Council upholds manager’s denial of downtown run that conflicted with air show; staff to seek alternatives

Goldsboro City Council on April 21 upheld a city manager denial of a street-closure application from an organizer seeking to stage a downtown run on the same day as the county air show.

City staff and Goldsboro Police Department personnel told the council that the air show draws large crowds and requires deployment of most law enforcement and emergency personnel, creating a safety risk for a downtown route that would require road closures or runners mixing with traffic. The denial was made under the city’s special event and street-closure policy (CMOP 003), which allows denial when an event would conflict with previously planned city or non-governmental programs scheduled for the same time or place.

Sergeant Powers of the Goldsboro Police Department described timing and staffing constraints and explained that, while on-duty officers would be working their regular shifts during the air show, the city would not have additional off-duty or special-event staffing available to secure a downtown street-closure. Staff also said a tiered application process classifies any closure on Center Street as a tier 4 event, which carries higher requirements and fees.

The applicant, who runs the annual event to raise awareness for an individual’s medical condition, told the council she submitted planning materials months earlier, had already paid vendors and registrants were signed up. She said staff had not communicated the application changes and the need for a different filing in time to accommodate her preferred downtown route. She told the council she had invested money and time and asked for reconsideration.

Council members debated safety, process timelines and fairness. Several members expressed sympathy for the applicant but said public safety concerns and the magnitude of the air show made it unsafe to authorize additional street closures that day. Staff described an alternate plan the applicant could use at Wayne Community College’s course, offered as an at-cost or free alternative by Wayne Community College and Downtown Goldsboro, and staff committed to try to work with the applicant on logistics and timing.

A motion to uphold the city manager’s denial of the current application passed. The transcript records the motion was seconded and that two council members opposed the outcome, but it does not provide a full roll-call tally. Staff said they will attempt to work with the applicant on alternate arrangements and encouraged resubmission if the applicant can meet the policy requirements for a street closure and staffing.

Council members also discussed internal process improvements after a timeline showed the applicant’s materials moved slowly through review; several councilors asked staff to reduce internal delays so future event applicants are notified sooner if their applications need changes.