<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18928">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=450 bgColor=white>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD colSpan=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana,Arial bgcolor="black"><U><FONT size=6
face=Impact>AVON THEATRE EXTRA! EXTRA!</FONT></U></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana,Arial bgcolor="black"><B></B></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana,Arial bgcolor="black"><B>Hey Folks:<BR>Here's what
I was up to last night at the Decatur City Council
meeting...</B></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana>Even though I didn't get all I WANTED for
you <EM>(that was FREE PARKING during Celebration)</EM> <BR>I was able to
wrangle a parking <U>validation</U> system wherein you will
</FONT></STRONG><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana>be <U>reimbursed</U> for your
$5 Decatur Celebration parking fee at the parking garage across the
street from the Avon.<BR>So, in essence, I got for you what you NEEDED,
but not all that you WANTED.<BR><BR>It's always a hoot to attend the City
Council meetings and marvel at how the gears of government mesh <EM>(and
grind).</EM></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana><EM>(It also gives me pause to be thankful
I regained my senses and decided to NOT run for city
council!)</EM></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><EM><FONT face=Verdana></FONT></EM></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana><U>I am glad we have good people who will
serve for little or no recompense, but it's all too soporific for
me!<BR></U>Movies and popcorn; that's <U>ME</U>!<BR><BR><FONT size=4>DON'T
FORGET TONIGHT IS THE START OF "TIGHTWAD TUESDAYS" FOR THE SUMMER!!<BR>ALL
SHOWS JUST $4.50!!!!!</FONT></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5 face=Verdana,Arial
bgcolor="black"><B></B></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5 face=Verdana,Arial bgcolor="black"><B>CITY COUNCIL
DISCUSSES, APPROVES PARKING GARAGES' PLAN FOR DECATUR CELEBRATION
</B></FONT></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD height=4 colSpan=2></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD colSpan=2><FONT face=Verdana,Arial>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT color=gray
face=Verdana,Arial>06/22/10</FONT><BR><B><I>by Patrick McDaniel<BR>from
the Decatur Tribune </I></B></FONT>
<P>
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 align=right>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD><FONT color=#0066cc size=2><IMG border=1 alt=""
src="http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/469/images/news/ACFAD7.gif"></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><FONT
face=Verdana,Arial><FONT size=2>An annual request by the Decatur
Celebration Committee to the Decatur City Council for renewal of the use
of various downtown parking garages and parking lots for the Celebration
was met this week with frank discussion. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>The mayor and several council members discussed the
financial situation of the annual event, and there was a plea from a
downtown business operator to deny the request for use of the city’s
parking facilities. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>“The whole thing is that the Celebration is in financial
trouble,” expressed Mayor Mike McElroy during Monday’s council session
discussion. The Celebration Committee again asked permission to charge
Celebration visitors $5.00 to park in City Garages B and C and City
Parking Lots #1 located on the southeast corner of Wood and Main Streets
and Parking Lot #10 located on the northeast corner of Wood and Main
Streets. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>“We may need the money far more then they do,” declared
Councilman Pat Laegeler, as he gave his views. as the discussion over the
council agenda item began in earnest over assisting the Celebration
Committee with their finances while the city was struggling with its own
financial situation. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>McElroy added that, “We (city government) have never
gotten back what we put into it.” </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>The annual event that takes place in downtown Decatur the
first part of August has seen the number of participants and revenues
decrease over the years stated McElroy, with the city generating around
$10,000 each year in food & beverage sales tax revenues from the three
day event, according to City Manager Ryan McCrady. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>“This (garage parking issue) truly is not a problem after
twenty-five years, and is a no win situation,” said McElroy after downtown
business operator Skip Huston, operator of the Avon Theaters, expressed
his views that the annual downtown event was destructive to his business
during the three day event. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>“We did not have a fighting chance once the city allowed
the Celebration to use the parking lots,” expressed Huston, who requested
this week that the council not allow the Celebration Committee to use the
city parking garages. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>Although the Celebration Committee proposed giving event
patrons validation tickets for those who parked in the designated city
parking spaces, and then receive refunds of $5.00 back from participating
downtown businesses, with the Celebration Committee reimbursing the
merchants, Houston, who although thought this proposal was on the right
track, still felt that allowing event patrons to park free was better for
his business. </FONT>
<P><FONT size=2>Huston’s pleas to council members to not allow the use of
city parking lots and garages by the Celebration were heard during the
public input portion of the discussions, but the council at the end of the
discussions voted six to zero (Councilman Larry Foster was absent) to
approve the parking request of the Celebration Committee.
</FONT></P></FONT></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></FONT></STRONG></DIV></BODY></HTML>