Officials say documents would create paper trail if problems arise at events

The Village of Saukville’s Public Safety Committee has recommended an ordinance requiring permits for parades held in the community.

The ordinance, which still needs approval from the Village Board, would give officials a paper trail that ensures that parade organizers are available if problems arise.

A $25 permit fee was originally recommended for the permits, but the committee asked that the charge be dropped from the ordinance.

The rationale for that change was that village-sponsored events would be exempt from the permit fee, so it seemed inconsistent to charge outside groups seeking permits.

Committee members felt eliminating the fee was equitable, because the original wording said the village would be exempt from the charge. Most community parades are organized, at least in part, by the village.

Police Chief Bill Meloy said parades tend to be part of annual celebrations, such as Memorial Day or Independence Day, and would probably only require a one-time permit filing.

Still, having a permit on file would help with accountability, Meloy said.

“There are often times when we don’t really know who is in charge during an event. Having a permit on file should spell that out,” he said.

“We usually know well in advance when there is going to be a parade in the village. I can’t imagine a situation where we would ever say ‘No’ to having a Fourth of July parade.”

The ordinance states permits would be issued by the village clerk, based on a recommendation from the police department.

The ordinance says permits could be denied if authorities believe the event would substantially threaten public safety, disrupt traffic or require the diversion of more police personnel than the village could afford.

Authorities would have six days to respond to a parade permit application, which must be submitted at least 30 days in advance.

In the event a permit is denied, an appeal would be heard within 10 days of the filing. Such appeals would be made to the Public Safety Committee, which in turn would make a recommendation to the Village Board to either affirm or reverse the clerk’s permit decision.

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