The council ordered that the commission report back to the council in January with possible changes that could be made to the Apple Chill festival.
The commission also will have to report back in May with an analysis of Apple Chill, which occurs every April.
The study was spurred by a petition submitted to the council Aug. 26 to eliminate the Apple Chill and Festifall street fairs in which town resident Eunice Brock stated that the "overwhelming crowds are predominately out-of-towners, and Chapel Hillians pay the cost."
After receiving the petition, the town manager and the Parks and Recreation Commission decided the festivals should be evaluated, and they presented two options to the mayor and council. This plan will allow the festival to run and allow the commission to poll festivalgoers and evaluate the festival as it is run.
Betty Maultsby, owner of Lucky Stars on Franklin Street, petitioned at the council meeting on Monday to keep Apple Chill and Festifall as they are. "What I value the most about the festivals is that they serve as an incubation market for new artists and craftsmen," Maultsby said.
Brock also spoke, supporting her original position of evaluating the festivals in January and ultimately canceling them. "If we wait until May, we'll have to spend more time and money ... on something we already know is broke," Brock said.
The final decision reached by the council was to go ahead with Apple Chill 2003 but have the commission give the council an interim report in January.
"(The compromise) is the best way to go about this in terms of maximizing our ability to get all sides of the issue," said council member Jim Ward.
All parties agreed that the festivals need evaluation.
