By Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Oregon Jamboree will need to look at new options for camping next year and city councilors are concerned about the length of time the country music festival keeps Sankey Park closed to the public.
Those were among the topics discussed during the Sept. 11 City Council meeting, in which Jamboree Festival Director Robert Shamek gave a report regarding the 2018 event, which was held Aug. 3-5.
The Oregon Jamboree is a three-day camping and country music festival held annually, typically during the first weekend of August. The event was founded in 1992, as a fund-raising tool by the Sweet Home Economic Development Group to raise funds for economic development projects after the listing of the northern spotted owl as an endangered species devastated the local timber economy.
Shamek told the council last week that about 700 people attended this year’s kick-off party, held on 18th Avenue with a full stage on Aug. 2. Jamboree fans from nearby campgrounds gathered along the edges of the road.
Full details aren’t available yet, but he estimated that a raffle raised about $1,000 to help pay for improvements, including permanent sound and lighting, to the Sweet Home High School auditorium.
Kickoff headliner Jamie Lynn Spears canceled her appearance. Australian artist Morgan Evans stepped in last minute, and “everyone loved him,” Shamek said.
For the main event, the weather was relatively cool, he said. “A lot of patrons I talked to were out and about” floating the lakes and the river.
“Working with the School District this year was absolutely top-notch,” he said. “Everybody at the bus barn, they really helped out.”
Dominic Valloni and his city Public Works crew did a great job timing and setting up street closures, Shamek said. “I’ve talked extensively with (Police Chief) Jeff Lynn, and it didn’t seem like there were any big issues.”
The only issues around town were local people who just get wound up during the Jamboree weekend, he said. Fire and medical resources weren’t overtaxed this year either.
The Jamboree’s package for waivers and permits came to the City Council late in July, just before the event, this year; but Shamek plans to have it to the council much earlier for 2019.
He said he had been talking to the city manager and police chief about moving forward on contracts for 2019. If it works right, Shamek would like to have them to the city by February, giving the Jamboree and city more time to deal with potential issues, he said.
The upcoming Jamboree will be hurting for camping space, Shamek said.
“Looking at 2019, with camping one of the big hot topics, I’m going to lose a lot of property,” he said, noting that property at Community Chapel and in the Foothills Drive area is being sold this year and won’t be available for camping during the 2019 event.
He would like to work out a plan to use the former Morse Bros.-Knife River quarry property located northwest of Clark Mill Road for 600 campsites in 2019. The city acquired the property from the county, which worked with SHEDG to transfer the property to the community for use as a Jamboree festival site and park. The county acquired the property as part of a foreclosure.
Shamek said he would also like to talk with the city about using the property around the new City Hall, 3225 Main St., for camping.
Responding to his report, Councilor Diane Gerson said, “I think the volunteers did a great job cleaning up afterward. I’d like to discuss the use of Sankey Park.”
Originally, Sankey Park served as a buffer between the event and the surrounding residential area, Gerson said. Since the event began using Sankey Park and added a second stage there, “it’s like right in their faces. I’m not particularly happy with that.”
“When we first started, we used it as volunteer parking,” Shamek said. “About eight years ago, we approached the city to use it for the actual Jamboree.”
If it were no longer part of the event grounds, “our patrons would be devastated,” Shamek said. It’s a place where they can get out of the sun. The Kid Zone is located there as well.
Gerson said she would be interested in a tradeoff for the use of the park.
The city has been putting a lot into Sankey Park, she said. “I would like SHEDG to help with that, something that acknowledges your use of that park.”
“We have a lot of great partners,” Shamek said. “It’s definitely not out of the realm (of possibility).”
“I don’t like the idea of Sankey being shut down the next day (following the Jamboree),” said Councilor Dave Trask. “I understand the safety issue.”
Since the city doesn’t know where SHEDG’s money goes, he doesn’t know what the city gets for the closure of the park, he said. “If we’re going to let 600 people down at Knife River, the city should be compensated for some of that.”
Shamek said the Jamboree paid out $22,000 to various school programs this year. Students raise funds for their sports and programs by providing showers and running ice.
Figures are not available for the 2018 event yet, but a SHEDG report was available detailing funds the Jamboree paid out to various community groups in 2017.
Last year, the Jamboree paid approximately $1,600 to the Boys and Girls Club for premium parking; $1,500 to Sweet Home Community Church, 18th and Long, for camping and parking; $12,000 to the city in transient occupancy taxes; $1,425 to the Senior Center for premium parking; $4,400 to Community Chapel for camping; $12,000 to the Holley School PTC for its Lick-A-Scoop booth inside the event; $80 to Sunshine Industries for shuttle rental; $7,600 to the Sweet Home Community Foundation through special benefit receptions; $1,200 to the Volunteer Fire Association for its fireworks display through a barbecue event; $5,700 to the Rotary Club for food sales; $1,500 to Sweet Home High School for showers and towels; $9,200 to Sweet Home High School as a share of soft drink and water sales; and $2,000 for ice deliveries to Sweet Home High School.
The event also paid $28,000 to the Sweet Home School District for shuttle buses. It paid $21,000 for a venue rental covering the cost of watering the fields. The Jamboree paid $6,300 to Sweet Home Police Department for an on-site presence and $7,300 to the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District for on-site paramedics. It paid an additional $8,400 in storage fees.
Combined, the Jamboree counts these items as benefits to the community. From 2002 to 2012, it provided $1 million in benefits like these, according to the report. Since then, it has annually provided $120,000 to $144,000 in benefits to the community.
This year, the city estimates that it will bill the Jamboree for $7,700 for on-site personnel expenses. Lynn estimated the total overtime cost at $12,400 during the event when including exterior personnel expenses. Citywide, the total number of calls for service during the weekend was 173, down from 269 in 2017 and 226 in 2016, according to a report by Lynn.
By comparison, in 2017, the Police Department responded to 152 calls during Sportsman’s Holiday, 157 during Memorial Day weekend and 115 Labor Day weekend.
City Manager Ray Towry told The New Era that the city began metering water used by the Jamboree through hydrants in 2016. That amounted to approximately $300 worth of water that the city did not bill out, and Public Works expenses are approximately $1,500.
Mayor Greg Mahler asked Shamek whether SHEDG would be willing to put money toward Sankey Park.
Shamek suggested using transient occupancy tax revenue for it. Towry said most of the city’s transient occupancy tax already goes to the Chamber of Commerce to operate the Visitor Information Center, 1575 Main St.
Trask suggested including something in the contract to help out.
Councilor Bob Briana said he’s been looking into the Knife River quarry property for about the past year. To allow campers down there, it will need to be leveled.
“If you’re going to spend the time and money to do that, why not just put the Jamboree down there?” he asked.
“I’ve worked on that piece of property for four years now,” Shamek said, noting that the community can’t put 12,000 to 14,000 people down two-lane Clark Mill Road. “It’s all ingress and egress.”
That’ll even be an issue for 600 campers, Mahler said.
That’s something the city and Jamboree can work out moving forward, Trask said.
Towry asked if the council had a consensus to start talking about a plan for camping. Mahler told him to start having a discussion about the camping and access issues.