Select Board Open Hearing: Outdoor Entertainment Regulations, July 15, 2024
At the Select Board (SB) meeting on Monday June 3, 2024, there was a Business agenda item to “discuss and vote to approve an entertainment regulation and amendments to the special events use policy”. Because the Entertainment Regulation is a “regulation”, it requires a Public Hearing which is scheduled for Monday, July 15. The special events “policy” does not need a Public Hearing, and the vote on that was postponed until July 15 so that everyone can hear both related issues at the same time.
Some of you may remember the Black Dog and Shipwrecked entertainment license requests in 2023. Dave Buzanoski, FHMNA President, spoke on behalf of the FHMNA and Paula Lichter, Director, spoke as an abutter regarding the Black Dog requests.
The Select Board approved the 2023 Black Dog outdoor entertainment license with the restrictions of amplified (or other) music not to be heard outside the property perimeter. This is in keeping with the policies and approvals that the SB has been making the past few years. The SB also approved fewer days and hours than the Black Dog had requested.
When Ms. Lichter spoke regarding the Black Dog, she asked specifically if there were rules about small outdoor amplified speakers playing music being used outside of approved entertainment license times. Town Manager Renshaw said he had a list of properties about which other people had similar questions and complaints and said he would add this property to that list.
The draft Entertainment Regulation that the SB discussed on June 3rd, to be presented for a vote at the July 15th Open Hearing, has a number of points in it including these types of outdoor speakers. Mr. Renshaw reminded the SB members that last year they received videos with audio demonstrating that the speakers on the Black Dog patio can be heard 50 to 100 feet away. Ms. Lichter asked if this was legal and, if not, whether the SB wanted to require outdoor speakers to have entertainment licenses. Mr. Renshaw said he would look into this and create a policy. This draft Entertainment Regulation is the result. To read the Draft Regulation click here and scroll to pages 96-101. See especially #7 – #9 on page 101. Pages 102-106 deal specifically with entertainment license policies for Special Events.
You can watch the June 3rd meeting on YouTube “Falmouth Select Board Select Board June 3, 2024”. Scroll to 1:17 through 1:35 to hear this discussion.
We will email the agenda for the July 15 meeting when it becomes available.
IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND: Although the item may be slated for a particular time, we encourage anyone who plans to attend to arrive at the beginning of the meeting (usually 6:30 PM) because, “At the discretion of the Chair, agenda items may be taken out of order” and they often are.
TO CONTACT THE SELECT BOARD PRIOR TO THE MEETING WITH YOUR COMMENTS or QUESTIONS, click here.
TO WATCH LIVE ON FCTV: Watch locally on Channel 9 (recently changed from Channel 15) or DVR for later viewing.
TO STREAM LIVE ON FCTV: Click here on Monday night.
TO WATCH LATER on YouTube, go to YouTube.com and search for “Falmouth Select Board July 15, 2024”.
SELECT BOARD ‘PACKETS’ for Monday night meetings are published on the Town website by 10:30 AM on the same day.