VIENNA — The Vienna City Council gave its approval for a rodeo to be held at the horse arena at the Vienna City Park, leasing the arena to Chaney Beltz for the event.

Beltz was present at the July Vienna City Council meeting. He said the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association (MRCA) Rodeo will be held Sept. 6 and 7. He said information on the flyer for the rodeo says the proceeds will go to the Vienna Athletic Booster Club but Beltz thinks the city should get a donation as well, possibly receiving half of the profit for letting them have the rodeo there. Beltz said if the rodeo is successful he wants to have it every year.

He wants to have a beer garden at the event and Police Chief Shannon Thompson said he will need a license. Beltz said Tracey Shiver is helping him with the food concessions and she also has a license for the beer sales. Thompson said the city has an open container law and they can’t leave the event with a beer. Beltz said the beer garden will be enclosed with ID’s checked and they get tickets to buy the beer; they can’t take a beer into the stands of the rodeo. South Ward Alderwoman and acting mayor at the meeting, Brenda Davis, said the beer can’t be on any land the Tackett family donated to the city. Thompson said they don’t want any trouble. Beltz said he knows there are risks with minors around, but they need to have a beer garden to make money. 

Thompson said the best way is for the city to lease the horse arena to them, the same way the city leases a street to Visitation Parish twice a year. Davis said the city gives them a waiver. Clerk Sherry James said the rodeo company needs to show proof of insurance. Thompson said the insurance needs to cover everything involved. It’s a liability policy. The lease releases the city from liability. 

Beltz said he will check with Utilities Superintendent Shon Westart about parking. The rodeo is scheduled the weekend after the fair and he thought the horse trailers could be parked in the field by the motor sports area. North Ward Alderman Tyler James said parking is not an issue if it’s dry. If it’s wet, Beltz said they can park in the gravel parking lot and walk to the arena, adding that he’s walked farther at rodeo events. 

Thompson asked him to talk to the rodeo contractor about the insurance, and lease the arena from the city and he’ll be “good to go.” Davis said once the city gives the lease, Chief Thompson will be his contact person to make sure all is in place.  

Beltz said they want good attendance at the rodeo as that’s how they make money. James made the motion to allow the lease and told Beltz he hopes it works out. The council approved the rodeo using the horse arena and allowing the beer garden.

Beltz restated his plans to give the city half of the proceeds. Clerk James said the city spends a lot of money on ballfields at the park. Beltz said the rodeo will make money on attendance, sponsors, selling food and beer, and raffle proceeds. If the rodeo is successful, they’ll have one every year or possibly a bull ride event.

In other business:

• In old business, the council discussed the marijuana entrepreneur’s effort to obtain the city’s Thomas Coffey Industrial Development Park along Highway V. James said the deal is with the attorneys now but he thinks they are very close. The company, Hippo’s, has until Aug. 17 to submit the paperwork to apply for the appropriate marijuana license through the state of Missouri. Davis said the contract is all pending upon the company getting the proper license. 

• Clerk James read the Bill 19-03 Ordinance fixing the annual rate of levy for the real estate and personal property taxes within the corporate limits of the city of Vienna. The general revenue tax levy will be 0.6208 for the 2019 taxable year and the tax levy for Special Road District #8 will be .2313. The council held a public meeting at the beginning of the meeting to set the tax levies. The council approved the ordinance.

• Chief Thompson said he spoke with Fire Chief Mike Smith who talked about a training he had attended about fire hazards with the marijuana/cannabis oil manufacturing process and the use of compressed gas. Thompson said he’s not sure what it all entails and he will try to obtain more information about it.

Davis said there are a lot of rules in the new marijuana law. The council members think they may need to pass ordinances to deal with the marijuana industrial process. James said they need to check with the attorney about these issues and make sure the city has done what it needs to do before any contract is signed. Davis said the council may need to have a public hearing for the people of the community to express their opinions. Clerk James said the contract the attorney is working with the company on is for the land. 

Westart said the spec building in the industrial park does not have a suppression system and Vienna has no code for it. Thompson said the industrial park will be “like a fortress” if Hippo’s is successful with its license and locates in the industrial park. Because of this, Thompson said it may be hard to get fire trucks inside and the air lock will limit the response. Thompson said Smith was going for more training and the council will need his help to establish a fire code. James said they need to talk to the city attorney about all of their concerns. 

The council members want to have the proper ordinances in place, but also do not want to pass ordinances that will change things on the company after the contract is signed. Research will need to be done to see what other communities are doing. Thompson said whatever the council decides to enact, it need to do it soon before the contract is signed. 

• It was the first meeting for recently appointed South Ward Alderman, Jessie Jones. 

• In the financial report, Clerk James reported cash fund balances: General Fund $59,264.39; Water Fund $39,916.08; Street Fund $41,526.14; and Sewer Fund.

Fund revenues and expenses were reported: General Fund revenues $23,714.06 (seven percent of budget) and expenses $29,622.43 (nine percent of budget); Water Fund revenues $11,855.54 (seven percent) and expenses $14,476.95 (10 percent); Street Fund revenues $6,912.82 (seven percent) and expenses $4,237.25 (six percent); and Sewer Fund revenues $5,790.64 (seven percent) and expenses $3,267.05 (seven percent).