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Negotiations took place Wednesday night between Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, and the student organizers of an unregulated party scheduled for Saturday night on Mifflin Street.

The grassroots group started advertising “Mifflin over Freakfest” by chalking and posting fliers throughout the week for the unofficial block party this Saturday — the same day the city-sanctioned Freakfest is planned.

Verveer contacted organizer Alex Kaufer to meet with the group and ask them to put an end to their plans.

Christian von Preysing-Barry, one of the group’s organizers, said it is too late for them to make any significant changes.

“We’re going to go ahead with what we’re doing, and if the city wants to talk with us at any point, we can do that,” von Preysing-Barry said. “That doesn’t change what we’re doing right now.”

The meeting was productive in the sense that the two parties agreed to continue a dialogue, Verveer said, adding he is trying to set up a meeting with city officials and police for the group to voice their concerns.

Despite the meeting with Verveer, von Preysing-Barry said the group would continue to carry out the plans they have for advertising the event.

Prior to the meeting Wednesday night, von Preysing-Barry went door-to-door up and down West Mifflin Street to talk to residents about the unofficial block party on Saturday, reminding them to protect any valuables, especially on their porches or in their yards.

In response to the possible party on Mifflin Street, Joel Plant, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said the Madison Police Department as well as the city of Madison are aware of efforts.

“I would just like to reiterate that there is no alternative formal party,” Plant said, though he had no further comment on the city’s plan to deal with the potential Mifflin party.

Plant also said no street permits have been signed to have a party on Mifflin Street. He related the proposed party to the efforts in 2006 to move the Freakfest celebration to Langdon Street, which ended up being withdrawn.

UW sophomore Alexandra Demitrack, one of the Mifflin Halloween party’s promoters, said she thinks students should not accept having their celebration regulated.

“Our goal is not to be violent … [it’s] to provide an alternative,” Demitrack said. “Not everyone wants to pay $7 to walk on a street they walk on everyday.”

The group wants to provide a free and unregulated holiday, UW sophomore Britney Tripp said, echoing Demitrack’s sentiments that students should be able to do what they want.

“We want to have it run by us and not by cops and businesses,” Tripp said.

The group’s plans do not consist of any alcohol or entertainment, Verveer said after meeting with the organizers.

“They aren’t trying to replicate the Mifflin Street Block Party,” Verveer said, adding a meeting with police would be beneficial to understand the potential consequences.

Madison police do not appear to have major concerns with the possibility of a Mifflin Street party.

“We are not seeing anything that raises the level of havoc or threat right now,” Madison Police Department Capt. Mary Schauf said, adding, “The lack of plan speaks for itself.”

She also said the MPD’s main focus will be downtown where the celebration is occurring, but they are prepared for any surprise event that may take place.

von Preysing-Barry said he has no idea what sort of attendance Mifflin Street will have but told Mifflin residents there will be “at least a presence.”

A number of residents said they already have plans for having friends over, but von Preysing-Barry said as he approached residents saying he did not want to come across pushy by asking them to have parties.

Schauf said the MPD is aware of the private parties occurring each year and asks people plan safe parties. According to Schauf, house parties are considered part of the “Halloween culture.”

While walking door-to-door, von Preysing-Barry told residents the police would be present in the area. However, he said he is not concerned about police cracking down too heavily on house parties.

“Parties get raided all the time,” von Preysing-Barry said, adding there should not be problems as long as things do not get out of hand.

The sponsorship of Freakfest has lowered the number of arrests in the past few years, but there is a price, Dave Maynard of Frank Productions said, adding the cost of the event has yet to be determined.

“The event is a partnership, so we work with the city,” said Maynard. “It is not our event solely; it is not the city’s event solely. We’re a partnership, so we’ll see where the costs lie.”