'Hogs' Fallout Has Williamstown Mulling Festival Bylaw
 Town Manger Peter Fohlin answers questions from the Selectmen on Monday night. |
The Aug. 17-19 "Hogs on the Farm" event on Hopper Road once again was the hot topic for the board. Town Counsel Joel Bard advised the board that since "Hogs" organizer Charles "Rusty" Ransford is not charging admission for the event, it has no authority to require licenses.
"No fee means no need for him to supply information to us," Chairman David Rempell said. "The authority we had to require information was called into question, and now we know from town counsel that we do not have much to grab on to regarding this event.
"It seems we are at the point now where, obviously, police and state police will be alert to what is taking place. ... But in addition to that, there is not much we can do."
Rempell repeatedly talked about the uncertainty regarding the event, originally billed as a fundraiser for veterans with a $50 admission fee and advertised with fliers, through social media and on motorcycling enthusiast websites.
Ransford has withdrawn an application for a camping permit for the event and given up on plans to seek an entertainment license from the Selectmen. But he has said he will welcome all comers to camp on his property the third weekend in August out of consideration for the fact that some may have seen the advertisements but not realized the nature of the event had changed.
Neighboring property owners have expressed concern that untold numbers of motorcyclists will be riding up Hopper Road and camping on Ransford's land that weekend, and Rempell sympathized with their fear of the unknown.
But he also was philosophical about the situation.
"This is part of the pluses and minuses of living in a democracy, where individual freedom matters," Rempell said.
He proposed that the town be proactive about any future festivals by considering a bylaw to inform the Selectmen about criteria to consider when looking at subsequent applications.
"It's worth studying a bylaw and worth bringing the public into the discussion," Selectman Thomas Sheldon said in concurring with Rempell's opinion.
 Hopper Road resident Donna Wied thanked the town for its 'vigilance' on the biker rally event. |
Although Ransford is no longer formally applying for any licenses or permits, Police Chief Kyle Johnson is on record indicating that he plans to have additional officers available the weekend of Aug. 17-19.
After Monday's meeting, Town Manager Peter Fohlin declined to speculate how much the additional police presence will cost the town's taxpayers.
"I don't want to put a cap on [Johnson's] public safety judgment," Fohlin said. "We'll trust him to make those decisions.
"My hope is always that we won't need as many officers as we have."
Selectman Ron Turbin echoed that sentiment.
"The only thing we can do at this point is pray there is no infraction," Turbin said.
Fohlin did report to the Selectmen that Ransford has provided assurances he will have six portable toilets on site for the weekend, and that his supplier has said he can have more "Porta-Potties" available on short notice.
But in response to concerns from resident Robert Hatton, an abutter to Ransford's property, Fohlin said he did not know whether the town can require Ransford to have any portable toilets, let alone a specific number. Fohlin made the analogy to a family holding a private wedding or any other non-commercial enterprise involving a large gathering.
"We will find out," Fohlin said.
Hopper Road resident Donna Wied, a frequent participant in town discussions about Hogs on the Farm since it became an issue this spring, thanked the Selectmen and other town boards for their "vigilance" in looking into the matter.
The health of those other town boards was a concern for the Selectmen.
The town this month received letters of resignation from Curtis Scott and Larry Weber, who served on the Sign Commission and July 4th Celebration Committee, respectively.
Rempell used the opportunity to point out that there are a number of town committees with vacancies, including the Elementary School Committee.
"These committees help make this town the special place that it is," Rempell said. "We urge any interested citizens to please complete a citizens participation form."
There was some good news on the committee front on Monday. The Selectmen appointed Christopher Sabot of South Williamstown as an alternate to the town's Agricultural Commission.
 Christopher Sabot is sworn in as an alternate for the Agricultural Commission. |
"That opened my eyes to how things work in a small town and how important it is for citizens to be involved," he said.
Sabot's appointment brings the Ag Commission to its full complement of four members and three alternates.
In other business, the board adopted a Hazard Mitigation Plan developed by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in consultation with Williamstown and 18 other county municipalities.
The plan remained unchanged from a version the Williamstown board saw in January 2011, BRPC planner Lindsay Errichetto said. Since then, the more than 400-page county plan has been approved by the Federal and Massachusetts emergency management agencies.
Once all 19 municipalities sign off on the plan, they will be eligible to apply for grants to help pay for mitigation projects called for in the plan, such as updating the emergency action plan for the Williamstown Reservoir Dam, Errichetto said.
Tags: biker rally, board vacancies, festival bylaw, permitting, Ransford,
