Clarification

KA-NON has left a new comment on your post "Fencing The Park":

The following is not meant to be an argument for or against the Jazz+ festival, or its use of Town Park, per se.

Seems like there are competing ideas at play.

One, we should charge for the use of the park. This, council has affirmed by refusing to waive the user fee for the Jazz+ festival.

Two, we should never fence off the park to the public. I think that you might have intimated that something in our bylaws, or in come covenant to the deed dating back to when the park was bestowed on the town prohibits it.

We can't have it both ways.

IF we charge a group to use it, then we must allow them the sole use of it for the time period that they are paying for it. When someone rents the ice, or the pool lanes, or whatever, they are afforded sole access. Same should apply here. Public skaters cannot just step on the ice during a minor hockey game.


If that is the case, it shouldn't matter whether it is fenced or not. It is for the use of those with the permit, and none other than those permitted by the permit holder shall enter.

We have to choose whether or not we want to rent the park out, or keep it for public use 100% of the time.

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The fee charged is not for  use of the park.

It pays for parks staff to prepare an area for the users. Picnic tables,
garbage bins are  brought to the area. The park is tidied up immediately before the  event and  after.

When the Wells Street School  had their last graduation party at the park , there were reports of beer bottles, broken and whole  scattered everywhere.Plenty of clean-up.

They asked for and received  a waiver of the fees.

The town park has the additional amenity of a band shell fully equipped for music and entertainment. If it's rented to one group, it will not be rented to another. 

There are additional costs for the park or part of the park to be used
for a special event. If the fee is not paid, taxpayers absorb the cost. If fees are waived often enough, inevitably an increase if fees
must  be calculated to balance the books.

Some people asked to get it for nothing. People who don't pay their share and  a share for  the cheapskates. 

Soccer associations pay fees. Baseball associations also. It is a commitment and a principle.  The town provides the facility.  Special users pay a fee.

Walking a child or a dog or throwing a ball  or a frisby, or  having  game of tag or hide and go seek ,are not prohibited  nor is lolling  under the shade of  an old oak  tree. 

The fee is for  extra work involved in  preparing the space and cleaning up after its  use.

If several groups wanted to use the same space, on the same day ,
like fun and games  for the last day of school,  that  could be a problem and co-operation is required.

Division of the park with chain link fence is not an option.

The only reason for fencing the park for the jazz festival is revenue
for the organizers.

No-one is allowed in to listen to the music unless they pony up  for $5. admission.

That is not the purpose of a public park.

The town could use that opportunity to make money out of  summer concerts.

We don't.

We ask local business to  sponsor the concerts.

They do.

The concerts in the park started as an idea from the Toronto Musicians Union who offered  service at a minimal cost.

For almost fifty years that I know about , people have been enjoying  music  in the  park while  children played  and enjoyed an ice cream cone or a hot dog or a hamburger or a bunch of sticky candy floss. 

For longer than that, people have enjoyed music at the seaside, on  the pier,  along  with Punch and Judy  shows.

 In Windsor,the band plays down by the riverside with beautiful floral displays and boats passing leisurely up and down the river.

In San Francisco, strolling minstrels entertain the crowds at Pier One.

I could go on and on. Just to make the point.

Fencing off a public space in order to collect an admission charge for listening to ambient music is not the norm.

We have been  providing a free venue with all amenities for a professional  music and entertainment service, to make a living.

That some people volunteer their time on an August bank holiday
does not make it less of a commercial venture.