Downtown merchants urge council to restore annual Diesel family reunion, cite sales boosts

Merchants from Columbiana’s Main Street and a representative of the Columbiana Area Chamber of Commerce urged the Columbiana City Council on March 19 to restore a long-running Diesel family reunion event that organizers withdrew this year.

At the meeting Jane Gore of the Rustic Birdcage told council members that several downtown businesses recorded sharp sales gains during past street-closure events, naming specific increases: "Eau Claire Corner has a 35% increase," "White House Mercantile, 45%" and similar figures for other shops, and asked the council to invite the event’s organizer to return next year.

The chamber’s representative said the event and other downtown activities “invigorate our local economy” and proposed a city policy giving event organizers the first right to reserve the same date the following year to reduce future conflicts.

Council members acknowledged the merchants’ data and the community impact of downtown events. One council member said the committee did not anticipate a safety conflict that contributed to the organizer’s decision not to hold the event this year and said, “I can assure you I’ve learned from that.” Another council member said staff would talk to the organizer, Braden, about returning in 2025.

City staff and council discussed practical steps: improving the approvals calendar, adopting a reservation or “first-claim” system for recurring events, and tightening safety reviews so two events do not compete for the same date. Manager Lance said the city is looking at portable signage and a safety plan for crowd movement at busy sites.

The council did not adopt a formal policy at the March 19 meeting but members said they would explore calendar changes and safety measures before the next event season. The council asked staff to continue outreach with merchants and organizers and to report back on a possible date-priority system and safety plan in future meetings.