Wentzville's Special Events: 'How Much Do We Want to Spend on Parties?'

At Wednesday's Wentzville Board of Aldermen work session, the board continued a discussion first brought up at the Feb. 6 meeting: the future of the city's special events.

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Alderman Cheryl Kross asked, "Why couldn’t we get a private nonprofit to spearhead an event?" She suggested that such a group could organize, establish committees and recruit volunteers, rather than have the city's parks department providing all the work force and labor.

City Administrator Mike McDowell, in his first appearance at a board of aldermen meeting, said that, depending on the scope of an event, finding a private group with the ability to pull off an event without substantial involvement from the city would be very difficult.

"Out of all these (events), is there any one that you feel we could get rid of?" Alderman Sonya Shryock asked Parks Director Mary Jo Dessieux.

"Each one attracts some one in the community or some segment of the community," Dessieux replied. "I have tried to get different organizations in Wentzville to take over the Easter Eggstravaganza. Last year was first year we got someone to pay for the prizes."

Alderman Rick Stokes said that he didn't see any of the events as economic development. "It does have economic impact," he said. "But nobody’s relocated their business here because we have that."

Shawn Waked, a member of the park board, spoke to the board. "15 years ago, we had hardly any events . . . We’ve grown these events to build a community, to promote growth in the arts, physical activity, to come together as a community. They were not set up to make a profit."

Waked said that the city has partnered with local business to try to subsidize costs and develop volunteer programs to staff them.

"We’re going in the right direction," he said.

The board discussed the ethics of having elected officials or city staff soliciting sponsorships. They directed staff to develop a package of sponsorships for the city's events.

"Maybe just for two or three events this year and see what happens," Alderman Forrest Gossett said. "But have to be careful at what level and how aggressively city staff pursue them."

Historical Society President Larry Marshall championed Wabash Days to the board. "10 years ago, downtown was completely different," he said. "Downtown was dying. Nothing was going to save it. I can’t say what Wabash Days has done, but downtown has changed . . . Something happened, and the only thing positive I saw happen was Wabash Days."

"I like these community events," Shryock said. "I’m not interested in doing away with Wabash Days. But I’m not sure we need 19 events a year."

Alderman Strokes said that all of the events have been budgeted for 2013.

The board directed staff to evaluate the events to detemine the level of priority for the 2014 budget, based on citizen participation and cost to the city.