City Council Considers Rotary Request For Fall Fest Street Closure
Author: mt43news staff reporter
City Council Considers Rotary Request For Fall Fest Street Closure
MT43 News Staff Reporter
In an annual request to the city council for Fall Fest event street closure, former Rotary President Jeff Langlinais laid out changes the group like which would include suspending all licenses for solicitors or vendors not connected with Fall Fest to be suspended for the duration of the event.
Rotarian Brian Obert explained that last year, solicitor vendors set up on Broadway close to the parked vintage cars. As an alternative to outside vendor licensing suspension, he suggested the city set up a 1/2 block barrier both south and north of Broadway to limit vendors from setting up near the cars. “We need food preparation, especially open-air barbeques, to be away from cars whose paint jobs could be damaged,” he said.
Langlinais explained that a vendor not connected with Fall Fest set up shop on Highway 287 across from the Fall Fest area. “Fortunately, no one was hurt, but people kept crossing the highway to reach the vendor. It could have been a dangerous situation that could have put both Rotary and the City at risk for liability,” he said.
Mayor Vickie Rauser suggested the council put a full three-day suspension on all licensed vendors not with Fall Fest, then reimburse those vendors the three days within their annual permits. Council member JB Howick pointed out that the move might infringe on vendors’ right to use public property to promote their wares. After the discussion, Mayor Rauser said she would talk to the city attorney on the issue. The issue will be on the next meeting agenda.
The Council passed a motion to allow Broadwater Community Theater to have a one-block street closure on the 100 block of So. Spruce Street for their annual street dance Saturday, Sept. 19, from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
In other business, Council passed a motion to join the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority as a participating member. The cost to join is $400 annually, which allows Townsend to have a seat at the table for possible grant funding to build a station when passenger service becomes available.
The Council put in water use restrictions, to be in place immediately for residents irrigating their lawns or using water outside their homes. Watering times will alternate for all even-numbered houses to water on even-numbered days and odd-numbered houses to water on odd days during cool parts of the day. This includes homeowners who have underground sprinkling systems. City Works Director Eric Crusch explained the need for restrictions came when one of the city’s three wells was shut down as part of the new water project. “I anticipate the watering restrictions will be in place through September,” he said.
Article Images
Click on Image Thumbnail(s) to view fullsize image
PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
Image 1 Caption: Rotarian Jeff Langlinais presents Fall Fest street closure permit to City Council.
Nancy Marks, MT43 News Photographer
_0.JPG)
