Macon Magazine

February/March 2025| maconmagazine.com 91 "For Bragg Jam, to get street closures, we would have to pay a total of probably 20 deputies overtime, and then our costs for street closures would come down to paying almost the same prices we paid for bands, just for the police offi cers. That didn't seem to make sense anymore for us," says Walter. Although downtown street closure is still allowed for special events, Macon-Bibb is attempting to minimize them. According to Glisson, downtown street closures are aff ecting businesses and residents that aren't involved with the permitted event. Things like needing to reroute traffi c and business employees not being able to access parking decks to drive home are elements Glisson calls the "collateral damage" of downtown street closures, which Macon-Bibb would like to avoid. Still, for all of that, downtown doesn't suff er for a lack of special events. For major events that will require multiple departments giving approval, a permitting lead time of six weeks is required. For a family reunion at Amerson River Park, for example, where the group doesn't request anything other than the space rental, less lead time would be required. For those who think the permitting process seems intimidating, local business owner Kaitlynn Kressin, who has put on the Just Tap'd Craft Beer Festival for the past seven years, says it's not that bad. LEFT Third Street Park comes alive during the International Cherry Blossom Festival. Photo by Stephen Cook, courtesy of Visit Macon. "I always found the process really simple," says Kressin. "I felt like the people in the Parks and Beautifi cation Department were really helpful as long as you did what you were supposed to do. So if you come in and you don't know an answer, or you have questions, they're happy to answer those questions for you, and they're happy to walk you through the process and give you the form to fi ll out and things like that." For those who would rather get the permit for their event online rather than visit the Parks and Beautifi cation offi ce at 327 Lower Poplar Street, the Parks and Beautifi cation Department website is always available. Walter, who also works for Macon-Bibb County, says the most important thing a potential event holder can do is to get into contact with Parks and Beautifi cation six weeks before an event and to ask questions in advance about what is needed. Glisson says that with the multitude of large and small tasks he and his team are charged with, they can't make everyone happy and they know that, but nine times out of ten they can make things work. Check out more information about parks, special event policies, and permits at maconbibb.us w w w . g a n e u r o a n d s p i n e . c o m F o r A p p o i n t m e n t s , c a l l 4 7 8 - 7 4 3 - 7 0 9 2 * * * Macon Warner Robins Dublin Locust Grove GEORGIA NEUROSURGICAL GNI I n s t i t u t e B & S S R A I N P I N E P E C I A L I S T S Enjoy the benefits of Robotic Technology available in our Outpatient Surgery Center Pinpoint Accuracy Smaller Incisions Quicker Recovery Joe Sam Robinson, Jr, MD Kim W. Johnston, MD Hugh F. Smisson, III, MD Richard A. Rowe, MD Igor DeCastro, MD D. Cory Adamson, MD

• Cover