Wakestock pushes deadline on GNE event

Organizers of Collingwood-based Wakestock received a dressing-down from several members of Clearview Council Monday night after they failed to meet the special event permit application deadline for an auxiliary camping and entertainment event at the GNE Fairgrounds, scheduled to take place in the evening and nighttime hours during the water sports festival.

With the event planned for the weekend of August 10-12 and several aspects of the application still not dealt with, including security arrangements with the Huronia West OPP, Township bylaw officer Phil Snape brought a report to Council recommending that the Wakestock application be revoked. Event organizers were late getting their ducks in order last year as well, he said – a situation that prompted Council to later amend the special events bylaw to include a provision that applications must be complete prior to 30 days before the event. But when that deadline passed this year, Wakestock organizers had not finished their work and were not responding to Snape’s phone calls and emails.

In the days since his report was finished, however, the organizers had been in touch, and two representatives – Steve Jarrett and Todd Elsley – were in attendance Monday night.
“Communication has not been my strong point, and for that I take full responsibility,” said Elsley, explaining that the delay in completing the application occurred due to a late commitment from the this year’s event’s main sponsor.

That led to some strong words from Mayor Ken Ferguson, Councillor Shawn Davidson and Councillor Robert Walker, all of whom pointed out that Wakestock should have continued their work with the various agencies while they were sorting out their sponsorship.

Council did hear from two significant supporters of the event Monday night, the importance of whom eventually swayed its decision away from Snape’s recommendation. GNE president Eldie Benson spoke directly to Council, noting that a cancellation of the Wakestock event would represent a “huge blow” to the Fairground’s budget for the year. And Collingwood Deputy Mayor Rick Lloyd sent a letter to Clearview, respectfully asking that the Township support the Wakestock application as it is a crucial element of the festival. In 2010, the year before the GNE camping event was introduced, Collingwood experienced significant mischief and disturbances during nighttime hours during Wakestock.

“I don’t want to be the bad guy here,” said Mayor Ferguson before a vote was called. “But it bothers me that you’re expecting people to jump through hoops at the last minute. In my books, it’s strike three and you’re out. This is maybe strike two.”

Councillors Doug Measures, Brent Preston and Thom Paterson all spoke of the importance of Clearview maintaining good relationships with Collingwood and the GNE Board, and Paterson encouraged Elsley to be more communicative with the Township should he run into problems in the future.

“It’s better to get five minutes of lecturing from our bylaw officer than the amount of lecturing you’ve heard here tonight, isn’t it?” he said.

With that, a motion to accept Snape’s recommendation and revoke the Wakestock application failed, with only Councillor Robert Walker and Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage voting in favour. A subsequent motion to extend the deadline until Monday, July 31 passed by a count of 7-2.

Hub Financing Secured

With the Clearview Simcoe Joint Emergency Services Facility now up and running, Council approved a formal debenture for the project Monday night, replacing interim financing that had been in place during the facility’s construction.

The Township’s 2010 budget anticipated that $3,681,071 would need to be borrowed at this point, but the project came in under budget, necessitating a loan of $3,325,703. That amount will be amortized over 40 years, with a fixed interest rate of 3.79 per cent for the first 30 years. A rate for the final ten years will have to be negotiated when the time comes.

That translates to a total yearly payment of $162,162 to service the loan. Of that, $75,872 will come from development charges and $86,290 will come from taxation. The total cost of all payments, including interest and assuming the same rate for the final 10 years, works out to $6.48 million over 40 years.

Mayor Ken Ferguson, an avid supporter of the Emergency Hub since it was first conceptualized, made his hope known that there would be a unanimous vote on the financing. Councillor Thom Paterson, however, continued his tradition of voting against resolutions concerning the project.

Compensation Studies Approved

Council approved $15,100 in non-budgeted spending Monday night in order to hire a consultant to complete a market compensation review of the Township’s non-union (management) employees, as well as a review of Council’s remuneration. The former study will cost $10,000; the latter $5,100. Funds will come from a combination of the Township’s “General Consulting” account and savings that have been realized this year as a result of a changeover of Clearview’s employee benefits provider.

The compensation study will ascertain the market price for each of the Township’s management positions, propose a new salary structure in line with the 50th percentile of those market prices, suggest provisions for maintaining competetive salary rates over time, determine how quickly individuals should progress through the pay grid, and make suggestions with regard to compensation in lieu of overtime, pay equity compliance and performance reviews.

The Council remuneration survey will study the market prices for Council pay and benefits across a range of comparators.

It has been six years since Clearview Council members received a raise in pay.

<Wakestock photo by Roth Photo>