The Carroll County Board of Supervisors is considering updates to the ordinance that regulates temporary food and merchandise booths as the county prepares for RAGBRAI to pass through later this summer. The ordinance specifically applies to vendors intending to operate within the county when an estimated 20,000 riders travel to Carroll on July 24 and depart for Ames the following morning. Supervisors Scott Johnson and Gene Meiners note these regulations would apply to areas outside of local city limits.
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The last time the ordinance was updated was in 2018 when RAGBRAI passed through the county. This year will be different with Carroll serving as an overnight stop on the route. The existing language requires vendors to apply for a permit through the county and provide proof of adequate insurance and necessary licenses and permits. The board agreed the existing ordinance seems sufficient, but the dates contained within would need to be updated to include July 24 and 25 to account for riders leaving in the morning. Neil Bock, who served as a supervisor in 2018, urged the board to protect the county from potential lawsuits later on.
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Specifically, Bock is referring to county road conditions. The ordinance being discussed deals solely with vendors, but the board assured Bock liability is an issue they are tracking closely. The full RAGBRAI route is not expected to be released for nearly two months, but Johnson says the county is directly involved in the planning process, beginning tomorrow (Tuesday).
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Due to the large number of unknowns, the supervisors opted to delay any action on updating RAGBRAI-related ordinances until later in the planning process.