12 Rules For City in DNC Convention Contract

View of Downtown Milwaukee from parking structure near Pabst Milwaukee Brewery & Taproom. Photo by Jack Fennimore.

The Democratic National Convention is coming to Milwaukee, and that means plenty of billable hours for lawyers, insurance agents and for-hire drivers. The Milwaukee Police Department also appears poised to see plenty of overtime. The 25-page contract, between the Good Land Committee, City of Milwaukee and Democratic National Committee, spells out a long list of provisions the city and host committee must make to execute the convention.

The Common Council is set to approve the contract in a special meeting Monday afternoon following this morning’s announcement. Here are the key requirements for the city in the contract:

1. Police Escorts and Security Patrols

The contract stipulates that the city has to provide a lot of security, even possibly bringing in officers from other cities. Police escorts are required for DNC personnel delivering credentials to delegations and the media at their hotels. Armed patrols are required for the convention offices, staging areas and convention hotels. Delegates and DNC officials get special protections.

2. Safes

The city doesn’t just have to protect DNC officials and their equipment when they’re at the convention. It also must provide somewhere to store it. “An adequate number of safes, security containers, and storage facilities for DNC equipment in accordance with DNC requirements,” is listed under the equipment requirements.

3. Buy Lots of Insurance

The host committee is required to secure $10 million in commercial general liability insurance, $3 million terrorism and business interruption insurance and $5 million in combined single limit automobile insurance. They’ll need a $5 million policy for “employment practices liability,” police liability insurance that pays up to $10 million per occurence, $10 million per occurence coverage for “riot and civil commotion insurance” and $10 million in cyber/technology errors and ommissions insurance. The biggest policy of all: $250 million combined single limit umbrella coverage. Someone better call American Family.

4. It’s More Than Fiserv Forum

As the contract makes clear, the convention won’t utilize just Fiserv Forum. It also stipulates access to the Wisconsin Center, Miller High Life Theatre and Panther Arena as the “convention center licensed premises.” A surface parking owned by the Wisconsin District along E. Kilbourn Ave. is also included.

5. Big Brother is Watching You

“The City shall provide a private network of IP security cameras in and around all Convention Offices so that DNC security staff may securely monitor in and around Convention Offices from any location via an Internet connection.” Alexa, where’s Tom Barrett?

6. Create a Protest Area

While the agreement stipulates that the city close streets and sidewalks as designated in the security plan, a demonstration area and parade route for protestors is also the responsibility of the city.

7. The Streetcar Will Be Free

“Furthermore, the City shall provide unlimited free rides on the Milwaukee Streetcar for Convention attendees and the public during the Convention Period.”

8. Transportation Coordination

While gridlock is certain regardless of planning, the agreement stipulates that the city form a workgroup including the police, Milwaukee County Transit System, Department of Public Works and other stakeholders “to ensure safe and efficient transportation for Convention participants.”

9. You Can Watch It On Channel 25 or Stream It Online

“The City shall make its best efforts to broadcast, and live web stream, the Convention proceedings on the City-owned or public access cable station to the reasonable specifications of the DNC, including that such program be closed captioned.” In the last couple of months, the network has begun streaming online in high definition.

10. Find Someone to Pay For Security

The federal government sent $43 million to Philadelphia for security during the 2016 convention. The contract envisions a similar arrangement in 2020.

11. DNC Gets to Sell the Hats

“Neither the City nor the Host Committee shall, without the express prior written approval of the DNC, sell, distribute, or promote any merchandise that would infringe or violate any exclusive copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right of the DNC (or its exclusive licensee(s)).”

12. Don’t Sue Us, We Won’t Sue You

The contract contains a whole page indemnifying the two parties from one another. Should they enter into a dispute, another full page lays out the terms of arbitration.