Wallace considering 'Special Events' law

WALLACE — The Wallace City Council will host a public hearing tonight to discuss a proposed Special Events Ordinance.

Councilor Michele Bisconer said the intention of the ordinance is to streamline the approval process for Wallace’s events. Currently, all special events require an application that has to be approved by the City Council. 

Under the proposed ordinance, any festival organizer with a two-year record of successfully running an event with no issues, while making no changes, can apply and get approval from the city clerk. They must also submit a map showing any street closures and proof of insurance.  

“It puts in writing the longstanding, unwritten and implied rules and responsibilities around events,” Bisconer said. “This is to protect the city and ensure rules and responsibilities are communicated the same, all the time, and there’s no misunderstanding because all of the rules that responsible event organizers have followed, year after year, were communicated to the organizers.”

The Wallace Chamber of Commerce submitted a letter that was read by Chamber board member Susan Berry, which expressed concerns over the “spirit” of the proposed legislation.  

“The Chamber would like to take a moment to acknowledge that the city of Wallace considers itself a place to party,” Berry said. “The spirit of Wallace is embodied by several key characteristics, one of these being our festivals. We urge the City Council to reconsider the spirit of the Special Events Ordinance."

Berry also said the Chamber believed the proposed ordinance to be an “extreme” reaction to the Wallace Blues Festival last summer, which was canceled just days before it was supposed to take place. 

Wallace legal counsel Ben Allen said plans for the ordinance were in place last winter after law enforcement expressed concerns to the city over a lack of information being given to them before events.  

Other concerns brought before the council included the ordinance’s language on fees, penalties for violating approved applications, the number of toilets needed and the application process itself.  

Councilor Cindy Lien said she was also concerned that the proposed ordinance was on its fifth draft, but she only saw the most recent draft days before it was discussed. 

The public hearing portion of tonight's meeting begins at 5 p.m.