Public comments over parade restrictions and new event regulations took center stage May 5 during a regularly scheduled meeting of the Eatonton City Council, as multiple residents challenged city leaders over what they described as unfair treatment of parade participants and privately promoted community events.
Two speakers criticized the city’s recent decision to ban ATVs, UTVs, and horses from in-town parades, arguing the restrictions unfairly targeted organizations that work with local youth.
“We rode in uniform all the way through the parade,” one man told council members. “We didn’t horse the engine; we didn’t raise the four-wheelers; we just drove slow in a straight line.”
He said his nonprofit organization provides scholarships, supports single mothers during Christmas, and helps children who have lost parents, adding that participating in community events is necessary to help raise money for those efforts.
Others questioned the city’s reasoning for removing vehicles and animals from parades while continuing to allow other attractions they considered equally risky.
Mayor John Reid responded by saying the council must balance community activities with public safety concerns raised by Eatonton Police Chief Howell Cardwell.
Reid noted that many ATVs and UTVs are not street-legal and that police officers often spend hours dealing with crowds after events conclude.
Cardwell said the parade itself is not the primary issue, but problems often arise afterward when ATV riders race through city streets, creating hazards for both themselves and the public.
Later in the meeting, council members approved a resolution establishing fees tied to the city’s recently adopted special events and large gathering ordinance.
The measure sets a $100 nonrefundable application fee and a refundable $500 security deposit for qualifying events.
Organizers may also be billed for city expenses exceeding the deposit, including police overtime, cleanup costs, or damage to public property.
City Administrator Gary Sanders said the policy mirrors similar ordinances already in place in surrounding local governments, including the Putnam County Board of Commissioners.
“We’re kind of middle of the road,” Sanders said.
Putnam County District 2 Commissioner Richard Garrett, who lives in Eatonton’s Ward 2, addressed the council during public comments. Garrett said he had received calls from residents concerned about the city’s plan to establish new fees for special events and adopt a more structured large-gathering ordinance.
“I’m just trying to make sure we land on a sensible middle ground here, and I think that’s what we all want,” Garrett said.
“On the one hand, no question, we need these large events to be managed and planned. And I think there’s already a great relationship between Chief Cardwell and, as far as I know, the only person running these events, Brandon Riley and his company.”
Garrett added that he believes permit fees and deposit requirements are reasonable. Still, he expressed concern about language in the ordinance that he said “implies potentially open-ended liability to the applicant” should damage occur to city property.
“Again, not trying to minimize that, but I think we need to also signal to Brandon, and to the Black community in particular, that he’s bringing some valuable economic dynamism to that part of town and he’s trying to turn Butler-Baker, which has many other objectives and roles, partly into a community gathering space,” Garrett said. “And I think that’s a very healthy thing. I think you’d all agree with that.
“So, I just want to make sure that the signaling from the council is clear rather than just the letter of the ordinance.”
At the mayor’s request, Cardwell also addressed the issue, confirming that large gatherings, such as concerts held at the Butler-Baker school grounds, routinely generate complaints from nearby residents and businesses.
“During the event, we usually get about 15 calls,” Cardwell said. “Folks in my driveway, folks in my yard, that kind of thing.”
He added that businesses, including convenience stores and restaurants, have altered their operating hours on concert nights, with some closing early due to late-night crowds after events end.
Ward 3 Councilman Fredrick Lowe questioned how the city would determine whether a specific event directly caused property damage. Sanders said city staff would evaluate those situations individually.
Ward 2 Councilman James Gorley added that the ordinance is intended to apply equally to all large events, not just to one organization or neighborhood.
Following extended discussion, the council unanimously approved the event fee resolution.
Earlier in the meeting, council members approved Erin Chomiak to fill an unexpired term on the Eatonton Downtown Development Authority through February 2027. Valerie Hurt was also appointed to the Eatonton Housing Authority board.
Additionally, the council unanimously approved a permit for the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce to host its inaugural 5K R.I.P. (Run in Putnam) on Halloween Day this year.
Council members also voted to join an amicus brief in a municipal liability case involving the City of Milton. Sanders said the case could significantly affect cities' legal exposure statewide in roadway injury lawsuits.
During committee reports, officials noted that the city’s recent BBQ & Blues Festival drew one of its largest crowds to date. Officials also announced that paving and striping work on East Marion Street and Maple Avenue has been completed.
The meeting adjourned without an executive session.
The next Eatonton City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 2 at 117 Putnam Dr., Room 203, in Eatonton.