Logan City votes to create subcommittee to avoid controversy

From now on a subcommittee appointed by the Logan Municipal Council will be discussing guidelines for city-sponsored events with the Logan Mayor. Mayor Craig Petersen was not at the Tuesday council meeting but city recorder Teresa Harris read a statement from the mayor thanking the committee in charge of this year’s Freedom Fire celebration.

The statement also indicated that the mayor would like to discuss options with the council for future celebrations.

On a four to one vote Tuesday night, members of the council agreed to appoint a subcommittee to come up with guidelines for future city-sponsored events.

The action comes in the wake of a late announcement by the Freedom Fire committee to invite conservative commentator Glenn Beck to speak at the city’s annual fireworks program in Romney Stadium the night of July 3rd. Councilmembers Holly Daines, Herm Olsen and Jeannie Simmonds issued a strong statement against Beck upon learning of his invitation to speak at Freedom Fire.

On Tuesday, Daines suggested a subcommittee could make sure that a speaker is appropriate and not controversial. Council Chairman Karl Ward cast the only vote against forming the subcommittee.

“You know what’s interesting is I thought about this, and thought about it a lot. I think maybe if we try to say what is appropriate and what isn’t appropriate we end up on a little bit of a slippery slope,” Ward explained. “What’s appropriate for one person might not be appropriate for another.”

Mayor Craig Petersen was out of town but the council decided to have Ward and Daines meet with him when he returns to get his input on the celebration.

The issue will be discussed more formally at the August 5th meeting and that is when a report on this year’s Freedom Fire celebration will be presented by Parks and Recreation Director Russ Akina.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!