Summer festival moves to stadium

ST. MARYS - St. Marys SummerFest is moving to a new location at Skip Baughman Stadium, allowing city officials to eventually make improvements at Memorial Park where the annual event has traditionally been held.

City council members on Monday night passed legislation authorizing the amendment of a codified section of law pertaining to beer sales at SummerFest, changing the location from Memorial Park to Baughman Stadium.

Beer sales would be permitted in an area bounded on the west by Front Street, on the south by the railroad tracks, on the east by the St. Marys River and on the north by South Street, according to the legislation.

Councilors suspended the rules requiring three public readings to expedite the process. Once the legislation takes effect in 30 days, the St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce can apply for a permit from the Ohio Department of Liquor Control to sell beer at SummerFest.

"We have asked them to move to the Baughman Sports Complex which they've agreed to do and so council had to amend the legislation that's already on the books allowing them to sell beer at the new location," director of public service and safety Greg Foxhoven said.

Although hosting SummerFest in Memorial Park has worked out well in the past, the situation ultimately left city officials feeling uncomfortable, Foxhoven said.

"Memorial Park is where we honor our war dead and so we just didn't think it was a good fit but there was really no other place to put them," he said.

But that changed once the city purchased the stadium in 2019 from St. Marys City Schools for $200,000.

"It's actually a lot bigger. It will give them more opportunity for growth but it also helps us with Memorial Park," he continued.

Foxhoven said officials have long wanted to install an underground irrigation system at Memorial Park to keep it looking nice.

"But we just simply couldn't do it with SummerFest taking place there because of all the tents that had to go up and the wear and tear on the ground," he said.

The city worked closely with the chamber and SummerFest Committee for a festival layout at the stadium, Foxhoven said, noting infrastructure projects are in the works.

"Overall I think everyone's pleased with the new location," he said.

Under other city matters, councilors this week passed an ordinance authorizing Foxhoven to contract with Pohlkat Inc. of Sidney to remove sludge before planned improvements take place at the wastewater treatment plant. The work is expected to exceed $50,000.

"Part of those up-grades require us to empty different holding tanks," Foxhoven said.

City officials wanted to work with a local contractor that could get the job done quickly, he said.

"The EPA has some very tight restrictions on when we can make land application of this sludge and so having them locally will help," Foxhoven said.

Hence councilors passed the legislation allowing Foxhoven to contract with Pohlkat without taking official bids. They approved the ordinance as an emergency measure after suspending the rules requiring three readings.

"We have a lot of sludge that we have to get out through land applications but of course with the weather that we have in April we've got to get this done. It has to be incorporated before farmers can plant," he said. "We have our own property that we do this on but we also do it on other land with the farmers' permission."

Most welcome the application as it is good for the ground, he said.

Councilors also,  

• passed final reading of an ordinance adopting policies and procedures for the interconnection of behind-the-meter generators and small power production units to the city's electrical infrastructure.

• passed final reading of an ordinance requiring Knox Boxes in all new and and existing industrial, multi-family and commercial buildings in the city. The St. Marys fire chief requested the ordinance which calls for the installation of key safes on buildings that would allow fire department officials quicker access to those buildings in case of a fire.

• set an electric/communications committee meeting for 5:15 p.m. and a parks and playground committee meeting for 5:45 p.m. both on April 4 at the city municipal building.

The next St. Marys council meeting is 6:30 p.m. April 11 at the city municipal building.