Ohio University students, Athens residents and event planners at last night's Conversation with Council urged Athens City Council members not to put up a fence around Court Street during the annual Halloween party.
Students' perception of the fence would increase their destructive behavior, and parties would move to other neighborhoods, said Curt Nash, assistant city and county commissioner for Student Senate.
But some council members, including Paul Wiehl, D-1st Ward, Carol Patterson, D-at-large, and Deborah Phillips, D-4th Ward, said the annual Halloween party cannot continue unless changes are made.
City Council is considering putting up a 6-foot-tall plastic fence during Halloween festivities. Patterson estimated the fence and the labor involved with erecting and dismantling it would cost about $20,000.
The city would consider charging a $5 to $10 fee for entrance but would not provide more incentives for people to attend, as was discussed previously.
The city does not want to attract more people and would not bring in big bands or other activities, Phillips said.
For 10 years, people have been pushing to increase Athens' Halloween festivities, but the city has been losing too much money, said Patterson. Halloween cost the city a net $63,206 in 2005.
We're done. We're done with Halloween
Patterson said.
Students would prefer to avoid fencing and guards, which would create an adversarial environment, and instead offer alternative programming at Ping Center, said Morgan Allen, OU Student Senate president for the 2006-07 school year. If students are involved in the process, they are more likely to comply with the changes, Allen said.
You catch a lot more flies with honey said Bill Hayes of the Clean and Safe Halloween Committee, a nonprofit organization that helps plan Halloween events. Athens should take small steps with Halloween, gradually changing public expectations for the holiday, Hayes said.
Many council members expressed eagerness to reduce the city's involvement with Halloween but were hesitant to support putting up a fence on Court Street. Mayor Ric Abel said the idea was discussed first in 2001 but was rejected because of the additional work it would require.
Council members were more attracted to the idea of selling wristbands that would allow people access to various events and discounts.
OU students and the Clean and Safe Halloween Committee would work together to plan events, such as late-night hayrides and discounts for restaurants and bars. Athens would not be involved in the planning process for the events, except that all events would have to receive approval from City Council and OU, Patterson said.
Patterson said the idea for fencing will most likely be postponed until 2007.
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