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Council amends special-events ordinance, removes vendor map and schedules work session
Summary
The council amended ordinance 111-25 (special events/festivals) to remove the vendor-setup map and extended vendor setup hours to 78 hours; members scheduled a public work session for March 12 to finalize layout guidance.
London City Council amended language in proposed ordinance 111-25 — the city's special-events/festival code — on March 4, removing the vendor-layout map and extending the permitted setup time from 72 to 78 hours while retaining other event regulations. Council members agreed to hold a public work session on March 12 to finalize vendor layout guidance with administration and public-safety staff.
Why it matters: The ordinance covers festivals, street closures, sidewalk sales, ADA compliance and limits on how often city streets may be closed for events. Removing the map defers precise vendor placement to the administration with council guidance, a change proponents said would allow more time for negotiation with event organizers and preserve other protective rules for businesses and pedestrians.
What changed: Council voted to delete Section 8.74.04 subsections A–C (the map-driven vendor setup and related provisions) and to amend Section 8.74.02(c) to extend setup time to 78 hours. The amendment leaves other safety-related specifications (e.g., required clearances at intersections and rail crossings, stage placement options) intact.
Council and organizer concerns: Several council members and event organizers had objected to the map and to layout requirements that, in the administration's view, were intended to prioritize safety and emergency-access considerations. Business owners and event representatives had raised ADA and access concerns for sidewalk sales and vendor placement. Council members asked administration, the fire chief and the police chief to prepare alternative layout options.
Next steps: Council set a public work session for March 12 at 6 p.m. in the same meeting room to allow council, administration and festival representatives to discuss mapping and vendor placement. The ordinance remains on the agenda pending the work session; council members said they expect to complete the final mapping and hour specifications promptly so events scheduled later this spring can plan vendor layouts.
Votes and procedure: The amendment to remove the vendor map and increase allowed setup hours carried on a roll-call vote; the council then scheduled the March 12 work session and left the ordinance on for finalization.
