After his initial bill failed to pass in the Senate in June, Sen. Lou Gentile said he's unlikely to draft another bill to regulate Number Fest.
After the crowds dispersed at the first Country Night Lights festival on Saturday, some worried Athens residents and eager Ohio University students set their eyes on an older event also run by Prime Social Group, Number Fest.
But some state legislators are less focused on the April music festival.
State Sen. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, proposed legislation earlier this year in the state budget bill that would have forced event organizers to obtain a permit from the sheriff before holding the festival.
After that bill died in the Ohio Senate in June, Gentile said he does not have any specific plans to resurrect it now.
“I haven’t committed to putting anything more forward,” he said. “My hope is just that everyone can come together and find a way to proceed.”
Gentile’s original proposal was drafted at the request of Lenny Eliason, Athens county commissioner, who said in April that requiring a permit would allow the sheriff to impose a greater level of control over the event, which in the past has been riddled with transportation and safety concerns.
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“The sheriff is charged with keeping the peace,” Eliason said in a previous Post report. “So the law has exceptions from getting a permit to the sheriff built in the code. (We want to revise the code) so that events like Number Fest would have to get a permit from the sheriff first.”
Gentile said he thought the bill failed to pass because other officials were concerned it would negatively impact other events.
“Some of the challenge to getting this adopted into a budget bill or a free standing bill could have to do with other entertainment venues around the state coming forward and raising concerns … because of their venue being affected by this,” he said.
He said the most productive way to address safety issues related to the event would be to encourage more direct communication between local officials and the event organizers.
"Frankly my hope is just that the parties can come together and make sure things are safe,” he said. “There’s got to be a balance that’s struck here between people trying to have a good time and the safety of citizens.”
Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-Albany, said the best action to take would be to look at existing laws to try to find a way to increase regulation.
“I’m open to people in terms of trying to find a solution, and I think there systems already in place that we can use,” she said.
In April, Eliason also appealed to Phillips to try and get a bill passed, but at that point the state budget bill was too far along in the process at the House.
Gentile said he has also had conversations with Dominic Petrozzi, the event's owner, and it seems like Petrozzi is working to improve safety at the event.
Last month, Petrozzi announced that 14Fest would not have a bring your own booze option.
“Some of the things that happened last year were not legal with the permit they had,” Phillips said. “Charging for carrying in alcohol was not permissible.”
Eliason said although he would welcome state legislation aimed at regulating the event, a state bill is not the only option.
“We’re working at the local level to find other solutions,” he said.
Gentile said at this point, a state law might not be feasible.
“I would presume that if we push for instituting this in a free standing bill you might see some groups come forward and express concerns,” Gentile said.
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