Pierceton Councilman Questions Weekend’s Festival

July 29, 2020 at 12:51 a.m.

By Teresa [email protected]

PIERCETON – Town council members Tom Barker, Matt Brubaker and Mandy Espinoza held a special meeting Monday to conduct a budget workshop, but first there were a few questions about the upcoming Pierceton Days Festival.

The annual event draws Pierceton citizens and hundreds of residents from the region for the car and motorcycle show, free concerts, the big parade and other activities scheduled over the two-day event the first weekend in August.

Kim Rose and her family organized the festival for more than a decade. She turned the event over to the Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Washington Township – Pierceton firefighters two years ago. The event is held in the town parks and streets.

Brubaker is a Chamber of Commerce member and a volunteer fireman and he answered several questions from Barker regarding this weekend’s festival.

Barker noted the festival was a hot topic because it is going ahead during the COVID-19 pandemic when large and small events have been systematically cancelled during the last four months.

Barker said he saw the protocols the organizers will have in place to meet Center for Disease Control and Prevention and state guidelines to prevent spread of the coronavirus, but he hadn’t seen the actual approval letter from the county health department.

Brubaker said the approval was emailed and he found the document on his cell phone to show and forward to Barker.

There also was discussion about the beer and wine tent set up on the north side of Brower Park.

Town marshal Tim Sammons said he signed the letter requesting the tent and then received a call from a state excise officer who wanted to see the ordinance allowing beer and wine sales on public property.

Pierceton doesn’t have an ordinance like that.

Sammons said the state will allow the tent this year, however, an ordinance is necessary for future sales in the parks or on town property.

Barker said this will be the last year for the beer and wine tent in the park, indicating an ordinance allowing the sales is not forthcoming.

The council also discussed liability insurance for the event.

Espinoza said social media postings indicated the town’s liability insurance covered the event.

“That’s not true,” he said. “It’s a back up, but the town doesn’t have anything to do with the festival.”

Brubaker said the Chamber had an insurance policy to cover their sponsored events.

PIERCETON – Town council members Tom Barker, Matt Brubaker and Mandy Espinoza held a special meeting Monday to conduct a budget workshop, but first there were a few questions about the upcoming Pierceton Days Festival.

The annual event draws Pierceton citizens and hundreds of residents from the region for the car and motorcycle show, free concerts, the big parade and other activities scheduled over the two-day event the first weekend in August.

Kim Rose and her family organized the festival for more than a decade. She turned the event over to the Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Washington Township – Pierceton firefighters two years ago. The event is held in the town parks and streets.

Brubaker is a Chamber of Commerce member and a volunteer fireman and he answered several questions from Barker regarding this weekend’s festival.

Barker noted the festival was a hot topic because it is going ahead during the COVID-19 pandemic when large and small events have been systematically cancelled during the last four months.

Barker said he saw the protocols the organizers will have in place to meet Center for Disease Control and Prevention and state guidelines to prevent spread of the coronavirus, but he hadn’t seen the actual approval letter from the county health department.

Brubaker said the approval was emailed and he found the document on his cell phone to show and forward to Barker.

There also was discussion about the beer and wine tent set up on the north side of Brower Park.

Town marshal Tim Sammons said he signed the letter requesting the tent and then received a call from a state excise officer who wanted to see the ordinance allowing beer and wine sales on public property.

Pierceton doesn’t have an ordinance like that.

Sammons said the state will allow the tent this year, however, an ordinance is necessary for future sales in the parks or on town property.

Barker said this will be the last year for the beer and wine tent in the park, indicating an ordinance allowing the sales is not forthcoming.

The council also discussed liability insurance for the event.

Espinoza said social media postings indicated the town’s liability insurance covered the event.

“That’s not true,” he said. “It’s a back up, but the town doesn’t have anything to do with the festival.”

Brubaker said the Chamber had an insurance policy to cover their sponsored events.
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