Lawrence health consultant: traveling carnival set up temporary camping without proper permits, lacked basic sanitation

A consultant told the Lawrence City Board of Health that a traveling Fiesta carnival set up temporary camping across from the demolished Showcase Cinema in Lawrence without the written permission the health code requires and with inadequate sanitation and waste controls.

“What the code requires is that they apply for a permanent, for temporary housing,” the consultant said, explaining that the board’s written permission can allow departures from full code compliance but must specify safety provisions. The consultant said inspectors found about four porta‑potties for roughly 40 people, no dumpster, and water connections that might not have been suitable for potable use.

The consultant told the board the operation had been transient and that during a May inspection city officials including fire and building personnel placed a fire watch. The consultant said the primary contact for the carnival is John Flynn, and that the Fiesta carnival business is owned by Flynn while the site itself is owned by a different property owner.

The consultant recommended allowing the event to operate while ordering strict compliance for future operations: sufficient porta‑potties at the minimum required level, an on‑site dumpster, and proper potable water hookups. “If they refuse to comply with that, then… monetary fine or find itself cease and desist order,” the consultant said, describing enforcement options the board could pursue.

Board members and staff noted inconsistent follow‑through by the operator: the consultant said Flynn had told inspectors he would leave the site by a designated Sunday morning but did not, and that on another visit the operator indicated he would be back for roughly a week to a week‑and‑a‑half. The consultant said those inconsistencies complicated enforcement and follow up.

No formal motion or vote was recorded in the transcript for this agenda item. The consultant said it would be staff’s responsibility to document any written permission and to enforce required safety provisions if the board issues such permission.

The discussion included repeated emphasis on public‑health safety rather than exact compliance with every code item: the consultant framed the board’s written permission as a way to address safety provisions — for example, authorizing exceptions for hot water if safety arrangements are otherwise acceptable — while still requiring specific measures such as adequate sanitary facilities and waste disposal.

Board members did not record a formal penalty in the meeting transcript; the consultant’s recommendations described enforcement options, not an enacted fine or cease‑and‑desist order. The board may consider inspection follow up and formal orders if required.