Saxonburg business owners claim proposed ordinance would hurt events
SAXONBURG — The meeting chamber at the municipal building filled beyond capacity at the monthly council meeting Tuesday evening, June 20, as citizens spoke out about a proposed event ordinance that some believe would have a devastating effect on business and events in the borough.
Council voted 5-1 to make the ordinance public by Wednesday, June 21, with Dave Johnson being the lone dissenting vote, but many could not wait to make their voices heard, their concerns not addressed since last month’s meeting.
One of the sticking points in the ordinance is an alleged 90-day approval process for events. Doug Sprankle, who runs the popular Sprankle’s Octoberfest event, contends that this would cause a chain reaction that would lead to the end of Octoberfest. Furthermore, he said canceling the event would cost him $40,000.
