Beer garden clears hurdle for BoCO Music Festival

Washington Mayor Archie Jennings, during the City Council’s meeting Monday, did something a Washington mayor rarely does – vote on a matter before the council.

Jennings’ affirmative vote broke a 2-2 deadlock on a request by the Beaufort County Arts Council to include a beer garden at its third-annual Beaufort County Music Festival on April 16. Council members Gil Davis and William Pitt voted to allow the beer garden. Mayor Pro Tempore Bobby Roberson and Councilman Doug Mercer voted against the request. With Councilman Ed Moultrie absent from the meeting, Jennings was forced to break the tie vote.

The council also waived the fee the city charges for providing wrist bands sold to people who buy alcoholic beverages at events and functions on city-owned property. The city charges $1 per wrist band. Roberson was against waiving the fee.

The city waived the fee for the first-ever Pickin’ on the Pamlico, which is organized by the Washington Harbor District Alliance (formerly Downtown Washington on the Waterfront).

BCAC executive director Joey Toler said the fee waiver was sought because the beer garden is a first-time venture for BCAC and there are many unknown factors associated with it. He said the first Pickin’ on the Pamlico was granted such a waiver for that very reason.

“We’ve never done this with this festival before. … However, each year we tweak the event and try to modify it and try to make it better,” Toler said. “And this year, we will have events scheduled through 10 o’clock  in the evening. Therefore, the idea of a beer garden came up, and we’re kind of running with that.”

The beer garden will operate from 4:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., Toler said.

Mercer and Roberson have opposed other requests for beer gardens at events and functions held on city property. Mercer expressed concern about having beer available at festivals where children will be present.

In other business, the council approved a two-year contract with Beaufort County to provide emergency-medical services, including ambulance service, to the Old Ford and Clark’s Neck areas of the county. The city has been providing those services on a contract basis for many years.

Beaufort County will pay the city $129,482.88 during the first year of the contract (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012) and $132,074.54 in the second year of the contract (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013).

The council also approved a three-year contract between the city and the Town of Washington Park, calling for the city to provide fire, rescue and EMS services to the town.

Washington Park will pay the city $33,155 during the first year of the contract. The payment for each of the other two years of the contract will be determined annually based on a formula specified in the contract. The payment amounts could increase or decrease each year under that formula.