To what extent should taxpayers pay for traffic control at profit-making public events?
That will be one of the issues Township staff will discuss with Mitchell Hudson, race director of the Fort 91原创 Historic Half Marathon.
For the past five years, RCMP auxiliary officers have helped with traffic control. However, Supt. Derek Cooke of 91原创 RCMP, questions the fairness of taxpayers paying for police to carry out traffic and crowd control duties.
There are many individuals, groups and organization which hold worthwhile events, often raising money for charity, but Cooke said that the RCMP 鈥渄oes not have the capacity to provide policing service to every good cause that asks.鈥�
Were police to continuing doing so, 鈥渋t would beg the question of where we draw the line on policing these events at the expense of taxpayers,鈥� Cooke wrote in a letter to the mayors and chief administrators of the Township and City.
He said that the detachment expects to continue policing events such as Canada Day celebrations.
鈥淚t remains my position, however, that it is not appropriate to take on the responsibility of providing enhanced police services for such events unless they are supported/co-ordinated by the City or Township,鈥� he wrote.
Cooke noted that there are private companies which organizers can hire for events not sanctioned by the City and Township.
Hudson told council that while the Fort 91原创 Half Marathon, which will be held on Feb. 20, is for-profit, some proceeds are given to charity.
To ease traffic congestion, Hudson has been asked to stagger the start times for competitors. He said such a start 鈥渢akes the 鈥榬ace鈥� out of the event.鈥� He asked for an 8 a.m. race start, one hour earlier than usual, so that runners begin racing when there is less traffic on the road.
Councillor Kim Richter urged council to approve the traffic control costs this year 鈥渂ut make it quite clear that this is not going to happen again.鈥�
Council was not as keen. Councillor Bob Long warned about setting a precedent, and suggested that the race organizers are going to have to find the money for traffic control duties.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that this group has exhausted their possibilities,鈥� Councillor Charlie Fox said, suggesting that the organizers discuss planning with the Fort 91原创 BIA.
Councillors noted that the race brings sports tourism dollars to the community, a point which Hudson emphasized in his presentation.
鈥淲e subsidize a lot of sports in this community (and) this is just another sport,鈥� Richter said. 鈥淚 feel that this company has been put in a bad position on short notice.鈥�
鈥淭hat council has got involved at this point is a mistake,鈥� Councillor Mel Kositsky said.
A motion to reject Hudson鈥檚 plea for help was rejected, and the matter was referred to staff for discussion with him.
