The 2010 Warren County Fair parade will feature a new route, a change that will eliminate the downtown area, but allow easier access for motorists during the annual summertime event, according to organizers. The new route was proposed by the Fair Board during a meeting with Warrenton city officials Tuesday evening. The parade will begin on Kuhl Avenue in front of Black Hawk Middle School and travel on Highway M into Truesdale. The parade will then turn onto Pinckney Avenue and continue to Warrenton High School. The street and parking lot behind the school will serve as the staging area, parade organizer Mike Eckhoff said. The parade - a kickoff to the Fair - will take place Sunday, July 4. The Fair wraps up Saturday, July 10. Eckhoff said one of the main positives for moving the route was keeping Highway 47 open throughout the event rather than stopping the parade multiple times to allow some traffic through. He also pointed out that the route will eliminate the need to close Main Street and numerous side streets. He said additional parking will be provided at Holy Rosary and Rebecca Boone Elementary for spectators. Previously, the parade began on Main Street near the SAF Holland plant and wrapped up near Rebecca Boone Elementary. "The parking was the big reason," Eckhoff said. "Safety also was an issue. Coordinating downtown is so chaotic. We thought traffic would flow better." At the meeting with Warrenton city officials Tuesday evening, the new route was viewed as a positive. Warrenton aldermen will still have to take official action on the parade route once an application is submitted by the Fair Board. This week's work session was a follow-up to an August meeting where Fair organizers complained about several last-minute inquiries by the city, including prohibiting youth from driving ATVs or go-carts in the parade, having to install a fence along the parade route on Main Street and having two undercover cops carding fairgoers. City officials and Fair Board members agreed then to cooperate and communicate better in preparation for the 2010 Fair. "I think it's good we get together," Mayor Greg Costello said. "The more we get together, the more we understand." Last year, most of the complaints from the Fair Board were toward the police department. To help remedy the situation, Police Chief Greg Houdyshell will serve as the city's contact with the Fair organizers. The city also asked the Fair Board to select a member to serve as its main contact. One dispute settled Tuesday night was regarding police presence at the fairgrounds. Last year, the police department utilized a grant to combat underage drinking by having officers dressed in plainclothes walking around checking IDs. Fair Board members were angered since the city had decided previously to not provide security and also questioned why neither officer paid admission. Fair Board President Roger Owenby pointed out that off-duty sheriff's deputies already work in the beer gardens carding individuals who purchase alcohol. "We feel it's harassing people at the Fair," Owenby said. In response, Houdyshell said his department has the right to patrol since the Fair is a public event. He said officers in full uniform will conduct several walk-throughs of the fairgrounds daily. "If trouble presents itself, we will take action," he said. Elsewhere, the city is in the process of forming a new outdoor public recreational zoning district that will allow overnight camping for special events and issuing a time limit exemption when it comes to enforcing the noise levels. The new zoning district has already been approved by the city's planning and zoning board and will be voted on by aldermen March 16. For the Fair Association to meet the overnight camping stipulations, the fairgrounds property must be rezoned, a process that will include a public hearing being held. Regarding the noise levels, city ordinance states that it's unlawful to make loud or unusual noise in a residential area or adjacent to a residential area between 10 p.m.-6 a.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m.-8 a.m. on weekends. However, aldermen have agreed to grant a special event exemption to wrap up all Fair activities at midnight with the exception of extending the time limit to 1:30 a.m. on the night the tractor pull is held. In the past, the ordinance hadn't been enforced though city officials said complaints had been received. The city also is asking the Fair Board to follow city requirements in making sure occupational license permits for vendors and the carnival and temporary structure permits are obtained and to have background checks completed on all Fair Board members as part of the application process for a liquor license. Terri Thorn, director of operations/finance officer, pointed out this was a state statute requirement that was unknown to the city. The background checks will cost $10 per person.