They’re staying mum – verbally at least. After refusing to discuss plans for this year’s Summer Stomp on Friday, organizers posted the start of ticket sales for the event on their website Tuesday.
“The Summer Stomp is back! The location is set, planning is well under way, and posters are just about ready to go to press,” reads the site.
Organizers won conditional approval from Columbia Shuswap Regional District directors at last week’s board meeting in Sicamous.
They showed no emotion following the meeting and made clear Friday they had no interest in speaking to the media.
“We had a meeting of the organization last night and passed a resolution. We’re gonna be silent,” said Summer Stomp representative Steve Hammer, the day after CSRD directors agreed to dispense with permitted use regulations – but not without some conditions.
Despite not being on the agenda, directors gave Hammer the opportunity to address the board following an update from Dan Passmore, CSRD development services assistant.
Included in Passmore’s update from the April board meeting, when directors told Stomp organizers they needed to see more detailed plans, was a letter from Vernon/North Okanagan Detachment’s RCMP Sgt. David Evans.
In his May 10 letter, Evans listed seven concerns regarding the Stomp proposed for July 19 to July 22 at 1908 and 1926 Salmon River Road.
These included a lack of infrastructure, public safety, remoteness, difficulty in maintaining security at the event, access and the “bring-your-own” liquor policy proposed by Stomp organizers.
Also chief among Evans’ concerns is that two other events are being held in the Vernon/North Okanagan Detachment area on the same weekend – Sturgis North and Armstrong Metalfest.
With Sturgis closing at midnight and the Stomp historically running to 2 or 4 a.m., Evans surmises an influx of Sturgis North patrons arriving at the Stomp could be beyond the capacity of the site and organizers.
“The proposed site is on private property and I am still awaiting a legal opinion to determine if we would have the power to enter onto the site in a proactive and preventive fashion without a specific call for our services,” Evans wrote in his May 10 letter to the board.
Passmore told directors that Interior Health also expressed concerns regarding source of water, food safety, sewage disposal, solid waste disposal, sanitation, personal services, communicable disease, emergency plan, camping, site safety, fire control and health promotion.
“It’s important to know IH leaves most of these issues to Stomp organizers, but food vendors and sanitary facilities need to be inspected by Public Health,” he said.
He noted the main entrance to the Stomp appears to cross a property not involved with the event, owned by a neighbour who has not given consent for his property to be used as access.
Passmore indicated he had received 98 form letters supporting the event and a few opposing the Stomp.
“Organizers will need to resolve this prior to June 1 as staff have given the group until then to return signed-off plans and approvals,” said Passmore, who recommended suspending bylaw enforcement on the two properties, which are located within the Agricultural Land Reserve. “It’s important for the organizing committee to receive support of the board in order to proceed with planning.”
In an unusual move, acting board chair Dave Raven invited Hammer, who sat in the gallery with three other Stomp organizers, to speak directly to directors.
“First, I really want to stress it’s charitable not commercial,” Hammer said, noting even organizers pay to enter the event and that the only ones who get in free are entertainers. “It brings social and economic benefits to the area but also charitable benefits.”
Hammer told directors the neighbour had offered to support the event if he received $10,000 for access across a portion of his driveway, something he said organizers refused to consider because it would reduce the amount of money available to charities.
“As far as the RCMP goes, it’s a 22-year event and in that time we have had three ambulance calls for fairly minor injuries,” he said, noting that as in every other Stomp, organizers would be working closely with the Silver Creek Fire Department. “We have never not allowed people not to bring liquor onto their own campsites…”
Hammer advised organizers are well equipped to deal with any and all issues.
“If the RCMP had their way, there would be no tourists in the area, no people on the lake,” he said. “They like to have nothing going on because that’s the easiest way to serve and protect.”
Hammer assured directors the RCMP would be invited onto the site and noted that while Salmon Arm Staff Sgt. Kevin Keane does not openly support the Stomp, “he has had no problems with the event in the past.”
Following Hammer’s presentation, directors chewed over the issues.
Up first, Area D Falkland-Silver Creek-Ranchero director René Talbot listed some of the same concerns as those expressed in Evans’ letter and said he has received numerous emails and letters of protest.
“The two main concerns are the bonfire and the music continuing until 4 a.m.,” he said, pointing out the stretch of road between Highway 97A and the site is the worst of Salmon River Road and that his area has already had several grass fires.
“We live here and we’re not idiots about fire,” responded Hammer, indicating the fire is well-tended with a tanker on site and keeps people in one spot.
Salmon Arm rep Debbie Cannon pointed out that while Sturgis North left a bad taste and a $300,000 debt last year, the Stomp has handed out more than $100,000 in its 22-year run.
“They know a little bit of what they’re doing out there and I think we should be supporting this,” she said. “Everyone worries about bikers being drunk but that’s not really what happens. And it’s an easy fix – set up road blocks.”
Talbot agreed he is not against the Stomp.
“I have been to it and think they do a very good job, but these are concerns brought to me by people who live there,” he said. “I cannot ignore what people in the area say – even though it’s not a lot of them.”
But Area A Rural Revelstoke director Loni Parker was not in favour, agreeing with RCMP and other agency concerns.
“First thing, if it was in my neighbourhood it’s nothing I would be supportive of,” she said. “Maybe you have something else on the site beyond bikers drinking… I was hoping to see more information come forward to make it seem possible to move ahead, but I can’t support it this year.”
“If it happened in my neighbourhood I’d be livid,” added Electoral Area F director Larry Morgan. “I think it should be shut down at midnight.”
Morgan put forward a motion that the music be shut down by midnight and all the directors, except for Parker who remained opposed, voted for a midnight music shut-down.
They also agreed to dispense with enforcement of the permitted use bylaw if the organizers and property owners enter into an agreement to address the issues of health and safety, riparian area regulations, noise and nuisance, and waste disposal.
