7/28/11
by Perry Miller
The Brookings City Council takes action on a parade
safety issue.
The council directed the City Manager to include a new
rule with parade permits. It would prevent passengers
on open-wheel tractors.
Council Member John Kubal brought the matter forward
because of an entry in this year's Fourth of July parade.
Kubal says the one that really horrified him was a
grandfather riding in an unguarded tractor holding his
2 1/2 -year-old grandson.
The council had considered putting the rule into an
ordinance but Council Member Keith Corbett says it would
be difficult to enforce and City Manager Jeff Weldon
agrees. Weldon says having police officers watch every unit
in the parade is not a doable issue.
The new rule means the Fourth of July parade will need a
new sponsor. Brookings Radio has been the parade backer
and organizer. Cami Powers has overseen that duty for
years. She says that will no longer be the case. Powers
says it's interesting that the council notes the difficulty
with enforcing the rule and then pushes it off on someone
else. With the new restrictions and the difficulty already
of finding staffing on a holiday, Powers says they'll no longer
organize the parade.
The new tractor rule passed on a 7-0 vote.
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