Council approves Tiger Drive closure for Dixieland Band Festival; considers memorial walk, engineering agreement and library appointment

The City Council approved a temporary closure of Tiger Drive for the annual Dixieland Marching Band Contest, scheduled for Oct. 25, 2025, while also taking up a memorial walk planned for Sept. 27, 2025, a proposed engineering agreement tied to a SEEDS grant and a library board appointment.

Bridal Hornneck, the band director, told the council the marching-band contest draws "from 3 to 4,000 people in the city that day" and that closing Tiger Drive is "an essential safety issue" so students can cross safely from the parking area behind Farmer's Furniture to the stadium. Hornneck said volunteers and donated golf carts help move elderly attendees from the parking area because routine traffic flow would otherwise bring vehicles near large groups of students and spectators. Mayor moved to approve the closure for Oct. 25; the council later announced, "The closure is approved." The city will provide barricades and other traffic control resources to mark and secure the…