A second request to hold a community event in Historic Downtown McMinnville has been placed on hold by McMinnville officials as a policy pertaining to those events is constructed.
Darlene Bryant, representing Queens for a Cause Autism Awareness, requested of the McMinnville Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday to allow use of downtown on April 25 to hold the 9th annual 5K event.
“We would need to block the street directly in front of the courthouse/ fountain area with a roadblock placed at Magness Library between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in order to allow enough time to complete the registration process, race and awards ceremony,” said Bryant.
Board members unanimously approved tabling that request.
“We’ve been trying to get our process down for these requests, anytime there are road closures that will affect businesses,” said Mayor Ben Newman. “This one will for a period of time. There’s a meeting that we are going to have coming up on Jan. 30 to go over this. Your event is a good event and it will most likely be approved. We want to go through this process first.”
This is the second event requested tabled by officials as they await a policy. In November 2019, Relay for Life organizer Carla Savage requested use of downtown on June 6, 2020. It included a 10-hour Street closure, from 2 p.m. until midnight.
“Some of the things we are thinking about doing is giving notice to businesses that will be affected, giving them an opportunity to come in and have a discussion,” said Newman. “We may meet three or four times a year and anyone who wants to plan a street closure can come in and explain what they want to do. It’s to make sure we are making the best use of space and making the best use of road closures for the times and everything.”
Newman urged Bryant to attend the Jan. 30 meeting, which is to be held at Warren County Chamber of Commerce at 5 p.m., to learn more about what will be a new approval process for events.
“I don’t want you to think you’ve wasted your time here tonight,” said Newman. “This is your ninth year. Most likely, it will be approved again, but we do need to go through that process to make sure we are treating everyone the same.”
Newman says tentative plans are to have a written policy presented to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for its consideration on Feb. 11. If that is approved, the race sponsored by Queens for a Cause and Relay for Life can be considered by the board for approval.
