AMHERST – More than two months after a group held a family reunion at Mill River Recreation Area, town officials are still trying to collect money associated with clean-up costs and damage caused by the event.
Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek in late May sent a letter and invoice to Corey Smith of Lynn seeking $449,41, which includes the costs of removing trash strewn in the parking lots, lawns and woods the day after the April 17 event, the salaries for town workers who performed the clean-up, and the damage to a restroom.
Smith’s name was on the application for renting the pavilion at the North Amherst site through the Leisure Services and Supplemental Education department, which offers pavilions at both Mill River and Groff Park in South Amherst to the public.
But so far, there has been no response to the correspondence, which includes color photographs of beer and water bottles and bags of charcoal tossed on the ground, tables and chairs scattered on the fields and the door to a restroom stall sitting on the floor.
Peter Hechenbleikner, interim town manager, said town officials will not allow such an event to happen again.
“They will not be issued a permit for the park in the future,” Hechenbleikner said.
In addition to the damage and debris, the organizers provided inaccurate contact information, invited 500 to 1,000 people who overwhelmed the size of the area reserved and violated the permit by playing amplified music that led to complaints from neighbors.
Hechenbleikner said with reasonable time given to get a response, the town may next pursue legal action should the organizers of the reunion not pay up.
“There is small claims court, that’s certainly an option,” Hechenbleikner said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
