Officials state position on sidewalk sale

Perry Village government has issued its official position on the annual sidewalk sale in the community that will take place this year in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Discussion occurred at the last two regular Village Council meetings about how the Aug. 1 sidewalk sale will be conducted this year, who sponsors it and exactly what role the village plays in the event.

The conversation at the June 11 meeting wrapped up with council members and administrators agreeing to post a statement on the Perry Village website regarding the sidewalk sale.

The event, which happens each year on the first Saturday in August, also is sometimes referred to as the street sale.

Wording for the statement was recommended by village Solicitor James Loiacono.

“Many of our residents have inquired as to the details of the Annual Street Sale,” the statement reads. “Please be advised that the village does not participate in or sponsor the sale. However, we would hope that those sponsoring and/or participating in the sale would follow the COVID-19 orders and guidelines issued by the Governor’s office.”

Meanwhile, council members also couldn’t pinpoint any formal sponsors of the event.

“There’s no organization

to it,” Councilman Phil Cassella said. “It’s just that a day is announced.”

If any information on the sale has been posted online by a sponsor, it couldn’t be found easily on June 19 by doing Google searches for phrases such as “Perry Village street sale” or “Perry Village sidewalk sale.”

Councilman Rick Walker independently conducted a Facebook poll on the Perry Ohio Community Page about the sidewalk sale. Walker’s survey posed the question, “Should we have the annual village sidewalk sale the first Saturday in August as usual?”

As of the afternoon of June 19, 327 people voted “yes” and 8 voted “no,” while 21 other people checked the box saying that the sale should require “self distancing.”

Walker mentioned a Facebook comment left by one woman who responded to the poll. She said she hoped that masks would be mandatory for customers and sellers at the sale.

Regarding that idea, Loiacono reminded village government leaders that the Ohio Health Department and Lake County General Health District are

responsible for enforcement issues related to COVID-19.

“(The village) should stay out of it,” Loiacono said.

The question also arose about the possibility of a lawsuit against the village if a resident selling goods outside his or her house or a customer claimed they contracted COVID-19 at the event.

Loiacono said there is a lot going on now around the country with litigation involving COVID-19. However, he reiterated that the village does not participate in or sponsor the sale.

“It’s not our area of concern,” he said.

But Cassella said he thought that the village still needed to take a stance regarding the sidewalk sale.

“I think something has to be put out, just for clarification, under the circumstances of what we’re dealing with right now,” he said.

The statement that now appears on the village’s website also was posted on the Perry Ohio Community Facebook Page by Walker, in the comment section of the poll he created.