The owner of Papu’s Cuban Cafe and the Warrenton Board of Aldermen are at odds over the city’s handling of a request for an outdoor festival on Main Street.

Cafe owner Maria Beyer submitted a permit application July 2 to have a block of Main Street closed in October for an outdoor food and music festival. Four days later, she found out aldermen were set to consider new rules, requiring Main Street festivals like hers to go through a much more rigorous approval process.

The new rules and Beyer’s festival application were reviewed by aldermen the same evening, July 7. The timing, Beyer said, made it seem like the city was trying to put a road block in front of her event.

City officials replied that the awkward timing was a coincidence. Aldermen voted 6-0 to approve the new rules, with City Administrator Terri Thorn clarifying that the rules would then apply to Beyer’s festival application.

Beyer expressed much displeasure at a provision allowing the Warrenton Downtown Association to review and make recommendations on all Main Street festival applications. The downtown association is a private, non-profit business group, but Papu’s Cuban Cafe is not a member.

“The people in the association are not elected or appointed employees of the city, and should have no influence over city policies. Especially over an event that is being planned by someone who is not a member,” Beyer said.

Replied Ward 2 Alderman Gary Auch: “We use public input in a number of areas in the city, whether it’s volunteers on the Park Board, or people volunteering on the Tourism Commission. Those are all advisory. They don’t have any authority to stop or start anything. They simply make recommendations.”

Along with allowing review by the downtown association, the new rules mostly outline numerous planning requirements that have to be completed before the board of aldermen agrees to close Main Street for a festival.

For example, Main Street festival organizers must submit detailed information about the impact on traffic, public services and nearby businesses affected by the festival, among a variety of other considerations.

The plans have to be submitted 120 days in advance, meaning a festival in October would require application in June or sooner. Applicants could also be charged for any services, such as police or cleanup, required from the city.

The new rules retain an existing city requirement for a $500 deposit to close Main Street. The deposit is refunded as long as the street is cleaned after an event.

Beyer said the surprise red tape, after she had already submitted her application, made her frustrated to deal with the city government.

“If you’re not going to approve this, if you’re going to make me jump through hoops, I won’t do it. I’ll pull my application,” Beyer said. “I can go do this in any other town I want. I’ve been asked to.”

City Attorney Christopher Graville said the extensive planning requirements under the new rules weren’t targeted at anyone or meant to inconvenience Beyer. They are based on the city’s past experiences having to step in to help support (or clean up after) downtown festivals, Graville said.

“This requires the event sponsor to put all the pieces together before it’s approved, so we can make sure we’re not the ones sending extra city resources, unless (the board of aldermen) decides to implement those resources,” Graville said.

Part of the city’s objective is to also consider other businesses that may be harmed by a street closure, Graville added, which is why the downtown association is being enlisted to review festival applications.

Stacey Blondin, president of the Warrenton Downtown Association, said the organization’s board members have previously met with Warrenton city staff to discuss goals for downtown events and having more street festivals. However, the association didn’t have any hand in drafting the city’s new rules, Blondin said.

Bob Truetken, a past president of the downtown association and owner of the Deerfield’s on Main winery, said he understood the objectives of the change, but complained that none of the downtown businesses were informed of the new rules ahead of time.

“When you present a bill that’s going to be voted on, that involves the downtown district, let the businesses know before the bill goes to the board,” Truetken said.