Outdoor Events Ordinance Approved In Final Reading

"Nevada County Supervisors have narrowly approved an outdoor events ordinance that will go into effect in December. In the second reading of the ordinance at their meeting today (Tuesday), the board voted 3-2 to limit outdoor events to four per year in residential areas. Permits will also be needed. District Four Supervisor Hank Weston voted in favor, and says it’s the smaller events that have gotten more complaints."

The audio and the remainder of the KNCO report is here.

For some reason, I cannot find the audio that heard on the radio last night in connection with Ed Scofield's and Nate Beason's comments about the ordinance. Supervisor Scofield stated that the ordinance is more far reaching and effects our local wineries - something that was not supposed to happen. Beason stated something to the effect that the ordinance is not complete, yet Beason wanted to pass the ordinance anyway. Beason stated that the County will amend and fix the ordinance after it is passed, but before it is to go into effect in December.

Logic dictates that any ordinance should be soundly reasoned and carefully tailored to create the effects desired. Passing an imperfect ordinance which has a greater than necessary reach and knowing that the ordinance is too broad is completely counter intuitive and not a proper action of county government.

Let's be very clear. This ordinance will negatively impact the local economy. As we have been told by local businesses and as a direct result of the ordinance, outdoor event coordinators will move operations out of the county in order to avoid the ordinance. The ordinance, as written, negatively and wrongfully impacts our local wineries. The businesses that supply these outdoor events and the winery events, such as SRC Party Rentals among others, will see a decline in sales as a direct result of this ordinance. Such negative impacts will trickle through the entire local economy.

Kudos to Ed Scofield for having the vision to understand how such government actions can negatively impact our local economy and how passing an overbroad ordinance (that is admittedly not ready for primetime) is not a proper action of county government.

At a time when our local economy is weak and our local unemployment is high, an ordinance that further contracts the local economy is imprudent an ill-conceived.