MINUTES
ROTARY CLUB
OF MARKHAM SUNRISE INC.
Mayor’s
Board Room, Markham Civic Centre
Meeting No. 1
March 24,
2009
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Attendance:
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Members |
Staff |
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Councillor John Webster Jim Sandiford, Rotary Club of Sunrise Inc. Peter Cusimano, Rotary Club of Sunrise Inc. Susan Peterson, Rotary Club of Sunrise Inc. Phil Howes, Manager, Markham BIA Regrets Councillor Carolina Moretti |
Bob Walter, District Manager East, Anna Rose, Manager, Community Relations Steve Matunin, Supervisor, Horticulture Rob Hincks, Supervisor, Operations Joanne Olson, Administrative Assistant Judy Kee, Committee Clerk |
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The meeting convened at 3:05 p.m. with Jim Sandiford in the Chair. Copies
of the Agenda for the meeting were distributed.
1. FOLLOW-UP OF 2008
SANTA CLAUS PARADE
Review of Hospitality Report
Members had before them a follow-up report,
prepared by Susan Peterson, relating to the pre and post Parade hospitality
activities.
It was noted that the biggest problem had
been with the location of the Awards Ceremony.
Many people were unable to find the building where the Ceremony was
being held, resulting in poor attendance.
It was suggested that larger signage be created to direct people this
year.
It was also suggested that the Parade
disembarkation could end further north, closer to the location of the Awards
Ceremony/refreshment area.
It was also noted that the reception could be
held at the Museum’s bandstand, and the Awards Ceremony held either in the
church or Museum building, or alternatively, the beverages could be served in
front of the Museum, subject to Museum staff approval.
Other matters were raised and briefly discussed,
as follows:
· suggestion to
possibly move Parade traffic through the Museum property – not recommended by
staff
· Sunkist Plaza/No
Frills – driveway access – closed during Parade; tight controls must be kept; this
area must be closed early;
· staged closings should
be considered along Highway 7
It was agreed that a separate meeting would be
arranged with York Regional Police, prior to June 2009, to discuss details of
the street closings, communication requirements, and the number of police
officers required. Persons to be in
attendance at this meeting should include: the Chair, Peter Cusimano,
representative from REACT, Bob Walter, Joanne Olson, Councillor Webster, and
Councillor Moretti. Staff will set up
this meeting and advise members.
Financial Results (2008 Actual and 2007
Actual)
The Chair presented a financial statement of
the 2008 Santa Claus Parade, detailing the 2007 and 2008 Actuals.
Some concern was raised regarding the
difficulty of getting bands for the Parade, and Joanne Olson advised that she
would follow-up with some marching bands that she has dealt with for the Canada
Day event regarding their availability for the 2009 Parade.
Santa Claus Float
It was noted that the Santa Claus float is in
need of some repair and a face lift, and it was suggested that some of the
surplus funds from 2008 might be put towards improving the float. The Chair noted that the evening Rotary Club
has been asked to establish a Santa Claus Float Committee, and he would report
back on this at the next meeting.
Members were also advised that the previous
Santa Claus has resigned, and the Chair is in the process of following-up on a
replacement.
2. OTHER BUSINESS
Staging - It was noted that the cost of staging had
increased last year, and it was suggested that Committee consider sharing a
stage with the Markham BIA to save money.
Sponsorship - The matter of establishing a sponsorship
strategy for the Parade was raised and briefly discussed.
Street Vendors – There was some
discussion regarding whether street vendors required licenses, and staff
advised that the Town does not require licences as long as it is a BIA
sponsored event. It was noted that
enforcement is challenging. It was
suggested that information be placed on the Official Parade website regarding
this matter and it was agreed that Peter Cusimano and
Kimberley Kitteringham would work together on the appropriate wording.
Signed Waivers – Some concern was
expressed regarding the requirement that Parade participants must sign waivers,
which is currently part of the Parade application process. It was agreed that the form was complicated
and it was suggested that perhaps it could be simplified in some way. Staff will speak to the Town’s Legal and
Finance Departments to determine the exact requirements and report back at the
next meeting.
Road Closures (Parade late start) – It was noted
that there had been some logistical problems relating to road closures at the
beginning of the Parade last year, and rather than starting at 10:00 am, it had
started closer to 11:00 a.m. Members
discussed options to alleviate similar traffic problems in future, including fine-tuning
the placement of advanced event signage and detour signage. Staff will follow-up on the logistics
involved.
3. 2008 SANTA FEST – FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
FOLLOW-UP
Mr. Phil Howes, Manager of the Markham BIA,
presented a summary report of the events held at the 2008 Santa Fest – Festival
of Lights, including “What Went Right” and “What Went Wrong”; suggestions for
improvements and general comments. He
noted that this was the first time that the event had not been held on
the Friday night and had been organized in coordination with the Parade on the
Saturday. A financial summary of the
Event was also presented and briefly reviewed.
The following comments were raised:
· change from Friday
to Saturday resulted in negative feedback from some merchants; positive
feedback from others
· Saturday closing of
street appears to make most sense
· some concern with
late start of Parade in 2008
· suggestions that in
future, Parade could start at either11:00 a.m.; twilight; or in the evening
· vendors would have
time to set up early in morning and then BIA would be “ready to roll”
immediately after Parade
· safety issues; a
safety buffer is required along route of Parade; children like to sit on curb;
evening may not be appropriate due to poor visibility
· some participants in
Parade have to leave immediately for other events; Rogers TV may have
scheduling issues
· availability of
incentives for merchants; free parking for residents, subsidized by either Town
or BIA?
· ensure that there
are lots of childrens events planned that would attract families after the Parade
In response to a query regarding best
practices relating to Santa Claus Parades, Councillor Webster advised that he
will ask his Assistant to contact some other municipalities regarding their
methods and procedures for Parades.
The Chair advised that he would follow-up on
the suggested time changes with Parade participants and report back to
Committee.
4. NEXT MEETING
The following meetings were scheduled for the
Committee:
· Tuesday, April 21,
2009 at 3:00 p.m.
· Tuesday, May 19,
2009 at 3:00 p.m.
Subsequent to the meeting, it was arranged that these meetings would be held in the Ontario Room at the Markham Civic Centre.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 4:40 pm.