Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Civil Rights Events topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenter urges Siler City to add non-discrimination clause for events after alleged exclusion from Hispanic Festival
Summary
A public commenter said his group was barred from the town’s Hispanic Festival in 2023 and urged the board to add a non-discrimination clause to the permitting process for events on public land; commissioners asked staff and the town attorney to research options before any action.
A public commenter told Siler City commissioners that an organization that represents Hispanics in the region was excluded from the town’s Hispanic Festival last September and urged the board to add a non-discrimination clause to event permit applications.
“I’m asking that the Commissioners put into the application or permitting process to use public land for an activity … a non-discrimination clause that prohibits anyone … from discriminating when getting a permit from this body,” the commenter said, adding he had shared an email and spoken with commissioners about the matter.
During the meeting several commissioners expressed concern about the report. One commissioner said the festival was not town-sponsored but rather a street-closure request organized by an independent group; other festivals such as the town’s Chicken Festival are town-sponsored and therefore differ in how the town might regulate participation. Commissioners emphasized the need for legal review before adopting any new clause: “you have to have our attorney vet it, research it, come up with a proposal,” a commissioner said.
A commissioner proposed a motion that the town board adopt a non-discrimination clause for festivals on public land, citing the town’s mission and the importance of free expression. Other commissioners said the motion was premature without research and input from both parties involved in the dispute. The board did not adopt any clause at the meeting and instead directed staff and the town attorney to research options and return with recommendations.
The exchange highlighted the difference between town-sponsored events and privately organized street-closure events and the legal considerations that may limit the town’s authority over private organizers using state-owned roads.
The board later discussed follow-up steps and agreed staff would research possible language and legal constraints and report back.
