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Council to consider partial Taos Plaza closures for summer concerts; staff proposes asset loan or sponsorship in‑kind
Summary
Town staff told council that the organizers of Taos Plaza Live requested a partial road closure for a Thursday evening concert series, plus use of town assets (bike racks, barricades). Staff proposed treating the assets as an in‑kind sponsorship or lending them to the county, and will return with formal closure paperwork and asset loan agreements.
Valerie Mondragon, director of events/facilities, updated the council on a request from the Taos Plaza Live concert series to close part of the roadway around Taos Plaza for scheduled Thursday evening concerts beginning in late June and running into August.
The request: Event organizers asked for a partial closure that would leave the north side of the plaza open but block west‑side and other approach points with bike racks and barricades; they requested use of about 22 town bike racks for the season and other small town assets. Staff said the county is now the plaza owner and that the event has historically had town sponsorship.
Finance/anti‑donation considerations: Staff noted the town already provides a sponsorship level for the festival (town listed as a diamond sponsor at $2,000 in the event’s materials) and asked whether loaning or temporarily assigning town assets could be counted as in‑kind sponsorship or whether the assets should be loaned to the county to avoid anti‑donation concerns. Town Attorney advised staff that donation limits and anti‑donation rules apply, but that a properly documented in‑kind exchange (or a loan to the county) can address the statutory constraint.
Next steps: Staff will bring formal partial‑closure paperwork and a written asset‑loan or in‑kind sponsorship agreement back to the council for approval before the season. The event organizers asked to keep bike racks staged adjacent to the gazebo between events for the season if council approves.
Ending: Councilors expressed support for the public safety rationale for bike racks as closures and urged staff to document asset loans and ensure return at season’s end; staff will include the closure request and asset agreement on a future regular meeting consent agenda.
