The Town Council will meet on Monday, Sept. 28, in a special session to consider a special event permit for the Fountain Fair of Fine Arts & Crafts scheduled for Nov. 13-15 in the downtown.

Normally such requests are reviewed internally by a special event committee of staff. Upon meeting the town’s requirements for such activity, the Community Services Department issues the event permits.

However, due to COVID-19 concerns, Governor Doug Ducey’s executive order limits gatherings to no more than 50 people. While some of the state restrictions are being eased, permitting of large-scale events is being left to the discretion of the community.

After a meeting earlier this month the Chamber of Commerce, which hosts and stages the event, was permitted to go forward with planning contingent on several safety precautions.

“While I understood it was possible to make a unilateral decision…I have been clearly concerned about safety throughout the pandemic…the measures put in place by the Chamber gained my approval to write a letter that the Fair could proceed, indicating the town’s expectations for ensuring strict enforcement of the stated safety requirements as the criteria for that support,” Mayor Ginny Dickey told The Times.

“After seeing a variety of comments, and the implications that extend into other events across the Valley, it became apparent that the council and public should be part of the discussion on this important issue that affects the entire community. I hadn’t seen or signed the letter yet, and other permits were still pending, so took the opportunity for the plan to be presented publicly in a timely manner so participants, vendors and attendees would know what to expect…and what is expected of them.”

Chamber Executive Director Betsy LaVoie has been invited to present the safety plan for the event at the council meeting on Sept. 28. The council will then consider whether to grant the event permit, deny the permit or approve with modifications or additional conditions.

The safety precautions already discussed by the Chamber are as follows:

*Mandatory face coverings for all vendors, visitors, and all others at the event

*Additional security to ensure compliance with face coverings and to encourage social distancing

*Several hand sanitizing stations at key locations throughout the grounds of the fair

*One-way access for visitors down the streets to minimize crowding and encourage social distancing

*Installation of prominent round disks to help designate social distancing

*Mandatory maximum number of visitors in larger booths to encourage social distancing

*Vendors will be required to minimize the touching of items in their booths by customers and will be required to sanitize their booths

*Elimination of the beer garden and live entertainment to prevent congregating of large groups (Town requested as a condition of the permit)

*Elimination of dining area tables and chairs to discourage gatherings (Town requested as a condition of the permit)

Councilman Alan Magazine, who has for several years been a vendor at each of the town fairs, has publicly expressed his opposition to the fair going forward.

“The idea that folks can be forced to wear masks has been shown to be dangerous,” Magazine said in a letter to The Times. “What do you do when someone refuses? Give them a ticket? When I participate in the shows multiple customers come into my booth. How can a vendor set a limit? And how about the fact that customers will touch the merchandise and possibly spread the virus?

“In the past the Chamber has announced that nearly 200,000 citizens have attended the fairs over three days. I think we can assume that, because of the pandemic, 100,000 will attend from all over the state this year.”

The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers at Town Hall. The session is open to the public with face coverings and spacing precautions due to the pandemic.