The City of Pitt Meadows will be officially taking the lead on the community’s oldest and largest single-day event.
A new committee will be created to organize Pitt Meadows Day, which falls on the first Saturday in June every year.
According to the city, the goal is to make organization of the event more seamless and efficient, while increasing volunteer participation, as well as marketing and communication.
During the last few years, the event has been run in partnership with the Pitt Meadows Day Society.
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However, each year, the city has assumed more responsibility, liability, and an increasing share of the costs.
Prior to 2017, the city’s contributed $5,000 per year toward Pitt Meadows Day.
In 2019, the city provided $53,000 plus extra policing costs.
Other challenges have included safety concerns, increased liability insurance premiums for volunteers, and unclear roles and responsibilities.
Further, a large percentage of the Pitt Meadows Day Society’s volunteer base stepped away in 2019.
“Pitt Meadows Day is the community’s largest event requiring a significant amount of resources and support from our staff, volunteers, and partners,” said City of Pitt Meadows Mayor Bill Dingwall.
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A city-managed event will mean that committee members and volunteers will be protected under the city’s third-party liability insurance at no additional cost, Dingwall noted.
Plus, he said, the city’s established relationships with suppliers will translate into bulk discount pricing for the event.
A new Pitt Meadows Day advisory committee will be formed in the coming months.
Residents are invited to join the committee, which will be overseen by city staff.
Staff will also manage the event, ensuring that volunteers abide by city policies, procedures, and guidelines, while living up to professional expectations around behaviour and conduct.
More information including details on how to participate on the committee will be shared by the city in the coming months.
cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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