LAKE PLACID — The village of Lake Placid Board of Trustees is tabling the proposal for a law regulating peaceful assembly and public demonstration in response to public concerns. The hearing for this law will be removed from the agenda for Monday’s meeting.

“Our intent was never to limit free speech,” said a statement posted by the board on Facebook. “We are listening, and we’re committed to taking this feedback into account as we consider the best way to uphold both the right to free speech and peaceful assembly while also supporting public safety.”

This law was officially proposed last week, when a public hearing date was set during the board’s regular meeting. Included in the law was a requirement to apply for a permit for groups over 25 people.

After the law was announced, Lake Placid resident Krystal Ford created a change.org petition that has since earned more than 500 supporters. The petition asked the board to reject the proposed law, saying that it restricted free speech.

Ford has a long history of organizing and attending protests, even before she moved to Lake Placid. Lately, she’s been to many of the weekly protests on state Route 86 across from Hannaford. When the proposed version of the law was brought to her attention, Ford had some immediate concerns.

After speaking with village officials and hearing that they would be tabling the discussion, Ford was appreciative of their commitment to public safety. She said the board should work with the community to balance this with constitutional freedoms, “rather than sacrificing one for the other.”

“It’s super important to be upholding free speech and assembly, especially at this moment,” she said. “There should be a little bit of trust in the community. Those of us who have been showing up have shown ourselves to be acting in good faith.”

Melissa Kukurudza has been organizing the weekly Walk for Ukraine since May 2024 in both Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. Kukurudza said she was alarmed by the idea of restricting any kind of gathering, with the concern that it would cause a “domino effect” of restrictions.

“The way this country is right now, with all the restrictions slowly building up and rights being taken away, that really kind of hit hard,” she said. “This is home.”

Deputy Mayor Jackie Kelley said the protests that have been happening recently have not posed any particular safety concerns, but that the board wants to have a plan to be prepared for anything that might arise. Some safety considerations are basic, like making sure roads are clear for emergency vehicles to get through. And in a small village with small emergency departments, preparedness is key when it comes to having enough staff on hand and responding to situations in a timely manner.

“The real reason (for the proposed law) was for public safety,” Kelly said.

In the board’s statement on Wednesday, they said they anticipate further dialogue about how to balance protecting rights with providing adequate support for these kinds of gatherings.

“The mayor and every member of the board place deep value on our constitutional rights and take seriously the oath of office we’ve taken to protect them,” the statement reads.

The two other hearings scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m., before the village board’s regular meeting, will go forward as planned. This first is to repeal Local Law No. 5 of 1991, which bans businesses from displaying clothing outside their buildings. The second is a proposed law to create uniform closure hours from 2 to 4 a.m. at all public parks.