BATH

Bath city councilors on Wednesday unanimously approved an ordinance that will create a permit system for mass gatherings of 50 or more people in town.

The draft was reviewed by councilors at a workshop last month.

“It is so that when someone wants to have a significant event in the city, on city property or in the streets, that we have a mechanism that guides the review and the standards that those events or gatherings have to meet in order to get a permit,” City Manager Bill Giroux said.

He noted that the issue came about when organizers of a local event had questioned “why we didn’t have an ordinance to guide them to show them what the standards were that they would have to meet.”

City solicitor Roger Therriault said the proposed rules attempt to balance mass gatherings and public health and safety.

The ordinance will ask event organizers to address traffic flow, pedestrian access, water supplies, refuse disposal and other issues in their application. An administrative fee of $100 will also be required to cover the cost of city staff involvement, though it can be waived if “that type of attention isn’t necessary from city staff,” Therriault said.

When asked whether this would apply to family gatherings like reunions or weddings held on private property, Therriault said a permit would still be required unless there is no public impact, and then a waiver could be applied in those circumstances.

Other exemptions include the city’s Heritage Days parade on the Fourth of July, local school events and governmental agency events.

The ordinance outlines that applications are required to be submitted at least seven days in advance to the police chief, and applicants must also provide liability insurance and be liable for costs incurred by the city.

“This hopefully is a document that is flexible enough to deal with whatever comes forward that needs to be regulated and to be able to regulate it in a manner that is consistent with the kind of event that goes on,” said Therriault. “That we’re not over-regulating events that don’t need regulation, but we have the provisions in place to regulate those events that need more stringent types of restrictions and conditions.”

Councilor Tink Mitchell also noted that the ordinance was a good “ road map” for the city to follow.

The measure will be voted on again after a second presentation next month. Information on the ordinance will be available at the city clerk’s office, as well as on the city website.

dkim@timesrecord.com

Ordinance outline

• THE ORDINANCE will ask event organizers to address traffic flow, pedestrian access, water supplies, refuse disposal and other issues in their application. An administrative fee of $100 will also be required to cover the cost of city staff involvement, though it can be waived.

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