An Uproar

The fecal matter has hit the fan again. The town is in an uproar. Questions are being asked and not answered.

My morning has been spent trying to get answers at the Town Hall with limited success.

The St Kitts woman is in the eye of the storm.

A sign appeared on town park railings advertising a Jazz Festival with a $5 price of admission.

Farmers Market vendors are apparently being turfed from the park to make way for vendors accompanying the jazz festival.

Farmers Market Vendors pay for permits from the town. Who is issuing permits to vendor at the Jazz Festival.

The Rotary Club are operating a Beer Garden .They have all the right permits. St Kitts came to Council to talk about that a few weeks ago. Her purpose was not apparent.

$4 thousand smackeroos is said to be the price of a sponsorship for the Jazz festival. Who pockets that?

On July 13th, a request was made to delegate to Council ask for band shell fees to be waived for the Jazz Festival. For some obscure reason the request was not made.

It is now understood the town has " sponsored" the Jazz Festival to the tune of $2Ks. That would cover the band shell fees.

The town does not "sponsor" events. The town provides grants for events. Under certain qualifications. If the qualifications are not met , the grant requires Council approval.

I am not aware of Council's approval of a grant to the Jazz festival.

At the time of writing, I have been unable to find anyone at the town hall to assure me it has or has not happened.

There's a pre-Jazz festival being held at the Cultural Centre. the night before the festival. I have heard two different prices of admission. One $30, the other $50.

Where's that revenue going?

The Cultural Centre advertises many events with free admission.

The Town's agreement with the operating Board operating is called:

"Purchase of Culture Agreement".

All those Art Shows , Summer Hymn Sings and Aboriginal Displays have been purchased for us by our magnanimous Council with our own tax dollars. That's why they are "free"

According to the Business Plan accepted by Council, the Board is supposed to be weaning itself from town funding by $100ks per annum. The operation costs us half a million a year.

A progress report was to have been presented in April of 2010. I asked about that several weeks ago. Got mumble- jumble from the Mayor about how hard the volunteer board are working on our behalf. But no indication when the town will receive the overdue progress report.

As a result of which, I have no idea whether Ms. St.Kitts is getting free space for a party for which a substantial admission fee is to be charged.

Apparently three thousand people are expected at the Jazz Festival. That would be $15ks admissions revenue.

No doubt, tidy receipts for the vendors and the Beer garden. A question arises about the Rotary Club being able to handle those numbers. Do they know that's what's expected? Did they authorise St Kitts to speak for them at a recent council meeting.

In the meantime, there's an argument about access to the town's toilet facilities. The Jazz Festival organiser is of the opinion the town should provide porta-toilets for near-naked children in the water park, while the beer drinking patrons of the Jazz Festival have sole access to permanent toilets.

Years ago, the Town discussed with concert organisers , an event in the Community Centre Arena. The sticking point was the town's take, whether or not the numbers anticipated actually showed up. The event never happened.

Contrast that with the current arrangement with the Mayor's favorite "Volunteer" and understand the concerns.