This chapter shall be known as and may be cited
as the "Mass Gatherings Ordinance of the Town of Madison."
This chapter is enacted pursuant to the Home
Rule Authority granted to the Town of Madison in accordance with the
provisions of 30-A M.R.S.A. § 3001 and 22 M.R.S.A. § 1602,
Subsection 5.
The Town of Madison finds that unregulated mass
gatherings pose a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the
community. Large numbers of patrons overtax the roads leading to the
place where the gathering is being held, preventing the passage of
emergency vehicles, delaying persons using these roads for other purposes,
posing a threat to pedestrians, and obstructing entrances to homes
and places of business so that residents and business guests are denied
access. mass gatherings also exceed the capacity of the community
to provide lodging, parking, food, water, medical services and sanitary
facilities, resulting in trespasses upon and damage to private property,
the use of private property as public toilets, and creation of hazards
to the health of both patrons and residents. A lack of sufficient
security forces to cope with large crowds results in open violations
of laws intended to prevent breaches of the peace, and illegal consumption
of drugs and alcohol. Unregulated mass gatherings also interfere with
the peaceful enjoyment of home and property by residents of the Town
through the creation of noise, congestion, and unauthorized use of
private property. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a balance
between the right of assembly and the legitimate rights of privacy
of residents of the Town.
