Audrey Caro
The Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival may be moving out of Linn County.
The Albany Democrat-Herald reported a public hearing was held in Jefferson on Nov. 2 about plans to move the event there from its current location in Brownsville.
The annual music festival has been held in Brownsville since 2008.
In 2016, the Linn County Board of Commissioners approved an application and issuance of permit to the Willamette Country Music Concerts, LLC to conduct five outdoor assemblies – from 2017 through 2021.
There is no penalty if the organization decided to relocate the event, said Commissioner Roger Nyquist
“They come for an annual review,” he said.
WMCM paid the county a $3,000 permit fee in 2016.
The organization also pays the Linn County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement services during the festival.
The 2016 contract between WMCM and LCSO was about $54,000. This year’s was about $70,000, Nyquist said.
At a 2016 County Commissioners’ meeting LCSO Sheriff Bruce Riley said the amounts cover labor, overhead and overtime.
“I’m particularly interested in making sure that what we’re doing – they pay their fair share for that footprint they’re creating because they’ve become a standing annual event,” Nyquist said at that meeting. “Our fee and tax structure is not set up to charge them basically anything other than this contract for what they do.”
The 2017 event well, said LCSO Undersheriff Jim Yon, though it does impact the sheriff’s office.
“The event pushes us staffing-wise,” Yon said.
WMCM has been good to work with over the years, Yon said, and they have taken advice on how to improve conditions at the event.
“It’s been an economic boost for the county,” Yon said. “But if they want to move, good luck to them wherever they end up landing.”