6 September 2020
NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOV.com) — St. Louis County officials have shut down a carnival in Bellefontaine Neighbors, saying it was operating without permits or a proper COVID-19 safety plan.
Officials made the announcement Sunday afternoon. The operator of the carnival, Fun Times Shows, requested a temporary food permit on Friday.
A flyer for the carnival says it opened on Wednesday and was scheduled to run through Labor Day. County officials say such a permit must be submitted 10 days ahead of time. Carnival organizers also submitted a COVID-19 safety plan on Friday, officials say.
Both the permit request and the safety plan were denied, but health officials say they learned that the carnival was still being held on Friday night.
Health inspectors and Bellefontaine Neighbors police officers went to the carnival to document violations and deliver a letter that said the carnival organizers could not operate.
County officials say the carnival was also held on Saturday.
The owner told News 4 miscommunication is the reason he didn’t have the proper permits and he says he didn’t know until Saturday night that he needed to shut down.
He says he had a plan in place to keep patrons safe.
“We submitted our COVID-19 plan, which we prepared before we ever took it out on the road this season, the things that we do for the COVID situation,” said Clint Payne with Fun Time Shows. “We’ve been operating every week since the first of June in different areas, Jefferson City, all around you know. It’s worked everywhere we’ve been as far as that goes.”
Payne said he had been operating a carnival in St. Peters for several weeks without a problem. The carnival has packed up and is headed to Unionville, Missouri for its next show.
Source: kmov.com