Planning Commission - Special Meeting

The complaints that I hear are where are the bathrooms? You can't find the bathrooms. And it's I think like like people that So maybe signage. Yeah. So I put signage in right here, but it's a quick to my printer on a piece of paper this big. And I think like they hold it too long and they're like, "Oh, I can't find the bathroom." like you held it too long. Well, I I did have a vendor, you know, ask me where they were and and noticed that they were all in, you know, this general area. They wanted to know if we could put it anywhere over on Broadway because

we've never had them over there. Uh Mrs. Teal does allow us to put two behind her property where we have a rest tent. Yeah, there's two over there, right? So, we put we do put two over there, but I'm saying as a general rule until we started doing that, the town didn't put any over there. It was always just a slew of portaots at the We had a hundred at one time, right? But no trailers. Yeah, no trailers. 100. And there's maybe that's it because I I really don't know that I I mean

those trailers seem like they do really well. They have multiple stalls in each of the beds and the women's and it takes the place of so many different porter pots but it's a nice air conditioned deal with a real toilet and a sink to wash your hands and you know that's fine. I'll just they make provisions those pot we have the sewer line directly right under so they don't have to be pumped out and that's a big plus. The only line I ever saw and I drove back and forth to the stage that one there maybe Once or twice I saw two or three people beat, but never anything more than a couple minutes, which is that's pretty impressive for the number of people that are here. A big crowd. Okay, so keep it

I'm okay with at least staying in the same general with the same general concept. That would be my opinion. Um I don't like the idea going back, but if you've got two or three different companies. Yeah, if there's other companies that do the same thing. We have shopped it around before and everybody else crazy about it. Um, but it's worth looking at every throw in there some extra signage to to

because I mean putting it right here that you can see it. You know what I mean? If you put it there, people do get used to it. But obviously we've got newcomers every year. So yeah. All right. No problem. Okay. Um we'll get the applications out. Kids zone. Um you guys okay with um having the same company and the same is that the kids zone. The kids zone. The bounce houses and all that. Is that being utilized a lot? Yeah.

I try not I try not to look over there. So, one of the problems with company, there's a lot of companies that do bounce houses and stuff. There's very few that will actually supply attendance even if you pay. Like a lot of them, they just don't have the staff for it. Um, so I remember when we were shopping it around a couple years ago, there was only a couple of viable options for that anyway. And then didn't we have a year where Yeah, we had we paid for it and they didn't show up or something like that. So, these companies real good with that. So you guys are I was Yeah, I was happy to see they were well staff. Same price. He's keeping the same price. So um

and then also um I know for the um rest area, the rest tent, we always have it at NAS if that's okay with you again this year. Um I don't know if this would work or not because of just the way that things were. I know that people were talking about having um something on Main around Main Street even though the tent is over there. What I mean would it be I don't know if this is a good idea or not, but what about having like um a tent on that side of the railroad tracks, more of an oblong tent that pe that's very visible to people, but then I don't it'd be blocking that road. So, I don't know if that would be a good idea or not a good idea. just right across the railroad tracks right over here. We used to have we used a tent a rest area tent for people to get their get their food on Main Street and then there would be a tent right there that they could go eat.

We do have we do have a sign on that sits by the rubber tracks. You got to think people that come. Some of these people don't even know the town. You say on Broadway, they're like, when people park in my yard, I always tell them Indiana and Jefferson. Yeah. So, we put it on every corner or put it on bigger corners to signage on probably. We We need to reevaluate our signs, but Mhm. That's a yard. Yeah. Well, that's what I was thinking. The other thing, well, see, the thing is though, people aren't wanting to walk. If we're talking about doing it right here, it's because they don't want to walk a block

right that way to there. So, if you're going to do it here, maybe you utilize the plaza area or the gazebo or something somehow. Otherwise, we say you're walking a block. I mean, it's I don't know what it gets you to set up something up here. Just something to think about or something. That doesn't get utilized. I mean, it was utilized more last year than previous, but it it's nowhere near capacity. Yeah. Okay. Just something to think about. That's all I got. That's all I got tonight. So, Oh, we did get our We did get our Main Street um sponsor already for the 1500.

Oh, I'm sorry. We We've already got a Main Street sponsor for $1,500. So, that was our first sponsor. We've already we're contacting the other. So, who is that? Um, it was way construction.

Sure. Especially on Sunday. Oh my jeez. Wow.

Wow. I think that fits with the the idea of arts, especially with Main Street being handmade, homemade items. I've wanted to do that for a long time. I remember talking to there's a company that actually sets that up. You don't have to work through them, but it was it's called ONAP. And so then they create a new subcorporation. So it's Indiana ONAP. They create a subcorporation for each municipality or festival they work with. So they had like they were at the fair but then they did Tiffan on tap and they do like uh something in caramel on tap. Is that the one?

The problem is

I probably but they also have a a separate event too. Uh the problem with them and they're the easy option is you call them and they set up everything. They take care of it all. They get the licenses and they come and manage everything. Um the problem with them is they also certain contracts that they do they'll sign exclusivity uh with an exclusion radius and so that was the problem is they were working with Typton and their contract with them precluded them from working with us because we were too close to them or something like that even though there would be different times of the year. But they're probably not the only game in town and even if they uh and you don't need them to do that anyway. So I I will tell you I would I'm in favor of it but um if it comes down to the people from this town having to put in a lot of effort on it um uh you know

that could be a substantial amount of time. I

I agree with I'm just saying I don't I don't know if we were going to move that direction. I think we'd have to hire somebody whether it's a consultant or something to to actually put that all together for us because u that sounds like a lot of work. Sounds like a lot of work to try to coordinate that and work with all the different breweries and stuff. I actually even talked to that's the other thing is I talked to two distilleries that are or not distilleries breweries that are local to us and both of them had some theoretical interest but I talked to them like in April or May about our festival in September and they said oh no I don't think we could pull it together by then you know and so this is one of those things that it could be quite a logistical issue I mean just think about moving that much product around and then how do you manage people in and out of it and stuff. And I know there's a way to do it. We could do some kind of a bracelet and the limited number of drinks or something and make it where it is about the art and the craft and not about let's just go party at the park because none of us want that. But but what we do want is if there's good I mean just like we want if there's good local food and good crafts and things. I think drink can extend to that too. And and it is an art form. People spend considerable time uh uh perfecting their craft there. Yeah, I like that idea.

What about or something like that? I mean, you know, we never checked into that one. Yeah, I've never checked into that. Isn't that the one at the state fair or the home show or something? They're down there at the It's I think they're urban. I see them at a lot of different markets. Do they have their own little like setup they have every once in a while? Okay.

What about I mean I like the music they have. They do. I mean even on Sundays I feel like it a little overbearing for some of I don't want to say this but I like the Christian music. I think it's great but I also kind of like changing it up. Yes. And yes, get some younger people in there. I mean, we're we're dying out. I mean, Atlanta's dying out and we're still stuck in the old

I think uh there's plenty of room for um improvements everywhere. I'm I'm happy with uh what we do and the fact that we're you know the festival looks way different now than it did 15 years ago as far as what's a you know that change in the park with having the entertainment stuff is that was a large undertaking and um to have gotten to that point is really cool. some of the infrastructure things we've done has been a big help, but you're right, we do need to stay u stay relevant and that doesn't necessarily mean jumping on top of what everybody else is doing because then that you're just following a trend. Um but also times change and and you know that there's opportunities to modernize a little bit and and um so I don't know. I I think we ought to approach all this with an open mind. Just because we think it worked last year doesn't mean we can't make it better next, you know, this year.

Did we find out what exactly we made of the festival last year with the profit? Yes, I am. I will have that for you at the next festival meeting. I am running I did not have time to finish it for this meeting, but I will have a breakdown of the last three years of the vendors types, who does what the money the the the money we've made. Do you know it last year? What the It was like somewhere 19,000. It wasn't that much. I mean, when I looked at it and my question was Yeah, it was like 11,000. No,

I I'd have to go back. I don't I don't remember off the top of my head, but I think I think it was I think on that sheet it said 25 or 28 and then we had to subtract something off of, but I think it turned out to be 19. But I I I'll let you know next the next festival

and we'll try to see too if there's some ways uh for this year. This is something I'd like to do and we haven't even talked about it yet, but I'd like to uh uh you know, if there's a way to make some kind of a handout that that better illustrates uh the the financials of the festival, I think we need to do it. It's not even though everything may be uh meets the standards of state board of accounts or something like that. Um just make it easier to decipher. Yeah. Uh categorize things better, make them a little bit uh you know a little more detailed. That's what I'm going for. So yeah. Um if we can do that, I definitely would like us to

like to see what's working and what's not and where we need to improve on. And I I really think the demographic of the vendor, you know, how that's changed is Oh, yeah. Is a big deal. There's been a lot of change over the last 10 years for sure. I mean, people that were here, some of the things that there's a lot of retirees, other people retirements

have told me that work we can't do because we're not for profofit. like uh I know one that I'm involved with does a ping pong or a a foam ball drop from a drone. They sell each ball for 20 bucks and closest to the p the golf course wins a prize, you know, a free round of golf or whatever and they make a ton of money off of that kind of stuff. But those are kind of things we can't do because we're not for profit. So, it's I mean I'm trying to figure out and Jennifer, are you okay with us soliciting sponsors just beating the bush and try to come up with okay I don't want to step on anybody's toes but if we can get the if we can go out there in the corporate world and

and we could put a ferris wheel on South Broadway yeah I don't okay with that we checked on ferris wheels and they were very expensive I know out there on it was right I think across across the way Tintton side did I know at one time and this has been one we just don't have the room for them we talked about rides down at the bald diamond we when we had it and then they came in and looked and they said that's way there's potential of doing something here because railroad is both sides of the street so you could close one of them off right potentially exactly

and still have you We don't have vendors on that side. Uh we don't own that property anymore. Um but anyway, shut down street like Yeah, we could as long as the homeowners in the area have access whether they come in the back or whatever, but um uh or or like a block that doesn't have any I mean there's a couple blocks around that that don't have any um residences off of them, you know. So, do you get applications for the famous? How do you get those out?

They they usually solicit us. They I mean, they usually email us and and uh we check them out and and just do it that way. You have to I mean, you know, a lot of the bands are very expensive and we can't afford the like really expensive ones. So, we usually try to get um usually try to get a couple expensive ones, you know, for like Saturday and and Sunday and then and then go with more of the ones that are not quite as expensive. What's the budget? That's what our sponsorship is for. So, I know you remember the Flying Toasters. They were an excellent band and they're also very expensive

and they priced and basically priced themselves out of us really good deal for all those years. We had Hunter We had Hunter Smith coming for a couple years and then I mean I had heard the Flying Coasters and some of the others had as well and we just kept saying, "Hey, we got to get them. We got to get them. We got them." And we got them and they were so good, but they just Yeah, they're like seven. Did we reach out to anyone at all or we just wait for people to reach out to us? No,

we've solicited. A lot of it does come from suggestions and I mean stuff that I've you know like I said I had seen the Flying Toasters before and I would have suggested that whether I was on the council or not. Uh actually at the time I think I probably just worked for the town. Probably wasn't even on the council but then there was another we had coming for several years that a lot of people really like and I love it if they came back but isn't just me here. But uh there's a group out Anderson called Living Proof that does a lot of like uh you know they got some kind of Mottowny soul sort of a vibe going on and you know a cool mix of blues gospel whatever and and they I mean they're they're

think they're awesome but that came from a suggestion you know plus a lot of times like the flying toasters the one he just mentioned living proof a lot of that they're real big on weekends at bars and stuff so that's where they're going to go and like they're going to make all their money there. They take proceed I've worked in bars forever. They take the proceeds from the cover the cover charge that and then they get paid their flat fee as well. So, it's one of those like I can go there and make $70,000 versus like all right, we can only pay you this or you will want to do that now. I'd rather

you guys said that you get your vans by your sponsorship money. So, how budget that like if you don't get know what sponsorships you have. Yeah, we have to and that's why when we get a lot of these emails we tell them that hey what um you know our our budget is sponsor or is based on our sponsorship donations. So that's why we just have to you know Yeah. Well, that's what I'm saying. you got to go out and beat the bush and and you know ask if you know somebody if you your your business or whatever then

that's what we got to do is to try and grow that part of it because the rest of it is a sunk cost. I mean we're not going to make any more unless we raise spons we raise uh fees again and I don't know that we should do that. Uh there's just that's the way that's the best way to raise money is to increase your sponsorship because it's it's not free money but it's close. Have you thought about reaching out to people in October for sponsorship because that's when people start giving their budgets for the following year?

Yeah, we we contact them all. We contact them all year long. All year long. tell me that they weren't coming back anymore because they usually had three. So then well I mean it was only a $35 rate I mean raising the $35. So I understand they have to sell. I'm just saying we have to look raising it because No, no, I don't think we should.

Well, co I mean costs of go up and they get passed on to the consumer. I mean, the town can't take a bath. We can't end up making five grand off this deal. Uh you know, our costs keep going up. And so that is one of those things where we try not to raise them very frequently, but they're going to have to go up. They can't stay where they are forever. And that was they we went without increasing festival u you know booth rent for like 15 years or something like that. And then we've had two increases I think since I've been on the council. But

u you know you wait that long time it's a it's an exponential problem. you trend downward over years and years and years versus making a correction more quickly. And so that's it's a difficult balancing act. I do know that all these people say complain about it getting too expensive to be here and then most of them I see them here next year and if you talk to other vendors who are more honest, they say, "Oh yeah, I was just at XYZ festival last week. You guys are so cheap. I can't believe it." Yeah, I heard that a lot. I hear that a lot. I hear people saying, "Hey, my booth over there was, you know, a thousand bucks for the weekend and here it's, you know, I had a food vendor come in

200 had a food vendor come in just this week and and he's a really good guy." Anyway, he was talking about the festival and we do get a lot of compliments on the festival on it being very well organized and then also he said you can go he can go to any festival around in the state of Indiana and somebody will ask him have you been to the Atlanta New Earth festival you know it's yeah it's really I mean

I hope we maintain that that uh status one thing that I would like to look at I know we did it in the past we developed we work with a developer actually developed an app and it was probably a little ahead of its time. Um, I don't think we actually need an app, but it would feel like an app. What if Can we do a web-based festival companion? We could get the that's optimized for we get the high school kids to do it. I mean, the Heights Tech kids would probably love that.

I mean, I've always thought it'd be super cool if somebody could, and I don't know how easy this is. It's probably real easy now with AI. somebody could search for specific type of item. And so then when a vendor submits their application, they could even uh give you some keywords or a more comprehensive, you know, somebody could say, "Oh, I sell boutique items." Okay, but give me 20 specifics and then somebody can search it and say, "Okay, that's festivals, too. That's booth 330." You know, I mean, something like that. talk to the school and see if there's somebody because there's a lot of kids who like to do that. It's just data. We just need more information and then we could develop a way for people to search for it. Yes. Easy.

So, one of the other things Jennifer and I talked about last year and I didn't have time to to do it was to put I know when you go camp, you go camping. I mean, when you when you go to campgrounds sometimes you'll see or bigger places, you know, you put your face in the hole and it's take a picture of it. Oh, yeah. put your face in there. So, Jennifer and I had talked about we need some cutouts. Make some cutouts of like a train and let's say Atlanta New Earth Festival and then make it so that you change the year but have the same booth there. Yeah. And put it down here somewhere. Can we get a thing that says soreheads and you put your head in the O? Well, another thing we did talk about was you could pick which one.

Oh, thanks. There you go. Another thing now we did talk about since Tim is so talented making like a um a thermometer and then putting like a like with um like with the state board of accounts when we had the phone app we got dinged because we had prizes and that was a big no no to us. But um setting up some kind of donation box um you know with and then you know have it

QR code QR code where people could even donate to our park, you know, just um make it really nice to where, you know, people walking by, they might they might throw a dollar in there. We might end up with a little bit of cash that way and that would be more of a donation instead of a The other board that I'm involved with has a QR code for donations and it does pretty well. Yeah. I mean, you'd be surprised how many people actually give for no reason. Well, and that's how we do with the with actually with um good smart to network work. We do the donation code um for them.

All these applications when you bring them so we can all look to see what's really coming in. What do you mean? We never know who they are. There's a master list that that applications for what are you for what? I don't we don't turn people down. I don't think you know used to say until you decide you know anymore Aggie and you'll be shocked at this. I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I apologize that just that came out and I'm so sorry.

Well, people have until um like May um May 6 to submit their application if they want the same spot. So that's how if they want the same spot that they had last year, we give them um a chance to have that same spot. But what I think she was asking is we don't turn anybody down though. So there's no real process of of evaluating who's going to get it and who's not because we take everybody. I mean certainly Main Street we're going to be exclusive, right? Yeah. Main Street definitely. But that doesn't mean that we can't find a home for him somewhere else in the festival. Oh, yeah. No, we do. And we haven't turned anybody down a long time, have we?

How How do you pick like say vendor A has the same thing as vendor C? We mean we don't say no, we already have a vendor selling. No, just keep them away from each other. put one end and then one on the other end or but do you think they did used to be I mean we they don't want to come see the would that make sense? Yeah I've been to market like they have one of something so we're not seeing 50. Well that's what we try to do on we try to do that on on Maine. We try to keep it that way where it's

well handmade stuffy 31 those are big things and and we tell them because their product they're only allowed to be there's only allowed to be one in in a festival or wherever. So what I tell them is we have like if like if we have three centies we put one at the park we put one north Broadway south Broadway so they're not so they're not near each other. So that's how you do that's how we do with people that are um like vendors. What about applications for that student?

Yeah, they we don't give them applications. They just call us or we do emails or phone calls. I can I can give you a list if you want. Oh yeah. Yeah, that's fine. No, I think it'd be a good idea to communicate that a little more effectively. I probably didn't ask as much as I did last year, but I didn't know who any other bands were going to be until about two weeks before pass. So, on Saturday and Sunday, there like four band. Yeah, there's like four on Saturday and three on Sunday. Oh, we had more than that. Last was it two years ago? Two years ago, we had nine total.

Four and five. before start come around and play the flutes in the pan that we had. No, they that was probably on private property. Yeah. I mean Oh, so the guy did No. Oh, okay. I thought that was so peaceful to hear those flutes in the in the just had you said band. Could we get the Heights or Typton marching band to come up? Heights. We could they uh they did the breakfast last year and I think they they want to come up here and we could have a mini parade or something from 8 to 9 or

do a parade. I think a parade might be a bit much, but they might be able to do a something jazz band over the gazebo. Yeah, we could put them there for put them there during a break or something. I mean, they do those those performances out on the field. Maybe they can come up with some scale down deal. Yeah. And we have talked to them about the school. I have some local scholarships. What are they doing? She's supposed to be Yeah. As far as I know, I think that went well for them. They're Yes, I know they're putting a plan in place for a couple menu changes to try to to I think they need to Yeah. I don't know.

Get volunteers. Well, I'm sure to get volunteers. They don't I mean, people don't show up in earnest until noon or 1:00 and they're gone. So, yeah, that mostly seems to serve they tried they tried to do a lunch. They tried to do a lunch. They tried to do bag lunches. the um not not the band, but there's there's not really any other places that do breakfast. What's the name up here does biscuits and gravy sometimes? Tom House and then cinnamon roll, which he wasn't even here this year, right? So, they were kind of the only game in town for breakfast and that kind of is what the vendors go to. Yeah. Yeah. To eat. But that's mostly vendors are going there and stuff. People aren't here

to the vendors too and they probably appreciate that and they couldn't get away. They couldn't get away. Exactly. If they're willing to do that, they ought to put that on the application when you send it back, too. Don't forget breakfast. Well, even part of what what we're doing, I could run food down there to them if if I don't have anything else going on, you know, we send back with the confirmation or confirmations, we send back a little flyer um about the breakfast to all to all the vendors. I I think that's a good idea is to get them maybe somebody in the band has to have a golf cart where they can do deliveries. I mean that's that's a good idea to deliver to the vendors. I mean not to the people.

Well, you wouldn't want you wouldn't want that. I agree with that as an adult. Not ours. Not our not our golf course. They will bring their own. Maybe they can ride a bike. But no, I agree with her. That would definitely Yeah, I don't want that. I want some kid running around. I I know those kids.

Are you guys going back again?

I think we need a uh I I don't know if it's worth talking to. Um, I I don't know the dynamics of it, but I think there was some kind of a uh charitable tie-in uh with some of the other police opportunities out there that might be worth it looking into at least um where maybe they people are willing officers are willing to donate their time in exchange for money towards that um kids toy drive thing. I think there's some officers that there's something through the county. I think there's been that sort of an arrangement before and I don't know if that's still a thing or not. Um either way, our police coverage from every single thing I saw was quite a bit better this year than it was the last since Horriy left the county. So, four or five years. Um, but that was a substantial amount of money. And so I want to see if we work with them again, if there's a way to find a happy medium there. Uh, or if not, you know, maybe there's a way to have a collaborative effort between some paid people, some people donating time for in exchange for a monetary donation that's not as much as what we were spending. Um, when I seen three of them.

The other thing is that I I would be in favor of not uh supplying those guys with food because I don't think that they're probably likely to eat it. And uh if they want something to eat, they can go buy a $10 thing from a vendor that's here. You know, if that's a deal breaker for anybody and you want to give them a meal, maybe we figure out a way to make them a voucher. Um If they're cutting, but if they're making That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying is I don't know how likely they are to even eat what we prepare for them. Uh I say we cuz I'm not doing any of that work, but uh

is that is that supplied to them over there or is that what's in here? Uh well, I don't know. I know we buy this, right? But I didn't know if this is where they came to get the food or do we this they No, over there. They do it over there on the weekends on Saturday and Sunday. So it's in the building over there. Yeah, it's over there. No, no, no. That's not where they come to eat. We do invite police officers and they do come to our house. Anybody? No, it's not. They're not. So, we we need to uh Can you please stop? What? Rumors go around and people can ask questions. People can ask questions. Um,

it's it's you have to answer. We have to be accountable. You don't have to take it personally. And I apologize. Why do you think that for Misty? Because Jennifer. Yeah. The way you answer the questions, the way you roll your eyes. Get mad. Like I came in here that day and told you I never thought either one of you were stealing anything. Never even wait alluded to that. And then Fred stands up and says, "I'm accusing him of stealing." No, I'm asking. But Since you said that now it makes me think why aren't they being transparent? So defensive go quick.

Yeah. And I mean no I'm asking I'm asking. Okay. Go. Listen listen whether something's intended personally or not. And I don't know if somebody intends something to be a personal answer or not. I don't know that. I suppose you don't end the inverse. But the the difference is this side of the table versus your side of the table. And we can't take stuff personally. We can't. I don't care if somebody intends to insult us or not. We can't. And I answer the question. We represent the people equally and fairly. I'm just asking. And you take it personal. You and Fred, just like I said, you two need to separate up here. You're not husband and wife.

You're the one treasure. He's a board member. I I ask I ask a thousand questions. Believe me, don't I bother her all the time and I ask questions and and I understand what you're saying. The questions need to be asked. They need to be answered and then we move on. I don't disagree with you. Well, if you're asking if the town paid for the food that we supply at our house for friends and family and um sponsors and anybody else that we invite. No, that's right. Yes. Yes. And we we do pay it's the we we do pay for the stuff that's here

for volunteers and we do pay for the stuff for the the police and fire over there that that is that's a line item in the budget and this is why nobody it's transparency I think I have that right absolutely you did you did and now it's clear and I apologize when I at the street department. The street department fire station's That's what we were talking about whether we're going to continue to do that. If we're paying them a lot of money, why were we feeding them too? See, I didn't know they were doing that. Yeah,

I knew they were feeding somebody, but I didn't know it was enough because the last spent and everything and you said Fred graciously pays for that and then Fred said, "No, we don't pay for No, they pay for what's they pay for what's at their house. We do pay for what's at the You're welcome to come and eat the water the water department for the police and fire. We do pay for that and then we pay for the volunteer food here. That's all the line item in the budget and I I'll have that for you so broken out. I mean there's just it's so confusing. I understand I believe me and when I look at that stuff I have to look at it five times because I don't understand.

Not just that it's just the contradiction of what I don't we can definitely let people eat up here because people got mad whatever that was all about the last time. I I don't know. I don't know. I don't want to go there but there's just That's why I ask questions not to be No, that's fine. I personal I may not like you but I agree to disagree. Sure. Sure. How much do street department for food? Yeah. Where was the police last year? So police was 15 $15,000 for police. I mean I I in the hundreds of dollars. Not

Yeah. You know, it's not like we're spending thousands, right? It's probably less than 300. It's probably less than five. I can have a number for you the next meeting. It's like Gordon's taco meat. Like in 10 bags, tortilla shells, lettuce, sour cream, stuff just to make I'm not saving an exorbitant amount of money, but No, it's a couple hundred bucks. Yeah. 500. I don't have any here. That's for here. That was for here. That was for the volunteers. I think I I mean, like I said, I don't

I we should be a to look at everything and maybe there's a better way to do something. My my broader point is that I'm happy to u try to um you know, help out our our volunteers. Uh they're giving of their time and so if we can give them something back, that's fine. But people who are making $15,000 off the channel,

right? And the and not only do I think that that's ridiculous, uh just the general concept of that they're making a lot of money and we feel like we got to eat give them food, but are they even are they even eating it? I don't even know because this is a festival with a bunch of food here. And if they are eating it, maybe we would rather maybe we would rather them eat this food. And so if somebody had strong convictions about that, maybe we could take a donation for somebody to give them a voucher to a food wagon instead of making them fun food for the weekend or something. I like that idea better

or or we say, "Hey, you're on your own." And then it's less for because you know we that's the other thing too is Jennifer and Annie and everybody else. I mean, we all have way too much going on. Uh I don't know again if we're paying them a substantial amount of money. Maybe that's something where we can we can back off right there and let them figure out their own food. Are there different services that I don't know anything about law enforcement, but do do there other services that would supply security? I mean, does it have to be the police department? Could it be We want it to be the police department. Is there a reason? I mean, just because it's more official. You want somebody that has arrest powers.

People listen to a badge. The other thing is if something goes sideways, we don't need somebody like pretending to be a cop. Oh, you know, they have all the plan is so in depth. It blew my mind. I was there for the briefing that morning and I was like, you guys have planned out where a helicopter's going to land and stuff. It's it's a big deal. Ryan Horn had it. Yeah, I know. Ryan does a good job. And and I had no idea that we had a a chopper to land. I didn't Think about that. So it he's not part of the he's not part of the the Arcadia thing. How he is he's reserve officer. He's a reserve.

He used to work for the county. He no longer works for Well, he's a yes. Employed by the county, not employed by the by the police department, the county. Do since we contract with Arcadia, do they provide anything? So that weekend I mean are we paying them? So that's the other thing too. We just got to look at how they describe everything on paper and it's possible there was some oversightes there as well. We should have a certain level of coverage, baseline coverage anyway in our budget, right? Yes. But I I it is obvious too that our event requires a substantial amount of police resources. I mean, it just does. Even overnight,

the guys that are supposed to be rolling around patrolling, which I don't, you know, I'm assuming happened like it needed to. I didn't hear of any fights or thefts or anything like that that we've had in the past, but even that's a couple people that they wouldn't have had working otherwise, you know. So, yeah, I don't think the normal what they do is enough even on even on Friday that we need we need that

I want to I want to have that discussion if we're going to continue to work with Arcadia. Uh because like I said, they're here's what sold it for me. This is the first time I actually because people will move barricades and drive through town. It happens inevitably. This is the first time in like five years I've actually seen a cop say, "You move that car anymore and you're getting arrested." And that made me really happy usually because I've watched guys look and turn back and keep driving their golf cart the way they were going when there's a car right there trying to drive through the crowd. And uh so I there was actually some enforcement this year and that's worth something. Uh but I don't know if it's $15,000 worth. So

they give us Yeah, they do. It was in there. We we me I didn't read that, but they give us uh they sent us print out obviously. Oh, yeah. Here it is right here. Here's the report for January. You can have that one if you want. on county line,

19 traffic stops and 38 other calls for service, one arrest for domestic battery and then 116 patrols. So the total calls includes everything including their patrols that they set themselves. They mark themselves here when they go on patrol. Um but as far as actual incidents, what's that? 57 incidents, something like that.

First time I've seen I see him when I'm out walking my dog. Uh Louie used to drive a more consistent route. I don't know whoever comes up here and drives now is not nearly as consistent with driving all over town like he was, but he would almost drive the same route. But when I walk my dogs, I see them. Hey, they're here. They're out in front of They come down Indiana all the time. I see them go by my house. Yeah, it's not as much. I don't think it's as much and it's Yeah. All right. Is there any other festival questions, comments, issues for tonight? All right. Can we uh adjourn the festival meeting? Is there a motion? I

make a motion we adjourn festival meeting. Second. All in favor? I.