HUMBOLDT — Humboldt council members gave a rousing thumbs-up for the local Lions club to erect a 20-foot-by-40-foot shelter in the southwest corner of its downtown square.
The shelter, designed to accommodate gas lines, will come in handy come Biblesta’s bean feed as well as other get-togethers.
Lions members will begin a fundraiser immediately to pay for materials and expect members and volunteers to take on as much of the shelter’s construction as is feasible.
“We don’t know how much money we need just yet,” said Chris Bauer, but he and other Lions are confident their efforts will be successful enough to have the shelter in place by the first Saturday in October, date of the next Biblesta. “That’s our goal.”
The project conveniently ties in with the 100th anniversary of Lions International, said Bauer. “We wanted this as a legacy project,” he said.
“It will be an attractive addition to the square,” Council Member Vada Aikins said. “It will have lots of possibilities.”
DECISION on a request to use Camp Hunter, in the southwest part of Humboldt, for the fifth annual Owl Creek Jamboree, a music festival, was deferred to a special meeting the evening of Feb. 22.
Jeff Barnett said the event could be expected to draw 500 spectators in its four-day run, April 19-22, many of whom would camp in the oldest of Humboldt’s parks. Barnett said admission for the duration would be $25.
Council members seemed on the verge of voting when City Attorney Fred Works figuratively threw up his hands.
“It’s not a good practice” to hear of a new proposal and vote on it the same night, Works cautioned.
His thoughts:
— Allowing use of public property for a festival designed to make a profit “is not a good precedent.”
— Humboldt ordinances prohibit consumption of alcohol on city-owned property, another concern because, as Barnett agreed, it is a good assumption some of those coming to the festival will carry in beer, perhaps hard liquor.
— The park has one entrance-exit, which could be problematic with a large crowd.
Chief of Police Bryan Dillow also weighed in on the alcohol issue. He said his officers would be on site and obligated to deal with any violations of ordinances, having to do with alcohol or anything else.
Barnett, Chanute, allowed he would discourage alcohol and have volunteer security on hand.
Works added people living near the park might be troubled by having several hours a day of music and should have opportunity to make themselves heard.
Before the Feb. 22 meeting, City Administrator Cole Herder, Works, Dillow, Barnett and others will meet to hash out how the festival could be held in Humboldt.
“We have to have consideration of expectations,” Works said.
Herder, who had been alerted of the festival and “spent several hours on it already,” said the conflict with the city’s ordinance prohibiting alcohol in the park “is the bottom line for me.”
IN OTHER NEWS, commissioners;
— Agreed to close half a block of 1200 Street, south of New York, on March 18 to accommodate a household auction.
— Told Herder to pursue sale of up to 4 million gallons of water for a batch plant. One of five companies bidding on the U.S. 169 rebuilt would erect the asphalt mixing plant near the highway on Georgia Road (an extension of Central Street). Humboldt has a fire hydrant at the north edge of USD 258’s sports complex, which could provide a source for a line extending to the east, Herder said. Whether any of the other four companies bidding for the highway project would be interested is unknown. “It could be a great opportunity for us,” he said, in that 4 million gallons of water would fetch about $30,000.
— Learned the annual pet clinic will be at the Camp Hunter Cabin March 3, 8 to 11 a.m. Licenses will be sold and rabies and other shots will be made available by the Red Barn Veterinary Clinic. ACARF is expected to offer identification chips.
— Were told a grant that might cover up to 95 percent of $400,000 to replace a fire department pumper truck was being sought from FEMA. Current reserves hold about $20,000.
PHOTO: Humboldt City Council members approved a plan to erect a shelter in the southwest corner of the city square. This image shows how the shelter will look from the corner of Eighth and New York streets. COURTESY PHOTO
