Lost in the COVID-19 haze is what’s going to happen to Prescott Daze.

The Prescott City Council’s Health & Safety Committee met last Monday night in the council chambers to discuss the matter. Committee members Josh Gergen (chair), Maureen Otwell and Bailey Ruona, as well as Mayor David Hovel and City Administrator Jayne Brand attended the meeting, and Brand made sure those present, along with this member of the media, were “socially distant” from each other.

So, it was difficult to hope that there will be time in the near future where being social at Prescott Daze will be looked forward to. The festival is held annually the weekend after Labor Day. Hopefully we’re celebrating by then!

The City or Prescott, by request of its insurer, is seeking changes made to how Prescott Daze is operated. Currently, all funds flow through the city for the event, but not all events are sanctioned Prescott Daze events. All told, it could expose the city to liability.

The committee has held several meetings on the matter. The last one was very well-attended. This one, likely because of COVID-19, was not.

The committee received various reports, and recommendations on the event. In the end, discussion centered around on the city working to find a new organization that is willing to come forward and operate Prescott Daze.

The city was asked to step in years ago so Prescott Daze would have insurance, and the festival organization was run as somewhat of a city committee. That has gone by the wayside over the years. The matter of city liability was brought up last year by the city’s insurer, Spectrum Insurance Group. Darrel Zaleski of Spectrum isolated the problem: “The problem is that a non city department/entity is running Prescott Daze. Under the current structure, a non-city organization is trying to get coverage from the city for something the city has no control over.”

For Prescott Daze to keep going as it: “The festival needs to be run by the city. All control would need to be turned over. From what I’ve been told, the Prescott Daze committee wants to continue to run this independently from the city. If that is the case, Prescott Daze needs to organize as a separate entity and secure their own insurance,” said Zaleski.

Brand made recommendations if the city were to stay involved.

“Prescott Daze needs to be treated like any other committee which is a subcommittee of the City Council,” she wrote.

That means:

•It would have to have regularly-held meetings with posted agendas and meetings need to be in public places.

•All committee members would need to be appointed by the mayor with council approval.

•Only city residents on the committee would be allowed to vote.

•Minutes would need to be kept.

•All events held as part of Prescott Daze would require city council approval.

She recommended other changes, especially on participant and vendor forms, mostly relating to liability insurance.

That said, it was time for discussion and most of it centered on how the city could get out of being involved in the operation of the festival.

“Why can’t the chamber take it over?” asked Hovel.

Otwell reiterated that question.

“The chamber won’t take it on?”

The city could still help as a financial contributor.

“We don’t have a problem paying the insurance,” said Gergen.

“We could pay like two grand for insurance,” said Hovel.

Knowing that the issue has become somewhat unpopular, Ruona said, “I’m between a rock and a hard place on this,” noting that it’s tough for the city to be involved further.

“We know we’re strapped for resources already,” she said. “River Falls is the one I know, and the chamber runs it,” said Hovel of that community’s festival.

Brand gave a history lesson on how the city and festival became intertwined but she noted that over the years “it’s changed dramatically.”

“It would have been a lot easier if 20 years ago they would have just asked for a donation for insurance,” Gergen said.

Hovel said the best solution is just that the chamber takes it over.

“We’re just asking for it to go back the way it used to be,” he said, asking again, “I just want to know why the chamber couldn’t’ take it over?”

That said, the committee informally decided to see if any other organization is interested in being the “parent” of Prescott Daze.

“The city will still help you set up, and here’s $2,000 to help you run it,” he said.

Ruona said one call should go to Dallas Eggers, who’s been instrumental in several community causes, including the CAB Company’s oversight of Firehall Field operations, and his involvement in the Welcome and Heritage Center.

Last month, the city offered to sell the Welcome and Heritage Center, which is in need of repairs that council members don’t feel the taxpayers should have to foot the bill for, to the Welcome and Heritage Center Board or the Prescott Area Chamber of Commerce for $1.

“Has anyone talked to Dallas about this?” she asked. “That man is a machine. He could take this up and go get a roof and some windows in that beautiful building downtown.”

The matter was officially tabled until community organizations are contacted to see if they will take over Prescott Daze.

“There are a lot of groups that might take it on,” said Brand.

“Or a combination of groups,” offered Gergen.

“Let’s get a list of them and invite them in,” said Hovel.

Photo by John McLoone.