The City of Weston’s Independence Day event will go on, after two months of delays and a contentious discussion at the Board of Aldermen meeting this week.
The board held its regular meeting Monday, Feb. 10 with several members of the Weston Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the Independence Day celebration committee present.
Former mayor Kent Stelljes told the board that the event was more for the Weston community than tourists, and had been a highlight of his own youth in the city.
“Growing up dirt poor the Fourth of July was a chance to forget your problems for a couple hours and just enjoy the fireworks,” Stelljes said. “I hope other kids in Weston who might be growing up dirt poor, too, get that chance.”
After an hour of talks amongst aldermen, city officials, chamber officials and members of the public, the board ultimately voted to close Main Street and some adjoining streets for the entire day.
At the December meeting, some business owners said they were fed up with street closures, which affect their bottom line by keeping customers away. In the face of criticism of the previous year’s event, event organizers pushed back at the January meeting. Shortly after that meeting, the event organizer resigned.
On Monday, organizers including Stelljes and business owner Hannah Magee proposed pushing the parade from a morning event to 5 p.m. and condensing the children’s activities into the late afternoon and early evening. That way, streets could be closed in the late afternoon, allowing businesses time for shoppers.
Chief of police Terry Blanton voiced safety concerns with this plan. He was uncomfortable with efforts to get cars moved off Main Street while children and families may be present for the event.
“It’s easier to close streets early for the whole day than expect the cops to clear the roads in the middle of the afternoon,” Blanton said.
Also at the meeting, the aldermen agreed to sponsor Wings Over Weston, the annual birding event held at Weston Bend State Park. Due to a reconfiguration of the event management, Wings Over Weston would be ineligible for Platte County Parks and Recreation Outreach Grants without a local sponsor. Each year, the event receives about $6,000 from Platte County to keep activities and admission free. The city also contributes $1,500 each year to fund the event.
Alderman Mike Goentzel urged the board to clear up easement and ownership issues involving a few gray areas around the city where municipal crews have been maintaining private roads. He cited the Humes Road bridge — the ownership of which has been at question for years - as an example.
“We’re not going to do these handshake deals anymore,” Goentzel said.
He also called for clarification of the easement to the Fiddler’s Ridge pump station. A property owner has recently built a fence, which may or may not be on the city’s easement.
“Making it an easement doesn’t stop them from putting up a fence, it just gives us the authority to drive through the fence,” said city attorney Jeremy Webb.
The city has used an alternate access route for years, according to city staff. The board opted to contact the owners of that property and gauge their interest in creating an easement there instead.