May 27, 2024–9:15 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
A new Assembly permit ordinance is slated for First Reading during Tuesday’s Rome City Commission meeting.
The ordinance would require a permit for gatherings of 25 or more people for things such as protests and demonstrations.
In April, the original proposed ordinance was tabled Commissioner Bill Collins expressed concerns about the impact on gatherings at neighborhood parks, such as Birthday parties and pick-up basketball games.
The new version of the ordinance exempts those types of events if they have 75 or fewer attendees.
“In other words, if your event has 70 people at it and you’re just playing basketball or something, you don’t need to go get a permit,” said Assistant Rome City Attorney Frank Beacham during a recent city public safety committee meeting. “We had to pick a number somewhere, and we came up with 75. We found some big cities that had numbers of like 150 or 200, and we just thought that was a little for a city of our size with a police department of our size and a fire department of our size.”
Some examples of activities that are in the non-expressive event category that are not subject to the assembly permit process include recreation, family gatherings, games, arts and crafts, reunions, Birthday parties, government agency events within the scope of their government function, spectator sports, grilling, barbecues, picnics, park or trail cleanups, and training activities such team building events.
Tuesday is just a First Reading; a vote is expected during the commission’s first meeting in June.
Also Tuesday, the commission will consider a resolution to close a portion of Medical Drive at the cul-de-sac for the new Rome Middle School.
An inmate housing agreement with Floyd County is also on the agenda.
The City of Rome contracts with the jail to house inmates who are arrested on municipal charges and the current agreement has expired.
Under the old agreement, the booking fee charge was $15 and there was a minimum $40 per day inmate fee. Under the new agreement, those rates go up to $25 and $65, respectively.
The City Commission meeting begins Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Rome City Hall.
The caucus starts at 5 p.m. in the Sam King Room.
You can view the meeting agenda here.