Salisbury’s system for permitting and regulating special events has plenty of room for improvement, but the processes and fees recently proposed by Police Chief Jerry Stokes go far beyond what is reasonable for a city of our size.

The idea of paying as much as $150 to submit an 18-page application has surprised and angered local event organizers. What Stokes has compiled can be a suitable starting point, however. Now, what would be a more practical policy?

City Council will probably get a lot of suggestions during a public hearing set for 5 p.m. today at 217 S. Main St. When you stop and think about all the special events that take place in Salisbury — from nearly weekly 5K races to parades and festivals — you realize what an active and involved community this is.

There’s a back story to all this activity, though. Public events put a lot of demands on police and other departments. When Stokes talks about more of a “pay to play” system, he’s trying to recoup some of the expenses the city incurs. Salisbury’s practice has been to absorb those costs as the price of having an involved citizenry. Residents may have taken that for granted. But the cost analysis should also take into account the fact that the majority of these events are fundraisers for worthy causes. Money spent on fees is, in effect, taken away from the cause.

When it comes to demonstrations or pickets, the need for a well-established policy became crystal clear in the summer of 2015. In the wake of the Charleston church massacres and debate over the Confederate flag, opposing groups put on near-spontaneous demonstrations. After allowing one protest to proceed unchecked, the then-police chief was forced to do the same for the next group, and the situation could have gotten out of control. Fortunately, it did not.

The proposed special events policy has other elements that deserve more study, such as the required lead time. The city has to balance the needs and desires of organizers with the needs and expenses of city staff.  Special events are good for Salisbury; they should be encouraged, not hamstrung by a burdensome process.