The Warrenton Board of Aldermen stuck to its guns Tuesday night and denied a late request by the Warren County Fair Board for a special event permit.The Fair Board is planning a large truck show at the Warren County Fairgrounds Aug. 24. However, the board failed to submit a request to the city by the 90-day deadline. Fair Board member Paul Owenby said it was a result of some confusion over who was handling the permit.The aldermen were sympathetic, but nonetheless voted 5-1 to deny the request. Ward 2 Alderman Gary Auch was the lone yes vote. Mayor Jerry Dyer told Owenby that the city had worked really hard to develop a working relationship with the Fair Board.“We’ve held discussion after discussion about permits for special events and we thought we had it worked out,” Dyer said. “We said we need a 90-day notice, and now we’re back to a one-week notice.”Owenby said part of the confusion was because the Fair Board thought that as long as there was Fair involvement the board did not need a special permit. “It is not like it was an outside event,” he said.City Attorney Chris Graville said the city and the Fair Board created an ordinance that both sides agreed to and that the only exceptions for permits were the demolition derby and the mud bog. “Your board approved that,” Graville said. “The ordinance spells everything out. If you have a question you need to contact us.”Graville told the aldermen that not uniformly enforcing the ordinance may weaken it.Alderman John Cornell agreed. “You’re asking us to go against our own ordinance,” he said.Alderwoman Karen Casserly told Owneby that the Fair Board’s actions put them in a terrible position. “I think we need to abide by the ordinance both sides agreed to,” she said. Alderman Fred Flake added, “I’m not going to vote against our ordinance.”After the unanimous vote to deny the permit, Owenby asked the board what would happen if the Fair Board went ahead with the truck show despite not having a permit.“Don’t do that,” Cornell said.Graville said, “Last year when another organization failed to get a permit the police chief issued two citations, but did not shut down the event. However, he could have.” Added Graville. “I can’t tell you how to break the law.”Owenby said that the event has already been advertised through fliers at fuel stops and by word of mouth. “Some people will drive hundreds of miles to get here,” he said. “It isn’t possible to let everyone know the event is canceled.”“It’s just a huge disaster,” Casserly said. “If a lot of people show up maybe you will apply 90 days ahead of time next time.”Asked by The Record if the Fair Board would go ahead with the truck show, Owenby said, “I’m not sending anybody home.”Aldermen Deny Fair Board Late Request for Truck Show