Officials want equipment to host more festivals

0
67

NAUGATUCK — The success of Mayor Pete’s Downtown Festival has shown officials one thing: residents want more festivals.

“We’ve been inundated with people who are crying out for more festivals,” Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said Oct. 4 during the Board of Mayor and Burgess meeting.

Hess said the downtown festival, which took place Sept. 24, cost approximately $11,500. Of that cost, $8,000 was for renting a stage and sound equipment.

Hess proposed the borough purchase its own portable stage and sound equipment, which he estimated to cost around $20,000.

“Which means we could have many festivals, one a season, for $3,000 a festival. So, for the cost of one festival, we could have four festivals,” Hess said. “I think it is what the people want.”

Hess said the portable stage would allow festivals to take place anywhere in the borough.

“I think after having Mayor Pete’s Festival it is absolutely imperative that we do this,” Burgess Carl Herb said.

Hess appointed a subcommittee to look into what the borough needs for stage and sound equipment and what it would cost.

Controller Robert Butler said, since there is no line item in the budget for this purchase, the money would have to come out of the contingency budget.

Once the subcommittee gathers information, the proposal will be brought before the Joint Board of Mayor and Burgesses and Finance.

Hess said he wants the process to move quickly and hopes to have a downtown holiday festival in conjunction with the borough’s annual Holiday Kickoff, which features a Christmas tree lighting and a bonfire.