NILES — The City of Niles Council meeting Monday raised a chorus of concerns when the Riverfront Optimist Club brought the annual Niles Family Fun Fair and Music Festival ­— better known to longtime Niles residents as the Bluegrass Festival — to the council.

In a 5-1 vote, council members moved to deny the festival’s requests in their current form. Three other events were approved unanimously without discussion.

The festival organizers requested to host the event Thursday, May 28 through Sunday, May 31.

During citizen participation, which takes place before the official consent agenda for the meeting, Ed Thomas from the Niles Parks and Recreation Board approached the microphone with concerns about the festival’s requests.

“We’ve had many conversations about the Bluegrass Festival and some of the concerns we have are the condition for Riverfront Park when we’re done,” Thomas said. “We have put together some recommendations that we would like you to consider. Some of it has to do with making sure the condition of the park is good when the festival is over, and a part of it has to do with the way the RVs are parked. Some of the other things are cleaned up in a timely manner. As it is right now, they park several days afterwards. We’ve also recommended some financial penalties for non-compliance.”

Immediately following, and in response to Thomas’ statement, Tom Majerek, who has been with the Bluegrass Festival since its inception, approached the microphone.

“We’re the first thing that happens in that park all year. When we get there, the park is in pretty rough shape, and it looks better when we leave than when we get there,” Majerek said.

Majerek referenced leaves left in gutters that he helped clean up recently in three parking lots.

“I just think if you take pictures of the park before the festival and after, you’ll find what I’m saying is true,” he said.

As the discussion for the Niles Family Fun Fair and Music Festival opened, Council member Jessica Nelson voiced concerns first.

“I have concerns. I expressed these concerns last year after this event took place,” she said. “There were businesses that were pretty vocal about some of the problems that were down there afterwards, but my biggest concern is that this event has been a great success, so, it has outgrown the Riverfront Park area. I would like to see it moved to something like the Apple Festival grounds, because [that] space is suited for something this large, especially with a carnival that’s attached to it.”

“With a price tag of $3,420 to the city [of Niles], it’s also hard to swallow,” Nelson said.

Council member Gretchen Bertschy brought up another concern.

“I understand there is a private company, Beer and Jessop [Amusements], it is part of the proposal here, that will be providing rides. Is it my understanding that Beer and Jessop is not doing it pro-bono? Is Beer and Jessop being paid for their services?” Bertschy asked.

Josh Sitarz, president of the Riverfront Optimist Club, responded to concerns around the budget.

“It all depends on the year,” Sitarz said.

Last year, the festival brought in $5,000 from Beer and Jessop Amusements, according to Sitarz.

Majerek clarified later that when the weather is nice, and turnout is high for the festival, the rides generate more ticket sales, which in turn means the festival receives a larger amount from of the sales.

“I would say that the range, over the past 10 years, has been $5,000 to $12,000 [brought in,]” Majerek said.

That money “went into our bank account to cover band cost, trash, Porta-Johns, any other expenses that we had,” Sitarz said.

Bertschy also asked how much the talent portion of the program cost.

Majerek, who runs the Bluegrass Festival portion of the event, responded that the cost was $18,000 for talent.

Bertschy then echoed Nelson’s concerns about the growth of the festival, and finding an alternative space for it to be hosted.

Council member Travis Timm spoke next.

“I’d like to echo the previous two speakers. I agree with everything they’ve said. I think it’s just about time to find a bigger location,” he said. “I am the liaison for the parks board. I’ve been hearing the concerns of the parks board. I’ve talked to business owners, many of which agree with the previous two speakers.”

Sitarz went on to explain that the large cost of talent is covered in part with ticket sales and revenue brought in from the rides, as well as sponsorships. The vendors are generally contracted to pay larger totals to help cover the expenses of the event.

Sitarz said vendors have expressed interest and commitment to returning to the festival and carnival. Another voice from the Riverside Optimist Club said the club had not considered a venue other than Riverfront Park because they were concerned about adding more costs.

Shelton, after concerns were voiced from the council, voiced his own.

“I echo some of the concerns of the City Council. I’ve attended the Bluegrass Festival for many years. It started off as music. It’s added on in years past,” the mayor said. “With those additions, like the carnival, it’s also added many requests, pages and pages of requests and an addendum, which was the reason we moved it to this meeting in the first place.”

Shelton read park recommendations that included the use of ply-board to cover the area behind the Wonderland Theater, where park vendors and trailers generally park during the event, to protect the grass. Another recommendation was to have vendors moved out of the park by 9 a.m. on Monday, the day following the last day of the event, or incur a fine of $50 an hour until they have left.

“One more thing, what the parks department said, with the carnival leaving the park by 9 a.m. Monday. I really think that’s impossible to have all 16 rides Beer and Jessop brings to be torn down by Monday,” Sitarz responded.

The budget of $3,420 for the event, requested from the city of Niles, was broken down into barricade set up and removal, picnic tables to be moved to festival grounds, grass and turf restoration, policing and utilities.

The request was set to motion, with council members Charlie McAfee, William Weimer, Jessica Nelson, Gretchen Bertschy and Travis Timm voting no, and Georgia Boggs as the single vote to approve. The motion was denied 5-1.

Upon the vote, those representing the Riverfront Optimist Club and the Niles Family Fun Fair and Music Festival left the meeting before its conclusion.

Shelton expressed that the decision had been difficult.

“I know that the council has a willingness to work with the event organizers, and it is apparent that the event organizers do not have a willingness to work with council members, by their actions that they showed tonight,” Shelton said.

Also Monday, the Niles City Council approved three other events.

The events considered included a request from Relevant Church, in conjunction with the Niles Main Street DDA. They requested a budget of $250 for policing for an Easter Egg Helicopter Drop in Riverfront Park on April 11. A second request came from LifePlan, formerly known as Pregnancy Care Center, to host its annual Super-Hero 10K/5K Run on April 18 at Riverfront Park and throughout the city. The organization included in its request to host its annual LifeFest event in Riverfront Park on July 11, where the bill for both came to $600 to police the events. The final event requests outside of the Niles Family Fun Fair and Music Festival came from the American Legion LaRue Messenger Post #26 to host the annual Memorial Day Parade on May 25 in the city of Niles. The American Legion’s request came to a total of $570, including police, fire and street closure expenses.

The three requests were passed unanimously.

Prior to the votes, the 2019 Niles City Audit summary was also presented to the Council by William I. Tucker IV, CPA and principal of Maner Costerisan CPAs. Tucker explained that the audit summary was to “provide an opinion as to the fair presentation your financial statements.” The fiscal period ended on Sept. 30, 2019.