The Rock Creek and Boundary Fair Association meeting heard complaints from nearby property owners about the volume and early morning hours of music during the Ponderosa Music Festival on the September long weekend.
Linda and Stan Jones, who live at the bottom of Nicholson Creek Road, brought their concerns to the Nov. 20 meeting.
The issue was brought up when director Ron Palmer was giving his report on contracts. He had told the meeting that both the promoters of the Ponderosa Music Festival and Boogie Bash organizers from the Association of Injured Motorcyclists have expressed interest in returning in 2014.
The Jones’ said that they had to put up with loud music until 2:30 in the morning. Fair directors told them that the contract as it had been signed by the previous board allowed them to play until after 2 a.m.
There followed a lot of conversation of how to accommodate everyone. At one point during the meeting it was suggested that a quiet time of 11 p.m. be made policy, however the majority of people seemed to feel that was too early so a motion was moved and seconded that all outdoor functions be at a certain decibels and quit at midnight.
Palmer said he was not surprised by the complaints. “I had heard concerns about the noise,” he admitted. But he said he had run into one of the festival organizers in Kelowna and felt that Ponderosa wants to come back to Rock Creek.
“These people want to work with us,” said Palmer. “Can we make this work? Before we say no I would like the opportunity to talk to them again. If it is not workable it is not workable.”
The concerns will be brought up with the festival organizers to see if a time and decibel level can be agreed upon.
“You are not going to please everybody but you can appease everybody,” said fair president Lincoln Blaine.