Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Simple
Question ..Simple Answer":
Do we even know how much THEY are making
by leasing space in OUR park to outside vendors while fencing residents out?
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A condition in 2011 of receiving $5,000. "Platinum Sponsorship " from town coffers was a financial statement to be submitted when the affair was concluded and funds tallied. It took several months.
The statement eventually submitted showed revenue of $150,000. $6,000 was donated to charity and $5,000 was in hand.
The event therefore cost $139,000. It seems everybody got paid
except of course for all the " hundreds" of volunteers who donated their time for nothing
In the first year, the St Kitts woman informed staff ,the town had to rent port-a-potties for children using the water park. The understanding was jazz festival patrons had exclusive use of the public toilets.
I learned there were sixty-nine e-mails in a short space of time giving staff various directions. .
One went from the town's legal department to the organizer informing her public toilets had to remain accessible to the public.
The Leisure Services Director arranged for Market patrons to have access to picnic tables within the baseball field..
The security fence was manned by guards.Market patrons wishing to use the toilets were directed to walk around the perimeter of the park to the opposite side to gain access to washrooms.
Market patrons enjoying a coffee and a brekfast sandwich at the picnic tables provided for that purpose were ordered out in mid bite by the Festival organiser.
It seemed the organizer had the determined impression the park belonged entirely to the jazz festival for three days.
Yet no fee was paid for the park. The user fee for the band shell was waived.
It's likely the "platinum sponsorship" money paid for the five foot high chain link fence to keep people out of their park and allow $5.admission to be charged to each entrant.
It was that year,the former Mayor and Council held a little celebration with a cake and honored the St Kitts woman with an award for Most Valuable Volunteer during a Council meeting.
It was also the last year the Rotary Club operated the beer garden
and the Optimist Club the food stand during the festival.
I heard proceeds were expected to be handed over to the festival organizer. They did not volunteer services last year.
It was a bit like the food drive at the market. People were encouraged to buy fresh produce at the market and contribute it to the food bank.
The festival organizer was said to have had the brilliant idea people should hand cash over instead for food to be purchased at the supermarket for the food bank.
So the bottom line is that the Jazz Gang get paid to rent out Aurora property. Are we stupid, or what?
ReplyDeleteNo wonder they weren't worried about paying to use the band shell. That's just small potatoes compared to what they've taken from Aurora. Oink! Oink!
ReplyDeleteAll the fencing that seems to be required is that which the LCBO needs to enclose the beer garden. The beer garden does not include the entire park.
ReplyDeleteOnce again we are getting in to what Councillor Pirri posted that he did not want to see, a lot of town effort and expense being used to enrich a few individuals.
Is there any limit to the # of vendors to whom the Jazz
ReplyDeleteOutfit can sell permits to use Aurora land? Any reason why that # cannot grow each year to their financial benefit? And to the loss of possible income to Aurora?
To Anonymous - May 14, 8:59.
ReplyDeleteWHo are the "few individuals" that are being enriched?
It would seem to me that if the demand for the jazz event is such that they draw the crowds, they are being "enriched" . Not in a monatary way but in a day out, having fun, listening to the music that they like.
I really dislike this constant notion that rich people are getting rich on the backs of Aurora tax payers.
It sounds like a bunch of kids watching the rich kids over the fence play with their expensive toys.
I don't want to add to the misery but a frightening question occurs. If there is an accident in Aurora's park over the 3-day period in which residents must pay to have access, whose insurance would have to kick in? Is Aurora liable for whatever behaviour takes place despite the fact that they did not lease land to the vendors/
ReplyDelete9:27 AM
ReplyDeleteThen just follow the money trail.
The charities get very little. Professionals advise the people running the event { Cobourg ], entertainers get paid unions rates, volunteers are not year-round dedicated people but 3-day deals backed with our kids and grand-kids.
So to correct you, this is not rich kids playing with THEIR toys. This is about spoiled adults playing with toys they do not own.
Poor old 9:27 AM beating the same old drum. No one considers this to be about class or money except you. It's about dollars, ours, and sense, their lack of same.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me 10:06 AM...
ReplyDeleteSince when are volunteers paid for their time? Is that not a condition of being a volunteer? I certainly don't get paid for my volunteer contribution which adds up to over 30 hours/month on average.
12:32 PM
ReplyDeleteWhere did you read that volunteers should be paid ?
No one said such a thing. Always superficial and snide.
The favourite USA phrase, "pork barrelling"comes tomind.
ReplyDelete