Firehouse.com

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Oct. 21--The Williams City Council will consider an ordinance Wednesday that could regulate all special events held on city property.

The City Council's proposal is intended to provide a regulatory framework for festivals, concerts, parades and other special events held within city limits on city-owned or -controlled property, according to City Administrator Chuck Bergson.

The new ordinance could dictate what kind of activities will be allowed, as well as implement a permit fee, whereby the city can recover costs associated with public safety and building maintenance for events.

The council will consider fees ranging from $150 for events up to 500 people, to $300 for a parade involving more than 500 people.

The fees are based on the police and public works departments' actual employee costs involved in traffic enforcement and other duties, according to Bergson.

The new regulations, however, may put the kibosh on a long tradition.

At issue for the City Council is what some people call "adult entertainment" at the Williams Firefighters Association's annual fundraising dinners.

Councilman Don Barker said the city already has an ordinance that addresses public nudity on city property and that the firefighters' event crosses that line.

"I've heard complaints," Barker said. "It opens the city up to a lot of liability."

Mayor pro-tem Angela Fulcher believes the ordinance shouldn't apply to the firefighters event because it's a tradition that raises money for the fire department.

"It's been going on a long time," Fulcher said. "I don't want to bite the hand that feeds us."

Gary Cranford, president of the Williams Firefighters Association, said Monday that reports of Wiliams' X-rated fundraising efforts are highly exaggerated.

Cranford said the association's two annual dinners, one held at the Williams fire hall in November and the other at the Sacramento Valley Museum in July, has ladies in "lingerie" selling raffle tickets.

"There's been a lot of rumors, but there is no nudity," he said. "It's tightly managed."

Cranford said the modeling of lingerie does not constitute nudity as may be addressed by the ordinance.

"The wives don't always like it," he said, "but that's about all."

The City Council will introduce and discuss the ordinance at 7 p.m. Wednesday during its regular meeting.