Public entertainment ordinance now in effect in Conneaut Township

May 2—CONNEAUT TOWNSHIP — A new ordinance has gone into effect in Conneaut Township to regulate large public entertainment gatherings of more than 200 people that last two hours or longer.

At a special advertised meeting April 25, members of Conneaut Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the new ordinance on a 3-0 vote and it went into effect Tuesday. The township previously had no public entertainment regulations in place.

The ordinance came about due to a multi-week music festival in the township planned for each of the four weekends in July.

In mid-February, Conneaut Township resident David Simons began promoting the Lakeland Area Music Festival on Facebook. The festival would take place at the farm where he lives on Airport Road, north of Linesville.

Posts by Simons about the "Lakeland Area Music Festival — Summer of Music, Love and Unity — Every Weekend in July" have touted hundreds of bands performing, including a post from March 19 to "make a brand new music festival landslide of over 800 plus Acts and make a new world record in the Guinness book of world records."

In a March 30 post, Simons proposed a $50 ticket cost with bands to print and sell their own tickets. However, Lakeland Area Music Festival tickets also remain available online through TicketTailor.com.

At the April 25 special meeting, Simons told supervisors that he had not sold one ticket for the festival as of that date.

The ordinance does require a permit for the event.

It also requires detailed plans of where the entertainment will take place on the property, all structures existing and to be constructed and obtaining any necessary permits, proposed parking areas and service roads, plans for water service and sewage and medical service facilities. It also requires plans for food and beverage storage, preparation and service facilities, as well as camping facilities.

In addition, there must be security plans for traffic control and general security to not have activities go onto other properties.

The ordinance also requires certificates liability of insurance for at least $2 million for personal injury and $500,000 for property damage.

The penalty for violating the ordinance is a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.