Vandergrift event regulations on hold; changes planned for fall

Vandergrift officials and business leaders say they’ll use feedback from the spring and summer festival lineup this year to tweak event regulations passed in December.

As it stands, an ordinance requires event organizers to submit contact information, an event description, proof of insurance and a $500 refundable cleaning deposit. They also must mark any requested street closures or police presence.

After backlash from local businesses and event coordinators, the borough put this nine-page application on hold, according to Tom Holmes, president of Vandergrift Council.

The borough will update it in the fall to address any concerns. In the meantime, Vandergrift officials met with organizers to clarify portions of the policy.

“Once we met and explained things, everybody was OK,” Holmes said.

Vandergrift Business Association President Robert Buchanan wants looser rules for small events compared to major ones, such as Oktoberfest, which he organizes.

“There’s got to be a different set of standards for that versus an Easter egg hunt or a car show,” Buchanan said.

He would like to see similar latitude given to small vendors.

“If we’re making exceptions for an Easter egg hunt, are there exceptions for grandma and her grandkids coming in and selling cookies?” he said.

In Buchanan’s view, vendors also need a streamlined process for submitting their proof of insurance, ServSafe certifications and other documents.

Under the original regulations, event organizers and vendors would have been required to carry $1 million insurance policies, with commercial general liability insurance up to $2 million.

Holmes is confident that, with a few adjustments, the policy will benefit all parties.

“We want these things to happen, but we’ve got to make sure that there’s public safety, that there’s sanitation,” Holmes said.

The policy also assigns a council member to each event to serve as a liaison.

Nikol Reed, organizer for Gathering on Grant, spoke of her relationship with Councilwoman Daisha Clayton in positive terms.

“She answered any questions I had, and anything she wasn’t sure of, she was getting information from the council president,” Reed said. “It’s just turned into a really great partnership.”

Gathering on Grant will kick off its season from 5 to 8 p.m. May 16. Five times a year, Grant Avenue closes to vehicular traffic to make space for vendors while local businesses stay open late. Other dates — all Thursdays — include June 20, July 11, Aug. 15 and Sept. 12.

Residents also can look forward to Pride in the Park on June 15, Vandergrift Artfest on July 28, Oktoberfest on Sept. 28 and Witching Hours Night Market on Oct. 12.

Once elected officials and business leaders iron out the policy, Buchanan expects additional events to pop up.

“Will this make this easier for more events to happen in Vandergrift?” Buchanan said. “Probably, but it’s also meant to regulate so that we don’t have three or four events every month.”