Decision disappoints bikers

Off the Wire
Biker Rights Issues

GIRARD —
This weekend could have constituted a weekend of motorcyclists part of ABATE Kansas District 3 gathering for their annual meeting at the Crawford County Fairgrounds.

But it can be considered as the Rally that Wasn’t.

Last Friday, the Crawford County Commission voted down a proposed special use permit, thus disallowing the event to take place.

Since then, there have been varied opinions over the Commission decision to not allow the permit, thus effectively canceling the event.

Commissioners cited that the fact that the permit request came in such a short time before the event caused them to vote against it. At the meeting, those with ABATE Kansas said that, after getting approval from the Crawford County Fair Board to use the facility, they were not aware of the fact that they needed a permit.

“Now that we know that they required a special permit, we would have asked for that,” said Kirk Conroy, chairman of the Crawford County Fair Board. “We were not aware of that before all of this took place.

“As I understand it, it is the responsibility of those that are holding an event to ask about needing a permit.”

But, in Wilson County — where the meeting has taken place for the last 25 years — County Coordinator Kris Marple said that because of the length of time the event has been there, no permit was required, but he said that for the last few years, there have been questions about the need for permits.

“They have checked about the need for zoning in the past, but I have advised them that as long as the city does not have any issue, neither with we,” Marple said.

There have also been questions as to the economic impact the event would’ve had to Crawford County.

“An event like this would have an economic impact on Crawford County, but the amount is in question,” said Craig Hull, Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau director. “Without the hotels and the types of vendors provided, the economic impact would have been minimal.”

In fact, Hull said that using the $85 per night average that a visitor to Crawford County might spend, 500 people spending two nights would add up to just $85,000.

J.D. Cox, Neodesha city administrator, said that when the event was at the Neodesha Airport, there was an economic impact to the community.

“The economic impact was certainly positive,” Cox said. “The stores that sold alcoholic beverages definitely saw a positive impact.”

But, Marple said that the impact was not “significant.”

“I never noticed a boost in the quarterly sales tax receipts after their events,” Marple said.

Another issue stemmed from Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton, who said he had an issue with keeping the peace and with some of the events inside the meeting such as a beauty contest, which consisted of women being coaxed on stage to take their clothes off and the open use of marijuana during the event.

Cox said there was never a problem with specific events nor with the use of alcohol at the Neodesha Airport.

While there may be some short-term effects to not allowing the event in Crawford County, Hull said that, long-term, there are other events involving motorcycle groups that are “on the radar.”

And with the question of needing a permit, Conroy said it was a lesson learned for the Crawford County Fair Board, but he agreed with the Crawford County Commission’s decision to not allow the permit request.

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