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Board considers expanding temporary‑structure permits after citing Indiana State Fair collapse
Summary
Board members discussed requiring permits for more types of temporary special‑event structures (stages, scaffolds, speaker towers); staff will coordinate with Parks and Recreation and return with recommended documentation and permit thresholds.
Staff proposed broadening the temporary‑structure language to explicitly require building permits for special‑event structures such as platforms, stages and speaker towers. The change would expand the current tent/trailer-centric rules to include engineered temporary structures that can pose public‑safety risks.
Mike Brennan illustrated the safety rationale by citing the 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse and urged careful review: "It killed seven people," he said, noting large speaker towers and non‑engineered staging raise significant hazards. Members discussed targeting permit thresholds by size (e.g., anything over 120 square feet) and working with Parks and Recreation and event organizers to create a clear submittal checklist for event producers.
Board members emphasized balancing public-safety permitting with not overburdening longstanding, small recurring events such as Sandbar or Buskerfest. Staff will follow up with Parks & Recreation, draft clearer submission requirements for special-event permits, and bring proposed language to a future meeting.
