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Like every revision so far, the new ordinance is riddled with exemptions: Events booked at venues with fixed seating, events promoted by licensed nonprofits, events involving fewer than 99 people and with no admission charge. Family picnics are singled out for exemption, which means the ordinance has at least reached a point in its evolution where its language isn’t so vague that it could be applied to literally any event that more than a couple of people show up to for any reason at all in any setting in the city at any time. Good work there.
The tiered licensing structure that was added a couple revisions ago is still in place. A two-year Class D license allowing you to book events of 99 people or fewer with an admission fee would run $500, a Class C (500 people or fewer) is $1,000, a Class B (2,000 or fewer) is $1,500, and a Class A (anything above 2,000) is $2,000.
This Friday, March 6, the Old Town School’s First Friday event has been repurposed as a Free Speech First Friday to help raise awareness of this issue. There will be a “free speech open jam” at 6:30 PM and a screening of a documentary about the ordinance at 7:30.
