Washington Chamber schedule approved, mostly

WASHINGTON — The Washington City Council has signed off on the Chamber of Commerce’s event plans in the square for 2023, although municipal officials remain caught in a disagreement over one issue: a snow fence.

Chamber Director Michelle Redlinger said the community could expect most events to continue next year as they have in the past, with some tweaks here and there.

One of those tweaks involves removing a snow fence around the square at the FlightLine Live concert, a part of the community’s now 75-year-old Ridiculous Days celebration. Instead, the group would place signs stating that outside alcohol could not be brought into the park.

“We’ve been having some conversations … to indicate the boundaries with yard signage instead of snow fencing, which would be what Riverside does for TrekFest,” Redlinger said.

Redlinger said the bright orange barriers wrapped around the park were unnecessary, ineffective and an eyesore during the high-attendance event.

“It doesn’t portray the beautiful downtown, the work that we’ve done,” she said. “It divides the businesses from the community. It is a rather low, saggy fence that doesn’t take a lot to overcome.”

The concert was held in Washington’s park for the first time last summer. While the barrier surrounded the park, attendees of all ages were allowed inside the for the event, but given wristbands of different colors indicating whether they were above or below drinking age.

Mayor Jaron Rosien said he agreed with proposals to remove the snow fence, and that both the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division and county sheriff had signed off on it.

“I think we’ve been very diligent in managing events with alcohol,” he said. “Ultimately, this would be another step in relaxing the standards, but based off of precedent and having no issues thus far.”

Other city officials disagreed.

“I do not think we should have alcohol up there without very stringent boundaries,” City Council Member Elaine Moore said. “We’re just asking for trouble with underage drinking, spilling out into the streets. I’m just not comfortable with.”

Moore proposed a barrier around a beverage garden, rather than around the entire park.

“The whole park can be a dancing park, I just feel that the alcohol needs to be contained,” she said.

City Police Chief Jim Lester said removing the barrier would make things more difficult for law enforcement.

“My concern is the openness,” he said. “Last year I thought it worked great in that there were two ways in, two ways out. We had officers at those locations to prevent outside alcohol going in and alcohol going out into the street.”

Lester said he’d adapt to the city’s directive, either way.

“My job is to think of public safety and what could go bad,” he said. “I feel a fence makes it safer, but if the council says, ‘You’re going to do it without a fence,’ then we have to accommodate that. And we’ll work as we need to, to make the event safe.”

State code on the matter is complicated. Iowa law forbids consumption of alcohol in public places, except in licensed establishments and in locations exempted by local governments, such as for events. While taking beverages out of the square is not illegal, drinking them outside of the square would be.

The council’s motion approved all the Chamber’s event requests, with plans to discuss the concert’s boundary markers further at a later date.

Redlinger said she would fight to keep the concert open to and appealing to all ages.

“Whatever that boundary is, I want it to be as inclusive as possible,” she said. “I want as much of the community (as possible) to be able to join in that, I don’t want people to be off to the side for any reason.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com