Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Events Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board limits organized events on watershed property to 150 attendees, grants Millennium Running one-year exemption for 1,000
Summary
After a rules-subcommittee review, the board approved three recommendations: a one-year exemption allowing Millennium Running’s Aug. 2025 race to host up to 1,000 participants, a new permanent cap of 150 participants for future events (effective Jan. 1, 2025) which passed 4–2, and an updated fee schedule tied to participant counts.
The Manchester Water Works Board on Dec. 19 approved a package of policy changes governing organized use of watershed property and granted a one-year exemption to Millennium Running.
Subcommittee recommendations and votes: a rules-and-regulations subcommittee proposed (1) approving Millennium Running’s August 2025 application with a one-year, 1,000-participant cap, (2) limiting all future watershed events to a maximum of 150 participants beginning Jan. 1, 2025, and (3) updating the event fee schedule (tiered fees by participation bands). After discussion the board voted to consider the three recommendations individually. The board unanimously approved the Millennium Running exemption, approved the permanent 150-person limit on a 4–2 vote (Commissioner Brown and President Sullivan opposed), and unanimously approved the revised fee schedule.
Organizer remarks and staff concerns: John Mortimer of Millennium Running told the board that the event has historically attracted between several hundred and up to 1,500 finishers in peak years, and that a 150-person cap would render the event financially infeasible. Staff and subcommittee members said the front-park area has become heavily used and that limiting future events to 150 participants is intended to protect the property’s quiet-enjoyment purpose and reduce operational strain. Officials noted the Millennium Running exemption was a one-year accommodation because the race application was received before the Jan. 1 rule change.
Operational controls: staff said marshals, rangers and Auburn Police coordinate parking and safety for large events; the board discussed enforcement, overlapping municipal approvals and the balance between fundraising benefits and park access. The subcommittee also recommended tightening application criteria and aligning fees to participant bands to offset administrative and monitoring costs.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the new participant limit and fee schedule into the watershed rules and regulations and apply the one-year exemption to Millennium Running’s 2025 event. The board recorded the votes and directed staff to publish the revised rules and update application materials.
