How much is it worth to celebrate Harrison’s Park 100th birthday?
Not 13 thousand dollars in the minds of most members of Owen Sound Council.
Council rejected on Monday night the minutes of a recent meeting of the Friends of Harrison Park — a four person committee comprised entirely of City Councillors.
The committee had come up with plans for a 100th birthday celebration in July that would have cost more than 13 thousand dollars.
The three-day event would have involved a number of activities.
It was estimated that live music, a tent for a community picnic, and advertising in the local media would cost 2 thousand apiece.
A shuttle service and portable washrooms would each cost an additional one thousand dollars.
This all would have meant an amendment to the recently approved city budget, and that was not something most councillors were willing to support.
Councillor Jim McManaman pointed out the City’s entire events budget for the year is only 15 thousand dollars.
Councillor Bill Twaddle said there are hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of much-needed capital projects that aren’t being done because the money isn’t there to do them.
Councillor David Adair expanded upon that — saying many of those worthy projects are at Harrison Park, and coming up with money for some of them would be a much more worthwhile celebration of the park than a cake and balloons.
Adair also took strong exception to a comment by Councillor Peter Lemon, a member of the Friends, that other members of council intended to “kill” the idea of a celebration.
Adair says he simply can’t justify reopening the budget to add 13 thousand dollars for a party when businesses are closing and residents are going through tough times.
The other members of the Friends — Councillors Arlene Wright, Jan Chamberlain and Colleen Purdon — acknowledged that their plan was “aggressive” and “ambitious” and was really only intended to spark discussion.
Council did approve a motion from McManaman to have the committee look again at plans for a celebration — specifically, how the 100th birthday of the park could be celebrated within existing budgets.
It was said that celebrations could piggyback on other park-based community events which won’t cost the city much money, if any at all.
Purdon, the chair of the Friends, says the committee will get together again as soon as possible.
