City officials are set to rock this weekend at the Lollapalooza.

Well, at least they will be in attendance.

As the Gulf Shores City Council considers another "annual renewal of the five-year permit" for the Hangout Festival, city officials and the man behind music event, Shaul Zislin, are heading to Chicago this weekend. A five-member delegation will head to the Windy City to see if they learn some better ways to manage the three-day beachfront festival here.

"Taking these guys up there to see that will play a role in us understanding what, if anything, we need to do better," Mayor Robert Craft, said. Zislin proposed the third Festival again be held the weekend before Memorial Day in 2012.

Those going, besides Zislin, are Police Chief Edward Delmore, Lt. Allen Carpenter, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Director Grant Brown and Councilman Jason Dyken.

Zislin is exploring ways to do things better as he makes plans for the third festival in May 2012.

"We want to make sure we are cleared to proceed with this fantastic event," Zislin told the countil Monday. "There's some logistical issues that we've worked through and are trying figure out how to better the event. Overall we thought it was a fantastic event."

Others weren't so sure. One resident spoke of complaints of festivalgoers sleeping under seaside restaurants, under docks, on docks and in their cars.

Don Stafford of Reds and Ribs says he generally supports the Festival, but experienced problems in 2011 that he didn't see in 2011.

"Throughout the city, quite a number of people were observed sleeping in their vehicles during the day and night and immediately in front of our building," Stafford said Monday.

Zislin says he's willing to listen to concerns.

"We are willing to enter into any discussion that that is relevant to making the event for the city  and for us better," Zislin said. "That's what we strive for."

"Our goal is to be able to go up there and understand in a festival that's been going on for years," Brown said. "And see their understanding of infrastructure and what we can do to make this event as good as possible."