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DeWitt City Council approves DDA event street closures and allows alcohol consumption in right-of-way, OKs Christmas Market permit in 4-1 vote
Summary
The City Council approved Downtown Development Authority street closures and authorized alcohol consumption in the public right-of-way for DDA 2024 events, with a separate roll-call approval (4-1) to permit alcohol at the Downtown DeWitt Christmas Market in December 2024.
The DeWitt City Council on Jan. 8 approved a set of Downtown Development Authority event permits that include street closures and limited alcohol consumption in the city's right-of-way for its 2024 events list.
The council voted unanimously to approve the DDA's requested street closures and to allow alcohol consumption in the right-of-way for the 2024 event list as shown on Exhibit A (dated Jan. 4, 2024), with one exception: the Christmas Market. That separate request to permit alcohol consumption in the right-of-way for the Downtown DeWitt Christmas Market in December 2024 passed after a roll-call vote, with Mayor Pro-Tem Hunsaker moving the motion and Councilmember Ostrander seconding it. The roll-call produced four yes votes and one no: Ostrander Yes, Hunsaker Yes, Kellogg Yes, Whitman Yes; Donohue No; Councilmember VanDyke was absent.
Why it matters: The approvals grant the DDA authority to close specified streets for planned events and to allow controlled alcohol consumption in designated public areas for most events, a change that affects vendors, attendees and public-safety planning for multiple downtown gatherings over the coming year.
Details: The general alcohol-permit approval was tied to Exhibit A (Jan. 4, 2024) and explicitly cited compliance with City Ordinance, Chapter 58, Article I, Section 58-1. The council separately debated and approved Christmas Market alcohol by roll call rather than as part of the blanket authorization; that specific vote was recorded in the minutes.
Procedural note: Most votes on DDA requests were carried by unanimous voice vote; the Christmas Market item was the only DDA-related matter decided by recorded roll call during the meeting. The DDA's Exhibit A lists event dates and the street segments requested for closure (Exhibit A referenced in the agenda packet).
