BERLIN – A policy approved this week is expected to better regulate the town’s growing list of special events.
On Monday the Berlin Town Council unanimously approved a new event policy that outlines the event approval process and lists associated restrictions.
“We’re trying to make the playing field even for everyone,” Mayor Gee Williams said. “We’re trying to be fair to everyone but we’re also trying to make sure people prepare.”
Ivy Wells, the town’s economic development director, said she and other town employees spent several months developing the policy. She said it had become necessary as more and more people wanted to host events in Berlin.
“Berlin has become a very popular venue for events,” she said. “We needed to put together something.”
The policy mandates that special event requests be submitted between July 1 and Sept. 1. It also states that only one event requiring town services can be scheduled on a given day.
Submitted events will be reviewed by staff and organizers will be required to meet with staff prior to the event.
According to the policy, while the town administrator may authorize “non-alcohol events that have a good track record with the town,” new events and those that involve alcohol will be submitted to the town council for review.
Only six events involving alcohol will be allowed each year.
Wells said one of the primary benefits of the new policy was that it would ensure that the town’s event schedule for the coming year would be finalized each fall. Past events approved in January, for example, weren’t able to be included on annual rack cards and other promotional materials distributed by the town. Merchants, she said, supported the concept of requiring event requests to be in by Sept. 1.
“The business community is thrilled they can put event cards in holiday shopping bags,” she said.
Police Chief Arnold Downing expects the policy to ensure the town’s events run smoothly. He said that at a meeting of merchants and town staff that took place earlier this year, the town’s growing list of events had been a cause for concern.
“The consensus was we don’t need a whole lot more events,” he said.
He told the council the new policy would ensure that events were spread out throughout the year in such a way that town staff could adequately provide the services associated with each of them.
“If you have an event every week you have a couple that are not really up to muster that really reflect upon the town,” he said. “We want to make sure events are done correctly and properly and everybody can really enjoy them.”
Williams advised Wells to share news of the policy broadly to ensure everyone was aware of the fact that they were now expected to submit event applications this summer.
“Events affect so many people,” he said.
