Gaertner Logic

The town contracts food, ice cream and popcorn service during summer concerts and events in the park. Proposals are requested.Competition  is not as stringent as construction projects. But it is  competition..

M&M Foods were the best bid . On the night the contract was to be awarded, a delegate from the Optimist Club  came in to provide council with additional information.. The Mission of the Optimist Club is to render services for the benefit of young people and all   funds they raise go to that cause.

Councillor Gaertner expressed her support for the Optimists and moved the decision be deferred for consideration of the new information.

On Tuesday. staff re-submitted their recommendation. It was approved. Councillor Gaertner expressed her view that special consideration should be given to clubs where the funds are being used in service to the community.

It was an opening I could not resist.

This year the Optimists and the Rotary Club have not been invited to provide food and the beer garden for the St. Kitts Jazz Festival. Word in the community is they refused to hand over the proceeds to the Festival organisers last year.

Councillor Gaertner responded promptly. I knew she would.

"The Jazz Festival contributes their proceeds to charity " she declared.

That must be quite a bundle, I thought. The "Platinum " sponsorship of $5,000 from the town recommended for release by the Chief Administrative Officer for still unseen promotion for the town.

There's a  $25,000   Trillium grant obtained on evidence of support from the town.  Councillor Ballard put the argument forward in support of  the sponsorship.

Other sponsorships are solicited from town businesses for the same reason I imagine; $5,000 a throw

Rents from vendor booths set up in our  town park. No permit fees to the municipality.

 $5.00 admission fee to each of the  anticipated twenty-five thousand  patrons.

Now new  proceeds  undoubtedly to be derived from food vendors and beer garden operators invited by the festival organisers.

Stimulated business  hoped for  in town restaurants and taverns, used to justify town  investment in the  cash in hand,free use of facilities, will be unlikely with who knows how many amenities provided on location.

Councillor Gaertner's logic is , it's all just fine. Because it's all going to charity don't you know.  So it's alright to dis- invite  the Optimist  and the Rotary Clubs  to raise funds for  their missions  in Aurora at this particular concert in the  Aurora town park.

While arguing  the opposite for concerts in the park provided by the town and financed by tax-paying, employment providing  business to provide a  hand-out to the imaginative organisers of the St Kitts  jazz festival.