Council deals with complaints about Wellsville's rodeo arena

By Angel Larsen

October 10, 2005 | WELLSVILLE -- The City Council discussed citizen complaints involving the rodeo arena with Evan Bankhead, rodeo grounds supervisor, and Troy Lowe, roping event organizer, Wednesday.

On Sept. 7, the council had approved a policy of requiring the rodeo lights and speakers turned off at 10 p.m. except on Founder's Day weekend, when it was 11 p.m.

"We can't run a ropin' if we have to shut down at 10 p.m.," Bankhead said.

Bankhead explained the roping events consist of a kids' event as well as one or two adults' events. Most times they were finished by 11 p.m. at the latest except Founder's Day weekend, because of so many people. "We never know how many people will come," Lowe said. "One weekend we'll have a lot and the next won't."

He explained the roping events were every other Friday night beginning in May and ending on Founder's Day weekend the first week of September. That totals ten events a year that the lights and speaker system are used.

Lowe said that he even had people coming from Blackfoot to compete in the Founder's Day weekend roping. "You'd be amazed at how far people will come," he said.

Other times only the lights were used but the council said the concern was with the noise. Bankhead said he would move the speakers to the east side of the arena so they pointed to the mountain instead of town.

Councilman Ron Case said the speakers should be pointed downward as well.

"It is probably the most used area in town," Councilman Lynn P. Cooper said. "We appreciate what you do."

The council approved the preliminary plat for the Wellsville Shadows Subdivision with the conditions that the developer's engineer designs and estimates the cost of the sidewalk and the city's engineer must approve and sign the plans as well as recommend what to do about the covert.

A public hearing was scheduled but the only person who attended was the developer, Jed Willets. Willets said the sidewalk he was to connect to needed repair.

"If the sidewalk is done, it needs to be done right," Willets said.

In department reports, Councilman Lynn P. Cooper suggested a sidewalk ordinance to allow developers the option of putting in the sidewalk personally or giving the cost to a fund for sidewalks to be put in later. City Manager Don Hartle said he was working on a concept plan that could be added to the subdivision code.

Councilwoman Marcene Parker said that if people were riding motorcycles and shooting guns on city property anyway that maybe "some structure to let people do all that" needed to be built.

"We all have a lot of dreams but so much money," Hartle said. "You can maintain what you have."

"I see a lot of liability," Councilman Richard Wells said.

The council agreed to allow the new Recreation Committee look into a possible motorcycle park.

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