DOTHAN, Ala. – “Just so the public is aware,” Councilwoman Sonya Rich told those attending the Enterprise City Council meeting May 4. “What we approve, or not approve, is the street closure.”
What Rich, who served as city council president at the May 4 meeting in the absence of Council President Turner Townsend, wanted to specifically clarify, she said, is that the chamber of commerce—and not the city council—is the decision maker on what day the annual Christmas Parade is held.
At issue is the fact that the council had been asked by the Enterprise Chamber of Commerce to approve—and did approve—street closures downtown for the Christmas Parade to be held Friday, Dec. 3.
After the fact some downtown businesses expressed concern that having the Christmas Parade on a Friday would be detrimental to their business. “Basically the mayor’s office has received several phone calls and visits from interested parties, downtown business owners in particular, who feel that the decision to have the parade on Friday could potentially negatively impact their businesses,” Enterprise City Administrator Johnathan Tullos told those attending the April 20 council meeting. “We’ve also had conversations with several people who made the decision to move the parade to a Friday night and they certainly have valid reasons as well.”
At the April 20 council meeting, Townsend explained that the decision when to hold the parade was not the council’s to make. The council’s only role was to approve or disapprove city street closures on the recommended dates presented to them, he said.
Townsend asked Councilmen Eugene Goolsby and Scotty Johnson to meet with representatives from the chamber of commerce, the tourism team and downtown merchants to review the issue of holding the annual Christmas parade downtown on a Friday night as opposed to the traditional first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
At the council meeting May 4, Goolsby reported that several downtown restaurants were represented at parade committee meeting held April 28. “Basically the meeting was called due to strong opposition from the downtown restaurant group, he said, adding that no consensus was reached after the two-hour meeting. “Each of the represented restaurants are opposed to moving to Friday night due to losing money at their place of business. One owner stated that they would lose between $5,000 and $6,000 while another said that they would not only lose money but would be unable to book a large party that night,” Goolsby said. “All of themexplained that December is their biggest month of the year and Friday and Saturday nights are the biggest days of their week. Parking was also discussed as being a big issue with people parking a pickup truck in a parking space (on the parade route on Main Street) hours or even a day ahead of the parade so they can sit in the back and watch the parade.
“But the biggest issue is with the restaurants losing big money that night. Many of the shops on Main Street couldn’t care less which night it is scheduled but same, as the restaurants, Fridays and Saturdays are their best days of the week. Lots of pros and cons were discussed, even moving the parade from Main Street to Edwards Street,” Goolsby said.
Goolsby said that the Parks and Recreation Director, who was present at the parade committee meeting April 28, said that he and his department were willing to do whatever is necessary for either day but that keeping the parade on a Tuesday night would give staff a break from having an event for three consecutive days.
“I have talked with two churches that always participate in the parade and they would like to see it remain on Tuesday. Additionally, I spoke with several students and they all prefer Tuesday instead of Friday,” Goolsby said. “Surrounding towns and cities all know that Enterprise has their Christmas Parade on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. As a result, entries plan months in advance to be a part of the area’s largest Christmas Parade.
“It is my personal feeling that to protect our downtown merchants and restaurants we should continue with a tradition that has gone on for the last 23 years or more and have the parade on the first Tuesday night after Thanksgiving,” Goolsby said. “It is less strain on our city departments and has worked well in the past. That’s my opinion along with the opinions with a lot of others.”
Johnson has served on the Christmas Parade Committee for a decade. “What I recommend to each council member is to talk with each representative that was at that meeting to hear the passion involved,” he reported to the council. “Everyone had a lot of passion during that meeting. The thing I took away from the whole meeting is that parking is the biggest problem downtown.
“If we had 100 spaces designated right now in an area near Corks and Cattle and Annie’s and the back of the Rawls, I don’t think we’d have this problem,” Johnson said, adding that the other parking issue is with those who park a vehicle on Main Street well prior to the parade in order to “reserve” a spot. “You can’t just close parking on that street off because the businesses along Main Street need those parking places,” he said, adding that some cities post signs on the day of the afternoon of the evening event prohibiting parking until the end of the event.
Johnson said the Downtown Enterprise Business Association had conducted a survey and DEBA President Chad Webster had presented results of that survey to the parade committee. “If you look at that, and I recommend that you do, you’ll see that the answers given did not prefer one night over the other.
“The other thing I want to say is that when I took the oath of office (as a city councilman), I took it for the entire community not just one part of it so I have to listen to everybody in the community,” Johnson said. “And working in the back of the parade for the last 10 years at least, I’ve had several folks and even churches and students ask why the parade is on a Tuesday night, a school night,” he added. “On a Friday night the majority of those folks can spend their money downtown or around town.”
Johnson also suggested keeping Lee Street open until just before the parade. “Let’s concentrate on the parking,” he said.
“Are we setting a precedent for any organization that wants to do a downtown event on Friday that there will be no events and no closing of streets on a Friday night?” Johnson asked. “Yes, people are used to us having a Christmas parade on that Tuesday but we have eight months to get the word of a day change out.”
Councilman Greg Padgett said he could see both sides to the issue. “The one thing that sticks out to me more than anything is the fact no matter what day it is on, people start parking (along Main Street) the night before,” he said. “I think that might be a bigger problem than what day it’s on.”
“If this issue should come back to us, what we will determine –the only decision—is what we made in the very beginning and that is do we approve the street closure or not,” Rich reiterated. “Just so everybody is clear on that.”
The next meeting of the Enterprise City Council is Tuesday, May 18, at the Enterprise City Hall. A work session begins at 5 p.m. A voting meeting begins at 6 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public.
