The Stuart Town Council agreed to donate $2,000 in financial assistance and in-kind support to the Patrick County Young Professionals for the 8th annual Spooktacular.
Olivia Booth, of the Young Professionals, said the in-kind support could include town staff to coordinate road closure assistance to communicate with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to close Main Street, obtain the permits for road closure as needed, and get VODT signage for congested or road closures.
“We would also need communication with Main Street businesses and residents during the week of the road closure, town support with road closures on the day of the event to make sure that barricades and cones are available for the protection of our visitors, and to coordinate event infrastructure with such barricades, light towers, cones, trash/street cleaning after the event,” she said at the council’s September 20 meeting.
Booth also requested funds for a possible trolley to help transport visitors who must park a distance away from Main Street.
“I know we’ve had concerns about the economics of this, so we’re not quite sure if this will be approved again like the trolley from last year,” she said.
Mayor Ray Weiland said last year’s event had a huge turnout, but not a lot of trolley riders.
Town Manager Bryce Simmons said it’s a little difficult for him to justify supporting the trolley idea.
“We spent $600 and had 100 people ride it. It’s really hard for me to believe that we’ll have enough people on a Tuesday to come to this that we will need that transport,” he said.
The council did not support funding a potential trolley.
Booth said the group anticipates between 2,000 to 2,500 visitors to its Tuesday, October 31 event.
“That’s a pretty big event as you all know every year. Our goals of the event are to create a safe and accessible event for children of the county, and even surrounding our county,” she said.
She said the Young Professionals also have the task of building the legitimacy of the event by having town and county support, grow the event, and find strategic ways to ensure safety and enjoyment at the event.
“We also have a desire to be a positive impact on the town, and build this event annually by creating a tradition of the town and county,” she said.
In other matters, the council:
*Approved the meeting minutes as presented.
*Paid the bills.
*Heard a public works update.
*Approved giving $2,500 to the Patrick County Music Association (PCMA).
*Approved giving the Young Professionals permission to use the Star Theatre on October 10 for its annual voter education and candidate forum event.
*Accepted a quote of $4,500 to do a sandblasting of the caboose, and a quote of $7,000 to $7,500 to repaint the caboose, for a total estimate of around $12,000. It also includes a five-year warranty from the painter.
*Created a proposal review committee of vice-mayor Rebecca Adcock, Dave Hoback, Weiland, and Erica Wade.
Vice-mayor Rebecca Adcock attended the meeting via phone.
