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Community groups discuss efforts with Vienna City Council

By Kristen Hainkel 3 min read

VIENNA -- Numerous community organizations gave presentations about their community impact during Thursday's special session of Vienna City Council.

The presentations come prior to the city finalizing its yearly budget, which will occur in March, Recorder Melissa Elam said.

Friends of Vienna Vice President Rod Smith spoke about last July's Freedom Festival and its economic impact on the region.

"Some restaurants at the food court in Grand Central Mall reported a 25% increase in sales July 1 and some stores in the mall reported a 15% sales increase," he said.

He said the police told him approximately 12,000 to 15,000 people attended through the weekend. Smith also said Wingate by Wyndham sold out its room capacity that weekend while Quality Inn saw an increase from average visitors.

Smith said a lasting memory was when Batman, played by John Buckland of Huntington, asked Friends of Vienna if they knew a child with a terminal illness. They found one and the child rode in the Batmobile during the parade.

"That's when it hit me. We set out to provide fun times through the Freedom Festival, but it was a much bigger picture. We played a part in providing lasting memories for that family," he said.

Smith said a big reason the Freedom Festival was successful was having assistance from city employees such as the police and fire departments.

Mayor Randy Rapp said he spoke to Police Chief Mike Pifer about working the Freedom Festival, who said, "Public safety is primary when it comes to large events."

Smith said the budget for the 2023 Freedom Festival was approximately $240,000, of which $150,000 was paid by sponsorships and $73,000 in donations. He said Friends of Vienna did not spend the $40,000 the city budgeted to them from last year. Smith estimated this year's budget would be $222,000 and the group is asking for $45,000 from the city.

Council member Kim Williams asked Smith if he could provide a concrete cost of regular hours and overtime and payroll taxes for using city employees during the weekend. She said she was concerned the cost would double from last year since the group is planning to hold the Freedom Festival over two different weekends this summer. Smith said he hoped it wouldn't.

Council member Jim Leach said the cost would be worth it, due to the amount of work Friends of Vienna puts in for the city on a volunteer basis. He said the city should increase their contribution to $50,000.

"If I ask a question about something, it doesn't mean that I don't support it," Williams said.

Greg Collins, executive director of Northstar Child Advocacy Center, a non-profit organization that advocates for childhood sexual abuse victims, said the group would lose a grant that they'd had for eight years that provided them $50,000 a year. The grant would no longer exist as of July 1.

Elam said she would like to see the city's contribution to the center increase.

"I'd like to see us give them more than $10,000," she said. "We'll play with the number but I think you need to be included for more than that."

Williams said she agreed with Elam.

Kristen Hainkel can be reached by email at khainkel@newsandsentinel.com

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