIVA.

“Sacramento music scene includes many dynamic, innovative and talented artists,” Mayor Steinberg said. “We need to have a regulatory environment and permitting process that allows them to fully exercise that creativity.”

Proposed changes outlined by Mayor Steinberg included streamlining the city’s special event and entertainment permitting system, developing an online portal, creating a tiered permit system for different types and sizes of events, and outlining the requirements in code to make the process more transparent and easier to understand.

One theme that emerged is that many of these changes will also have a positive impact on public safety and the economic environment for the music industry.

“It’s really the balance between safety and vibrancy…one of the things you’ll never hear is how thousands of people, every weekend go and have fun at multiple venues (without incident),” said Lee-Vogt

*Tina Lee-Vogt speaks on the challenges facing our nighttime economy flanked by (left) Julia Heath and (right) Megan Van Voorhis.*

A full package of ordinance changes will be brought forward by Mayor Steinberg in the coming months, giving city staff and community members time to weigh in and provide input on these changes.

*Mayor Steinberg kicks of Part 1 of the 2023 State of the City.*

Monday evening’s panel discussion followed the release of the Sacramento Music Census, a study commissioned by the City of Sacramento that identifies elements of Sacramento’s regulatory policy that make it difficult for the local music scene to flourish. The Music Census, produced by Austin, TX-based consultant Sound Music Cities, surveyed thousands of local artists, presenters, and venue operators over the course of 10 months.

“The findings of the Sacramento Music Census reinforce a lot of what we’ve been hearing anecdotally from the music community in recent years,” Van Voorhis said. “It also gives us a concrete direction for where our energies are best spent to support the local music industry’s recovery – and thankfully there are resources available to act on the findings.”

Some of the key findings in the Music Census include:

Music creatives dominated the census, representing 78% of all respondents, followed by music industry representatives at 15% and venues/presenters at 7%.
87% of music creatives plan to stay in music and 78% plan to stay in Sacramento.
Music creatives are calling for more gigs and more opportunity – 86% cited fewer than four local gigs per month.
Musicians spend an average of $9,251 annually on industry services, with 50% of that spent locally, but many still cite difficulty finding local industry support services and end up doing a lot themselves.
Venue/presenter data illustrates that Sacramento is specifically lacking in venues with capacity between 101 and 500 – those venues that typically cater to local musicians.
Regulatory barriers dominated concerns of venues and presenters, with the cost of conditions, city communications, and entertainment licensing process topping the list.

Find the full report on the City’s website here: www.sacmusiccensus.org

The State of the City continues Wednesday Aug 23, at a Stockton Boulevard property recently acquired by WellSpace Health for a planned health and wellness campus.