Trenton city staff and council members on Tuesday reviewed the special-events policy, focusing on street closures, emergency access and how to notify businesses that may be affected by downtown events. Staff said they will aim to require event permits 90 days before an event and add redundant notifications to impacted businesses to reduce last-minute changes.

The proposal came during a staff presentation by Lehi Dean, who outlined the current application form and said the city's 60-day advance requirement has frequently been waived. "We're gonna shoot for '90 day in advance where the application is submitted," Dean said, describing the change as administrative and asking council for any objections.

Dean and public-safety staff flagged specific routing challenges in downtown Trenton: a new fire station is not yet online and 3rd Street has been permanently closed because of a police-station configuration. Those constraints, Dean said, make full closures of West and West Jefferson especially difficult "for the next probably 2 years" because they could slow emergency response.

Fire-department officials described the operational work behind closures and expressed concern about equipment and access. "When we do close roads, we do not want to use the plastic barricades that no longer hold water blowing around. They're not secure," a department chief said, explaining why the city now uses heavier concrete barriers and coordinated traffic plans for larger events. The chief also said staff has sometimes hand-delivered notices to businesses on West Jefferson and that keeping alley access open is an important emergency-access rule.

Council members and downtown business representatives pushed back that closures can help some businesses and hurt others. "I love the events downtown," Councilwoman Von Crooks said, while a downtown business owner said the long-running Trenton Street Fair "decimate[s] my business for 4 days." Several council members and business speakers urged the city to consider alternative locations (municipal lots, Elizabeth Park or side streets) for some activities while downtown construction continues.

Business owners and event organizers also recounted instances when approved closure times were changed shortly before events, imposing additional costs. One business representative said that in past events the approved closure times were altered days before an event, forcing organizers to absorb extra expenses.

To reduce surprises for businesses, council members and staff discussed practical notification methods: adding a link to permit materials on the DDA website that forwards to the city's special-events page, and building an email-notification list from building-permit contact information. Staff noted the building department already collects many business email addresses but warned keeping the list current requires work.

Dean closed by saying staff will scrutinize applications more closely if the city moves to a longer lead time, coordinate with the Department of Public Works and the police chief on closures, and provide redundant notices so businesses have an opportunity to raise concerns before a permit is finalized. No formal vote was taken; Dean said he would implement the 90-day and notification approach administratively if there were no objections.

The study session adjourned at 06:55PM and the council said the regular meeting would begin shortly.