City Council clears way for Grass on the Black venues

At a special meeting Monday afternoon, members of the Medford City Council made short work of clearing the way for events to go on this coming weekend.

Council members approved renewing the Class B license for the Medford Curling Club. This is the license needed to run a tavern. Tavern licenses expire on June 30.

While the club’s board of directors had turned in the renewal in June, it was not enough time to have it on the regular meeting which was held June 23. With the curling club a host location for the Grass on the Black Bluegrass Festival, the club requested a special meeting for the council to formally approve renewing the license rather than waiting until the next regular council meeting which would not be held until July 14.

City Clerk Ashley Lemke told council members that there were no objections from law enforcement to renewing the license. Renewing the license was unanimously approved with member Randy Haynes absent.

Council members also unanimously approved with no objections, the permit to waive the open container laws and allow drinking in the public right of way for the Grass on the Black Music Festival to be held July 11, 12 and 13.

The event closes the streets in the downtown with bands at venues on Main Street and Whelen Ave. as well as at Hacienda and 64 North. The permit allows people to take their drinks with them as they go from one venue to another in the city.

The permit is something that has been granted every year the festival has been in place, but the paperwork had not been turned in in time to make the June 23 meeting agenda.

Marilyn Frank, one of the lead organizers of Grass on the Black, apologized to the council for having it turned in late and thanked them for holding the special meeting to get it approved.

“There is a lot that goes into this,” Frank said of putting on the event. She said the date for needing to turn in the paperwork has been put on the calendar for the future and she assured the council it would not get missed in the future.

Curling club board member Dave Hraby also expressed thanks to the city council and noted the club’s board of directors had taken it up at their meeting this past week and assured the council they would be getting the license renewals in sooner in the future.