Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Events Permits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board grants six-week trial permit for Tiki on Main bike nights with parking conditions
Summary
The City of Evansville Board of Public Safety approved a six‑week temporary permit allowing Tiki on Main to host weekly Monday bike‑night events with conditions including four blocked parking spaces, use of an overflow lot behind the Victory Theater, no‑sidewalk‑parking signs and a 6–9 p.m. time window.
The City of Evansville Board of Public Safety on an unspecified date approved a six‑week temporary permit allowing Tiki on Main to hold weekly Monday bike‑night gatherings, after the bar’s owner and nearby residents negotiated a compromise. The board’s approval sets the events to run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and directs staff to review the arrangement around July 9 to determine whether to extend the permit.
Todd Early, identified in the meeting as an owner of Tiki on Main, told the board he coordinated with a promoter from Owensboro and Evansville Harley‑Davidson to draw visitors and protect riders. Early said the parties agreed to block four parking spaces immediately in front of Tiki and use overflow parking in a lot behind the Victory Theater that belongs to the restaurant’s landlord. Early also said signs will be posted to prohibit parking on sidewalks.
Board members framed the vote as a compromise that balanced downtown businesses’ need for customers with residents’ concerns about parking and pedestrian impacts. One board member proposed the six‑week trial and a return‑to‑board review if complaints arise; a staff member (Curtis) agreed to monitor complaints and notify the owner if problems develop.
The board motion to grant the permit for six weeks and review it near July 9 carried with the board announcing the ayes and no opposed votes in the meeting; no roll‑call tally was provided in the transcript.
Why it matters: The trial seeks to boost downtown foot traffic while limiting the event’s footprint. The agreement preserves a narrow parking buffer for Tiki and sends a clear signal that the board expects problems to be raised and addressed during the trial period.
The board directed staff to track complaints and to return the permit for review at the six‑week mark or earlier if problems arose. If the pilot is successful and no unresolved issues are reported, the board indicated it would consider extending the permit.
