Battle of the #TroyCrazy Biergärten

From: Adam Siemiginowski <adam@thehillatmuza.com>
Date: June 23, 2016 at 1:12:54 PM EDT
To: MayorsOffice@troyny.gov, patrick.madden@troyny.gov,  "Monica.Kurzejeski" <monica.Kurzejeski@troyny.gov>,  "Carmella.Mantello" <Carmella.Mantello@troyny.gov>, Erin.SullivanTeta@troyny.gov,  Kim.AsheMcPherson@troyny.gov, "Jim.Gulli" <Jim.Gulli@troyny.gov>,  Mark.McGrath@troyny.gov, "Dean.Bodnar" <Dean.Bodnar@troyny.gov>, Robert.Doherty@troyny.gov,  "Lynn.Kopka" <Lynn.Kopka@troyny.gov>, "John.Donohue" <John.Donohue@troyny.gov>, betterburgh@gmail.com,  Doherty4troy@gmail.com, katie.hammon@troybid.org, events@troybid.org
Cc: Timothy Tyrrell <tim@thehillatmuza.com>
Subject: IMMEDIATE CONCERN: Rockin’ On The River Precipitating Post-Event Violence & Upsetting Troy’s Public Image

Greetings Troy Administration, Council, Business Improvement District:

There have been recent incidents of physical assault, street brawls & an alleged stabbing in Downtown Troy AFTER the completion of Rockin’ On The River both Wednesday June 15th and Wednesday June 22nd.

It is not acceptable that our community’s safety and reputation has directly and negatively been affected by this city-sponsored and promoted event.

The mismanagement of the aftermath of Rockin' On The River will discourage people from coming to and enjoying Troy in the future. This conflicts with the growth objective of Rockin' On The River.

This negatively affects Troy businesses. (Full disclosure: we have not seen any measured change in our business on Wednesdays due to Rockin’ On The River.)

Given the large crowd Rockin’ On The River gathers, downtown businesses must be equipped to handle the large crowd vacating the controlled environment at Riverfront Park, where security was recently bolstered.

For example:

Two brawls broke out simultaneously, approximately 12:15am Thursday, June 23 on opposite sides of downtown, AFTER Riverfront Park was closed. One at The Ruck and one at Wolff’s Biergarten. Troy and Watervliet police were called to both incidents, passing the incident at Wolff’s to support The Ruck approximately 10 minutes AFTER Wolff’s management had called for support. It took over 20 minutes for police to show up at Wolff’s after bystanders were asked to immediately evacuate the premises. Mass groups of people were screaming and fighting on the sidewalk and in the intersection. One grotesque example involved a young male laying facedown, prostrate across the edge of the sidewalk and street, bleeding onto the pavement. Groups of young men with raised fists roamed around the bar exterior accosting others for over 15 minutes. We share this as a first-hand account after attempting to celebrate a friend’s birthday at Wolff’s Biergarten.

Rockin’ On The River should be designed to give visitors and locals a “taste of Troy”, as the Farmer’s Market and ‘Troy Night Out’ successfully have achieved.

Rockin’ On The River should support local businesses to run operationally smooth for the whole night, as the event impacts their whole night. Business owners surrounding Riverfront Park should be given increased support and security if Troy is inviting hundreds of people to drink inexpensively with lax security on a weeknight.

An immediate solution is due.

Suggested Action Plan:

1. Suspend Rockin’ On The River until a robust city-wide security plan is developed, communicated and implemented.
2. Increase security in streets outside Riverfront Park supporting local businesses AFTER event completion.
3. Increase beer costs / reduce taps to promote reduced levels of intoxication among crowd, creating a more supportive, family environment.
4. Increase security and observation of Rockin’ On The River guests bringing in and consuming Liquor Mini Bottles / ‘Nips’. (NOTE: Local bar employee stated the excessive amount of these found on the ground in the bar Wednesday June 22nd.)

In summary, Rockin' On The River is a wonderful opportunity for the city which has attracted a great following and has been objectively successful, but there is a loss of control AFTER the event which negatively impacts us all, and needs to be dealt with immediately.

We would be glad to discuss this further, and support any actions to remedy these conditions. We look forward to positive changes.

Best,
Adam Siemiginowski & Tim Tyrrell
The Hill at Muza / Hill Neighborhood