Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Events Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents raise safety, liability and contractor concerns over riverfront events and city boat
Summary
Public commenters at the July 16 council meeting reported injuries from a replaced dance floor at a riverfront event, urged the city to sell a problematic boat, and criticized the city—s contractor performance and public-safety planning.
Several St. Helens residents used the July 16 public-comment period to raise safety and liability concerns about recent riverfront events and a city-owned boat, and to criticize the tourism contractor the city is using for events.
Joel Warner told the council he attended the 13 Nights festival and said the dance surface used previously had been removed and replaced by a sidewalk cutting through the dancing area. Warner said the change led to injuries and called the condition a liability: “They took the dance floor out, and they put a sidewalk right right in right in the middle of the dance floor,” and he reported seeing people roll ankles and one person break an arm.
Jim Coleman urged the council to sell the city—s boat, arguing the vessel—s design and use do not match city needs. Coleman said the city paid “200 plus thousand dollars” for the boat and advised, “I suggest you sell this boat.” He warned of liability if the boat is used to carry passengers to a sand island and noted that city-owned parks and the Oregon Marine Board provide insurance coverage for those areas.
Other public commenters criticized the contractor Treadway. A speaker who identified as Bridal said the contractor was the problem behind several event issues, including fireworks and the dance-floor installation, and accused the contractor of poor performance.
Additional public concerns raised during the comment period included a reported fire on a barge during the Fourth of July celebration and a FOIA request submitted by resident Nicholas Helmick seeking communications involving council members and city staff. Shauna Harrison and other residents also spoke about water and sewer service fees, worried about higher bills and the fairness of charging sewer fees for outdoor watering.
Why it matters: public commenters described both acute safety incidents at city events and longer-term financial and contractual concerns. Council members were put on notice about potential liability and public dissatisfaction with event management, and residents asked for follow-up information and document review.
Council response and next steps: the speakers asked the council to investigate the dance-floor removal, the barge fire extinguisher claim, and the city—s use of the boat and contractor arrangements. No formal council action was recorded on these specific complaints at the July 16 meeting; public-comment items were referred to staff follow-up.
Ending: Residents asked for clearer oversight of event contractors, more public information about the barge incident, and consideration of selling the boat rather than continuing operations that some described as risky.
