A few more changes are in the works for the Second Saturday Art Walk in an effort to reduce problems and increase the focus on art, city and business leaders said Wednesday.

The changes will take effect in April, when the event's crowds are expected to grow as warm weather returns to Sacramento. The city's Second Saturday safety team has come up with some modifications in the wake of a fatal shooting in September 2010.

The biggest change is a requirement that vendors, musicians with amplified sound and other street performers who are set up on public property – primarily sidewalks or closed streets – operate from 4 - 8 p.m. Live music is part of a growing music scene that has emerged on Second Saturdays.

City officials want street sales and music that have emerged during the art walk to end earlier to create a "buffer" between Second Saturday crowds and late-night revelers visiting bars and restaurants. The change is expected to make it easier to get minors home by the 10 p.m. curfew and allow art patrons time to enjoy art before crowds grow, said Vincene Jones, director of the city's Neighborhood Services Division.

"The thinking was – on everybody's part, even from the community's side – it will (keep) some of the kids from lingering and just kind of hanging around," she said. "There's not a lot you can stop unless you shut it down. We want it to continue, but we want it to be safe. And sane, so to speak."

City officials will provide an update on Second Saturday and nightlife issues at a meeting of the Neighborhood Advisory Group at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Hart Senior Center, 915 27th St.

The Second Saturday safety team, which has been meeting regularly for years, includes Sacramento Police, the city manager's office, code enforcement, neighborhood services, the Midtown Business Association, parking and transportation department staff. In making the changes, the group used suggestions made at a Sept. 25 forum by city residents, Jones said.

Midtown residents and business owners met with city leaders in September after a fatal shooting on Second Saturday. (Image by: Jon Mortimer)

The event traditionally ran from 6 - 10 p.m., but the hours were changed to 5 - 9:30 p.m. after the shooting. 

The earlier closing time doesn't apply to businesses with Second Saturday special event permits to serve or sell alcohol, MBA Executive Director Rob Kerth said.

The hours also don't apply to vendors set up on private property, such as parking lots.

The city is also requiring special one-day permits for music and vending this year. The permits will cost $25. Anyone using amplified sound must get a permit and permission from the nearest property owner.

Another change is that the city is now requiring vendors to sell only original, handcrafted items or products made in the region. Nothing that is mass-produced or imported may be sold. Appliances and secondhand goods that were sold by some last year won't be allowed, Jones said.

"We had a lot of people coming out with microwaves they wanted to sell. We don't want it to turn into that kind of flea market," she said. "We want it to be art-related."

Private property owners who allow vendors to sell on their property must get multi-vendor location permits.

Sidewalk vendors must have permission from the property owners and business owners that they set up in front of, Kerth said.

Vendors won't be able to set up on 20th Street between J and K streets, and that block will only be closed to traffic when needed for crowd control, he said.

No serious problems were reported during March's Second Saturday Art Walk last weekend. Police will continue to crack down on problems such as underage drinking, drinking on the street and minors out after curfew, said Sacramento Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

Minors may be cited for violating curfew, which is a misdemeanor, and released, and parents can be held accountable if children are out after curfew, unless the kids are with their parents.

"Parents should be aware that the city has a 10 p.m. curfew," he said. "Their children should be picked up well before 10 p.m."

Other changes may be added in upcoming months if warranted, Jones said.

The city's Special Events Ordinance Review Committee is also considering special events changes that may apply to Second Saturday. The ordinance isn't expected to be brought to the City Council until at least late 2011.

The earlier hours seems like a "smart idea" to help the city and police keep Second Saturday safe and family-friendly, then clear the streets before patrolling for problems with illegal drinking, vandalism, noise and other misbehavior, said Midtown Neighborhood Association Chair Matt Piner.

"I think it's a good idea as a start," he said. "You get bad apples in any crowd. The bigger the crowd, the more bad apples you're going to have."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.