Athens city officials are preparing for a slightly more expensive Halloween this year, as the Oct. 28 street party draws closer.
The cost of Halloween this year will increase about $5,000 to $6,000 from last year's cost of $76,157, said Ray Hazlett, city service-safety director, adding that he will not be sure of the exact amount until after the event.
Officers from other law enforcement departments who were brought in as volunteers in previous years will be paid this year, though Hazlett didn't know how much each officer would be paid.
Everybody's budget is tight
so they can't send people with equipment for free Hazlett said.
The Athens Police Department is still confirming how many officers will be brought in from other departments. Hazlett said it will probably be about 30 patrol officers and 20 mounted units.
An additional change this year is that President Street will be barricaded to allow performers to park, unload their equipment and leave more easily after their shows, said Ron Lucas, director of the Athens Street Department. Paid city employees will man the barricade during the party, which will also contribute to the additional costs this year.
Traffic on Richland Avenue will be forced to turn right onto Mulberry Street.
Street department employees also will begin work three hours earlier this year to assist APD by bagging parking meters on Court Street, Lucas said.
Lucas is accepting volunteers for the safety teams, which provide assistance to partygoers every year, until the day of the party. So far he has seven volunteers, in addition to himself and three city employees. His goal is to find nine more volunteers.
There will be at least four safety teams with three to five members that work in shifts to direct out-of-town guests and keep watch for safety concerns or dangerous situations. At least one member of each team is qualified to provide first aid.
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Erin Barker
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Police begin sweeping Court Street at 3:30 a.m. after the Block Party Sunday, October 30, 2005, clearing the streets for the city cleaning crew to begin picking up the leftover trash.
