Changes coming for special event permits

In Saratoga, there are various signs pointing to the approach of summer. For some, it’s the opening of the Snowy Range Scenic Byway. For others, it’s the steady increase in out-of-state license plates. 

In the council chambers of Saratoga Town Hall, it is the perennial discussion of the process through which special events in town limits are permitted. On May 3, the Saratoga Town Council held their second reading of Ordinance No. 862 which amends portions of Chapter 5.30 of the Saratoga Municipal Code. Since 2012, this chapter of the town code has set forth the process through which one obtains a permit for a special event on either public or private property.

While there have been discussions about amending this section of the municipal code, they have not passed first reading. On October 20, 2020, an ordinance to amend Chapter 5.30, presented by Councilmember Jon Nelson, failed on first reading. Those changes, placed in what was called the “Pesto Festo Ordinance”—after an event held by the Saratoga Community Garden—had come about in regard to what was seen as undue hardship on events with less than 50 people in attendance.

Discussion on the “Pesto Festo Ordinance” then led to the suggestion of the “Firewater Exemption”. This exemption would have made a clear delineation between businesses such as Firewater Public House, which routinely holds live music during the summer months, and The Yard, a music venue whose owners have been heavily involved in the process of the creation of Chapter 5.30. That delineation centered around whether a venue was charging admission or if the live music was for the purpose of entertaining business patrons.

Mayor Pro-Tem Bob Keel proposed, in that October meeting, the ordinance be struck and sent back to the planning commission.

Less than a year later, Nelson again raised the topic of changes to Chapter 5.30.

Those changes came following an event held by The Yard which featured a limited line-up of musical acts from WHATFest; a Wyoming-based music festival which has traveled around the state and which once used Riverside as a venue. Some of the biggest changes at the time centered around camping, following what Councilmember D’Ron Campbell called “excessive tentage” at the event.

While those changes were heavily discussed during the July 20, 2021 meeting and an ordinance was anticipated, no such ordinance was presented until the April 19, 2022 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council when Ordinance 862 was added to agenda by Nelson and introduced on first reading.

At the May 3 meeting, Chris Shannon, a co-owner of The Yard, requested the council consider tabeling the current ordinance and form a committee to propose changes to Chapter 5.30.

“The current Chapter 5.30 is the end product of many public discussions in planning commission and town council meetings that went on for about two years prior to its adoption,” wrote Shannon in a letter to the council dated April 26. “Though not perfect, it has served its purpose sufficiently for ten years, providing organizers a means to improve our town with a variety of events on town and private property.”

Shannon further suggested the council consider forming a committee to develop or amend ordinances to municipal code. When Nelson replied that was the purpose of the planning commission, Shannon said the planning commission’s purview was just Title 18, which covers the zoning regulations of Saratoga.

“If there was urge to have a committee pushed to discuss an ordinance that was talked about last year, that’s when the priority of it should have taken place,” said Councilmember Ben Spaulding. “Now we’re coming to the reading of it, and know it’s like ‘Hold up a second. Is this going to affect me or everybody else? Let’s table it’. It’s been almost a year process of this ordinance getting adopted.”

Both Shannon, and his partner Cindy Bloomquist, told the council they had only seen red-lined drafts of the proposed changes to Chapter 5.30 and were not aware it was in ordinance form.

“It seems when an ordinance gets to this point, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion,” said Shannon.

The council members present—Councilmember D’Ron Campbell was absent and Councilmember Ron Hutchins joined by phone—appeared to take issue with Shannon’s comments regarding a lack of public involvement.

“There’s a lot of boards and commissions with not a lot of people on them and to try and go out and find volunteers for every single time the Town is trying to do something, I think, is burdensome,” said Mayor Creed James. “Do you have a suggestion on a better way to have it to where it’s the ‘Hey, we’re at the doing stage’. Do we need to advertise this stuff in the paper for weeks on end?”

Despite a request from Bloomquist to add a subsection defining a specially permitted event, Ordinance No. 862 passed on second reading. James told those in attendance with concerns over the ordinance they had two weeks to provide proposals and suggestions regarding the changes to Chapter 5.30.

The next meeting of the Saratoga Town Council will be at 6 p.m. on May 17 at Saratoga Town Hall.