Discussion continued Wednesday night on a proposed city ordinance that has sparked higher than normal audience attendance at meetings and debate that has been, at times, heated.

The public utilities committee and other Ironton City Council members met in council chambers for the second time this week to talk about an ordinance that would regulate vendors who set up during special events. More than 25 people attended the meeting.

Civic organization Friends of Ironton had requested the rule change, arguing that vendors who set up at its events such as Rally on the River should pay a fee to help the organization put on the event that costs nearly $200,000.

The proposed ordinance would protect other hosting organizations from similar fates during events like the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade and the Ironton Catholic Schools Charity Fair.

Tempers at times flared and more than once an Ironton Police officer stepped in to settle down audience members.

Council threw out a draft of the ordinance that would have imposed a $1,500 permit fee payable to the city for vendors who set up on private property during special events. Those who set up on city-owned property would have been subject to fees imposed by the organization hosting the event.

Instead, council members chose to write a new ordinance that would suspend the city’s established vendor’s ordinance during special events and require each vendor to go through the organization hosting the event.

“The simple way to handle this vending issue is to just say any place in the city of Ironton is under their jurisdiction and control on the vending issue,” Council chairman Kevin Waldo said.

He added that then vendors would have to go to that hosting organization to get their vendors permit for that event.

PUC chairman Mike Lutz said he would have the ordinance written before next Thursday’s regular council meeting.

Some council members have talked about passing the ordinance before this year’s Rally on the River, which is set for Aug. 18 through 21.

Others, like Councilwoman Beth Rist, argued that the council should take its time on the ordinance, aiming for next year’s event instead of the one next month.

If the newest version of the proposed ordinance passes, vendors like Rock McDavid who set up on private property during Rally on the River would have to obtain a permit from Friends of Ironton.

Friends member David Smith told council that the organization charges a $700 flat fee for food vendors.

McDavid, who runs a seasonal business in Ironton, was among those who attended the meeting and spoke out against the ordinance. He sets up during Rally but is there at other times, too, he said. He argued that he would have to sell 140 sandwiches at $5 each to recoup the money for the permit.

At the most, McDavid makes $2,500 during the Rally, he said after the meeting.

“Last year it poured the rain and I didn’t make anything,” he said.

Representatives from the Friends have argued that vendors like McDavid should pay a fee, which would help them cover the cost to put on the event.

Also discussed at the meeting was the quietly debated issue of using city property for campsites during Rally on the River this year.

Frog Town owner Mark Rutledge has, for several years during Rally, used the city-owned former Dayton Malleable property for a campsite, though he says he has not charged those who camp.

This year, Friends of Ironton member Rick McKnight said that Mayor Rich Blankenship and the council gave his organization the opportunity to use that property, though the mayor denied it Monday evening at a meeting.

The American Legion also wanted to use the former Marina at Storms Creek as a campground, as it did last year during Rally.

Some interpretations of the formerly-proposed ordinance were that it gave the hosting organization the authority to use all city property including the campsites or to charge a fee to whatever organization wanted to use it.

Waldo argued that the property dispute has nothing to do with the proposed ordinance.

From the beginning when Friends of Ironton approached the council about the ordinance, the goal was protection from vendors who don’t pay them, not to obtain city property to have a campsite, Waldo said.

Blankenship told council he will allow the Friends of Ironton to use city property downtown on Second Street during Rally on the River, allow the American Legion to use the former marina at Storms Creek and allow Frog Town to use the Dayton Malleable property.

“I will keep my word,” Blankenship said. “Now if you want to make a law against that, let somebody sue you but I’m going to keep my word. Then next year if you have to bid it out, bid it out.”

Council’s regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Ironton City Center.