MANSFIELD — The city’s Downtown Improvement Advisory Board on Friday approved donating $5,000 to Mansfield’s holiday lights effort in 2022.
The Richland County Development Group’s beautification sector is in the process of securing private and public funding for what has become an annual six-week period of holiday magic in the downtown.
Chuck Hahn of Cleveland Financial Group in Mansfield, helping to again lead the effort, requested the funds during the meeting on the ninth floor of the Municipal Building.
He provided documents showing how the holiday lighting program has grown over each of the last three years, capped by a $10,000 fireworks display last year on New Year’s Eve in Central Park.
A similar fireworks event is planned this year, Hahn said, adding the event attracted hundreds of people downtown for the display, which included live music outside Dan Lew Exchange on North Main Street and a “ball drop” at midnight.
“For those of you who where there, I thought it was very impressive,” Hahn said. “These are not your regular 4th of July fireworks where they go up 500 to 600 feet. They are smaller, just above the treetops.”
The fireworks are handled by a company from Cincinnati.
The beautification committee will also once again fund light displays on the vacant lot at the five-way light, the gazebo on the square and the intersection of Fifth and Main streets.
The committee has also reached an agreement with First English Lutheran Church to put lights on its lot at the intersection of Park Avenue West and South Mulberry Street, site of a new public parking lot.
Mayor Tim Theaker told advisory board members that a resident on Heidi Lane had agreed to donate a holiday tree to the city. The group had allocated $2,500 to purchase a tree, funds that were returned on Friday to the advisory board’s general funds.
The DIAB balked at allocating money earmarked specifically for the fireworks display, citing concerns about “event sponsorship” that could lead to future requests.
“We have really been specific about (using DIAB funds) for infrastructure,” said board member Jennifer Kime, CEO of Downtown Mansfield Inc. “I think the lights can be infrastructure.”
