Sedgwick County Commissioners voted unanimously to deny an agreement for a summer concert event at Lake Afton Park.
Promoters were planning to hold the “Dam Jam” at Lake Afton for July 18th through the 20th. The event is to feature country artists including Jo Dee Messina and Ryan Upchurch. The event was going to be limited to 9,000 attendees.
Commissioners raised concerns about public safety and some of the content at the event. Sheriff Jeff Easter said there would have to be more than 20 deputies working off-duty to provide security, and he’s not sure that many could be hired. He said if there was a major incident, on-duty deputies from across the county would be called in and it would take time for them to respond. He would then have to back-fill with overtime to maintain coverage for the county. Easter said deputies could handle the event, but there could be issues with response and maintaining safety.
Commissioners David Dennis and Jim Howell raised concerns about adult content in the show, and wanting to maintain a family-friendly event. Promoters promised to work with the county on the issues. Dennis said there are too many unknowns for him to support the agreement, and if temperatures get over 100 degrees that could stress public services.
