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Main Street seeks one‑time fee waiver for proposed Jeep rally; council directs community funds review
Summary
A Main Street Greenville representative asked council to allow a downtown Jeep rally without paying standard street‑closure fees; staff urged the group to file a community funds request and council scheduled the finance committee to review allocations before a July event date.
Brandon, representing Main Street Greenville, asked the council for a one‑time fee waiver or to be added to the city’s grandfathered events list so a proposed Jeep rally could use Broadway without paying the estimated $5,000–$6,000 street‑closure costs.
The request, made during the public hearing, asked either for insertion on the longstanding list of events that do not pay city fees or for a community‑funds distribution to cover merchant, police and street employee costs. City staff explained the city maintains about 10 grandfathered events and that new events must file an event packet, meet with public‑safety staff and generally reimburse the city unless a community funds allocation is approved.
Why it matters: organizers said the rally could draw several hundred to more than 700 Jeeps over time, bringing restaurant and hotel revenue downtown; council members said that precedent‑setting decisions about waivers should be handled through the established community funds process.
City staff reported a carryover balance of about $114,000 that has not yet been appropriated; they said requests already on file exceed available community funds for the year. The council advised Brandon to file the online community funds request form and suggested the finance committee review allocations and consider this event at its upcoming meeting.
Brandon said the Jeep group operates as a nonprofit, does not charge a registration fee and would rely on volunteers from member clubs to assist with parking and traffic control. Council members emphasized the need for the event packet meeting involving streets, police, fire and rescue to finalize safety and detour plans if the event proceeds.
Next steps: the council set a finance committee meeting (to be advertised) to review community funds requests before the proposed July date and encouraged the organizers to pursue donations and complete the application. The council did not grant an immediate waiver at the meeting.
