Prince George city council voted to provide upcoming Block Watch parties with up to $7,500 of financial support from its contingency fund at its Wednesday, Sept. 4 meeting.
The matter was forwarded to council from the Standing Committee on Public Safety, which heard about the events at its Tuesday, Aug. 19 meeting.
The parties are aimed at generating interest in the Block Watch program, which organizes residents of various neighbourhoods to work together on crime prevention.
Four Block Watch parties are coming up this month at College Heights Secondary School, John McGinnis Secondary School, Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary School and Duchess Park Secondary School.
A report written by Mayor Simon Yu said that the events will include a registration table, a barbecue and interactive activities relating to public safety and crime preventions, with representatives from local agencies participating.
“Organizers have suggested that $7500.00 would provide the lift necessary to have confidence in ensuring a high quality experience for participants,” the mayor wrote.
Discussing the request, Yu said safety starts at the neighbourhood level and the parties would help residents learn how they can participate in those efforts.
Coun. Brian Skakun said that representatives from Prince George Fire Rescue, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, Bear Aware Society, the city’s parks department and the RCMP would be on hand for the parties.
Coun. Cori Ramsay said she thought the parties were a good idea but wondered what the $7,500 would support that otherwise wouldn’t happen.
Responding, director of administrative services Eric Depenau said the events would still go ahead without the extra funds, but if they were approved they would go towards items like tents to make sure they could still take place regardless of weather, more food services and porta-potties.
Ramsay said she would support giving the funds, though it would have been preferable for the request to have been made before the preparation work had started.
Coun. Kyle Sampson said he was having trouble justifying approving the funds for items that should already have been factored in for events like this such as porta-potties, though he supports Block Watch parties in principle.
Depenau said basic amenities were being provided but could be improved with funding.
Coun. Ron Polillo said he appreciated what his colleagues had said, but thought council was overanalyzing the matter. He added that the public safety committee thought the events needed a boost to make them a success.
Skakun returned to say that other groups like Inspiring Women Among Us and the Invasive Plants Council didn’t have their funding requests dissected, just asked to report on their spending after the fact.
Ramsay put forward an amendment so that council would provide up to $7,500 in funding rather than the whole amount by default.
The motion passed with only Sampson voting in opposition.
