Tillsonburg council to review establishment of grant committee

A request to waive rental fees in Tillsonburg for this year’s Kinsmen Club Easter Egg Hunt was accepted by Tillsonburg council two weeks after council had turned down a similar motion for another community event.

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On Feb. 11, council voted against waiving a $490.35 fee for the second annual Black Heritage Month event held Feb. 25 at the Tillsonburg Community Center.

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In a presentation to council on Feb. 26, Cedric Tomico from the Tillsonburg Kinsmen Club noted the club has organized the Easter egg hunt in Tillsonburg for the past three decades.

“It’s been a widely participated event, each and every single one of those events,” said Tomico.

Last year’s event set a new attendance record with an estimated 1,500 people at Memorial Park, he said.

“The past three years, the Kinsmen have worked extra hard on the event. We’ve added some unique extras to complement the historical event. We’re really proud with what’s been created and we thank the community for always making it such a joyous, rewarding event just by simply attending.”

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The club is looking forward to providing the Easter Egg Hunt for ‘many, many years to come,’ said Tomico. This year’s hunt is on March 30.

To run the event, the Kinsmen use the pavilion and Kinsmen bandshell in Memorial Park, which are rented out by the town at $104.70 each.

“We’re coming before this council tonight to ask that those fees be waived for this year and for all future years for as long as the Tillsonburg Kinsmen continue to host this event,” said Tomico. “The Tillsonburg Kinsmen are formally requesting a so-called life membership of these town facilities, but for this particular event only.”

Council voted to donate the 2024 fees ($209.40 plus HST) for the Memorial Park rental to the Kinsmen Club as sponsors from the tax rate stabilization reserve.

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“It’s a great event and I’ve taken my grandkids there,” said Coun. Pete Luciani. “This would be one of these situations where it would be great where we have our policy… and that would dictate (action) going forward. I feel that this is a community event, using community assets… I do support waiving of the fees, I just don’t know what has changed from the last meeting and now that we’re going to be able to do it. But I am certainly in favor of it, and I want to say thank you for putting it on.”

Coun. Chris Parker also praised the Kinsmen Club.

“I think this is an opportunity to give back to a group that gives back to our community in a number of different ways,” said Parker. “They are truly a pillar of our community.”

Coun. Kelly Spencer supports the event but questioned what changed from a similar request earlier in the month.

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“It’s a great event… and I think it’s great for the community,” agreed Councilor Kelly Spencer. “But I am having a hard time that two weeks ago we said no to a community group (event) that was open to the community, and free. I’m just having a hard time – without a policy in place – picking and choosing who we are supporting.”

Coun. Bob Parsons had similar views.

“I love this (Easter egg hunt) project, I’ve gone many years, taken my children, my grandchildren, volunteered as a firefighter collecting food along with the service clubs,” said Councilor Bob Parsons, who also had reservations about saying no to one group, then yes to another two weeks later. “It is a very worthy project but I really don’t know how I can say yes to one and not the other.”

Deputy Mayor Dave Beres suggested the town may have had a policy on waiving rental fees – or a portion of them – in past years, but it might have expired.

“I think we should come up with a policy that is very clear on that,” Beres said.

Later in the Feb. 26 meeting, on a motion put forward by Parker, council voted to review the establishment of a town grant committee, and directed the clerk to review procedure by law updates for donation requests from delegations.

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