Vote is 6-1 on  rule change

With a 6-1 vote and no new discussion or debate Thursday, the Ironton City Council passed an ordinance to regulate vendors during special events.

The possibility of the ordinance, which had most recently been requested by the Friends of Ironton to regulate vendors at its events, had caused a sometimes-heated debate at two council committee meetings last week.

The ordinance states that during special events that are authorized by the mayor the hosting organization of the event will set the fees for vendors.

The fees are to be paid by the vendor to the hosting organization.

It also states that during a special event, the new ordinance will supercede two other ordinances relating to vending in the city.

Dave Smith, a member of the Friends of Ironton board, said after the meeting that he is pleased that council passed the ordinance.

The ordinance will help the organization regulate unauthorized vendors, which is what the organization had hoped to do, he said.

The ordinance will also help other organizations like the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Parade Committee, when they put on their events, Smith said. He added that in other cities where he’s been involved in putting on events, those cities have had regulations on vendors.

“It was a progressive move on their part and something they’ve needed to do for years,” Smith said.

The ordinance will be effective immediately.

Councilman Dave Frazer, who was the lone dissenting voice from council, said the ordinance was incomplete.

“I didn’t think it described anything,” Frazer said after the meeting. “It didn’t have any way of being enforced… Just too many things I was not sure of.”

Mayor Rich Blankenship, too, said the ordinance was “vague.” For instance, the ordinance does not mention how it will be enforced.

“I will do my best (to enforce it),” the mayor said. “I think there will be a lot of questions but that’s the good thing about an ordinance, it can be amended. We’ll work through it and do the best we can. If we have a lot of issues I’ll bring it back before council.”

Councilman Bob Cleary said the ordinance was the best way to resolve the issue for this year.

Next year, though, the council should consider looking in depth at the ordinance and the issues surrounding it and make revisions where they’re needed, Cleary said.

He added that the council also needs to look at how the dispute surrounding use of city property for camping sites. can be resolved.

Councilman Mike Lutz, who sponsored the ordinance, said he voted for the ordinance because the Friends of Ironton need protection from transient vendors.

Councilman Frank Murphy, too, said he wanted to support the Friends. Passing the ordinance was the only fair thing to do for the organization that works year round to put on the event, Murphy said.

A call to Frog Town owner Mark Rutledge, who had opposed the ordinance, was not returned at press time.

In other business, the Ironton City Council also passed an ordinance awarding a $370,000 contract to E.L. Robinson to cover engineering costs for the city’s manhole rehabilitation project.