HUMBOLDT — Humboldt city council members gave provisional approval to a request to expand the Middle of Everywhere festival Monday evening. Damaris Kunkler of A Bolder Humboldt presented the council with her request: to host a cornhole tournament and a concert on the downtown square on the Saturday of the festival, and to allow attendees bring their own alcohol.
Middle of Everywhere, which will celebrate its fourth iteration this Labor Day Weekend, is a three-day music festival that hosts several activities across Humboldt. It has drawn about 400 people each of the last three years.
This year, Kunkler hopes a cornhole tournament on the square will offer more entertainment before Saturday night’s musical entertainment starts. But Humboldt’s council wrestled with Kunkler’s request to allow alcohol.
“Typically if someone is there for a wedding, event or worship service, it’s a public park and they can do what they want,” said Cole Herder, Humboldt city administrator. “The only time the council needs to get involved is if there are special provisions, like blocking off parking or streets. Then it becomes a council discussion. I think bringing your own alcohol is also a council discussion.”
Kunkler touted the economic benefits of the music festival, noting how events like Middle of Everywhere bring increased traffic to local businesses. She also noted that the event carries liability insurance and has a devoted group of volunteers.
The music festival has an existing agreement with the city to use Camp Hunter, on the west side of town, that already permits attendees to bring alcohol. “Really what we’re requesting,” said Kunkler, “is to just use the model we’ve used before and put it on the square for a temporary period of time.”
Not so fast. Council members expressed concern about unintentionally permitting alcohol on the square for any event. And the existing agreement with Camp Hunter contained language about fencing that seemed unrealistic on the square. Council member Blake McDaniel suggested the city work up a new agreement based on the new location and approve it at a future meeting, but his recommendation went unheeded as conversation circled back to wondering whether the council should do away with restricting alcohol on the square altogether.
Herder seemed inclined to wait to act until all aspects of allowing alcohol on the square had been considered, but Kunkler expressed desire to get approval from the council as soon as possible, allowing her to proceed with marketing and organizational efforts. So it was council member Paul Cloutier who made the motion. “I move to create a new policy for renting part of the town square to allow BYOB alcohol for an event that carries insurance and has council approval,” said Cloutier. It passed, with all but council member Kent Goodner, who was absent, voting in favor. But as Mayor Nobby Davis noted, that still didn’t give Kunkler the permission she was looking for.
So Cloutier went at it again. “I move we approve Middle of Everywhere to rent the town square on August 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. pending the agreement,” he said. That also passed unanimously. Humboldt city attorney Fred Works will work with Herder to draw up the contract, for the council to revisit at a later date.
THE COUNCIL also approved a 7% increase to rates for solid waste collection, in a move made mostly out of caution rather than a taste for increasing costs.
Humboldt’s contract is with JKS Sanitation of Erie and allows up to a 3% increase every other year of the seven-year agreement.
But council members seemed worried that Kenny Schettler, owner of the company, might not find the 3% increase enough to cover his costs. “Imagine what we’d pay if we had to go with someone else,” mused Davis. With that in mind, the council unanimously favored an increase beyond what the contract calls for, meaning Humboldt residents will now pay $11.50 per month for weekly trash collection.
For context, Iola residents pay $15 per month; trash pickups are twice a week and managed by the City of Iola. Moran residents pay $7.50 per month for weekly pickup; the city’s contract is with Green Environmental. LaHarpe residents pay $10.25 per month for weekly trash pickup provided by Cole’s Trash Service.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Bob Johnson was sworn in to fill the council seat for Ward 2 Position 2, which had been vacant since Sunny Shreeve left the position last December. Johnson, a Humboldt native, was one of three residents who expressed interest in the position, along with John Lassman and Kent Barfoot. After meeting with all three and considering applicants’ written submissions, the council’s personnel committee selected Johnson.
The city approved the donation of water system improvement easements on three properties located at 606 S. 12th Street, 900 New York, and 1106 S. Ninth St. Herder is working with KDHE for approval on the water improvement portion and is working to complete the rest of the necessary easements. A recent water leak study showed 292 water leaks in the city over the past 10 years, highlighting the need for the city’s $13 million project replacing water lines.
