Part 2. DONATION FOR WILLISTEAD'S RESTORATION OR "RENTAL PAYMENT".

By Harold G. LeBoeuf

The Willistead Heritage Park consists of 15 acres of land (6.07028463 hectares) and is a public park owned by the City of Windsor. For two days of each year, this public park is closed to the public to allow the Rotary Club of Windsor to hold its event called Art In The Park. During this two day period the public is denied the use of the park unless they pay a fee to the Rotary Club to gain admission to its event. Depending on the weather, and not the presence or absence of asphalt pathways, the event is usually very well attended. That fact alone results in a substantial income for the Rotary Club, the actual amount of which is only known to a select few. In addition to the admission charge, the Rotary Club also charges the attending vendors a fee (rent) which depends on the amount of space taken up by their tents, displays, etc. Again, the income generated for the Rotary Club is only know to a select few.

For their private use and control of the Park for the two day period, the Rotary Club donates on average over the thirty-four year existence of the event, the sum of $33,347.65 to the City of Windsor coffers. Altruistically, the donation is made for the maintenance, repairs, and restoration of Willistead Manor and other buildings which originally formed part of the Walker Estate (the Coach House. the Gate House, and a third structure referred to as the maintenance shed and public washrooms [I hope you can hold it!]. The amount of this donation varies from year to year. The Financial Report for 2012 shows that the donation was $31,226.00, and presumably the amount directly depends on the income generated for the Rotary Club. One should ask upon what facts do the donations vary. Obviously weather plays an important part and attendance drops significantly. This has happened on more that one occasion. So, does the donation represent a percentage of the monies generated? And upon what facts is that percentage calculated? Does it represent rent for the use of the property?

Since the average donation is $33,347.65 for the two day event, and the Rotary Club has absolute exclusive use of the Park for those two days, the donation broken down represents a payment of $1,111.59 per acre per day or $2,742.41 per hectare per day. When you look at this from the perspective of the Rotary Club having the absolute control and private use of a public park for the purpose of generating income for its club, the “donation” ends up being “cheap rent”.

A sad fact is that the historic, Heritage Park is not the same after the two day event as it was before the event. Each year the park requires the extensive pick up of garbage and debris. This involves several City of Windsor employees and City vehicles. How much is the cost associated with that aspect? A stock answer would be “nothing, those workers would be paid anyway and the vehicles would be used elsewhere”. Try using that rational if the City must act for by-law infractions for which there is a charge. For instance, if you own property and allow it to become overrun with weeds and tall grass, the City will eventually send out personnel and equipment to cut it all down. And you will then receive a bill for the services performed. Just try saying “those city workers were been paid anyway and the equipment could have been used elsewhere”. Good luck with that one!

The following is taken directly from the 2012 Financial Report:

Combined with the 2012 contribution from Willistead Manor Inc. and the Art-in-the-Park donation, along with the projected 2013 expenditures from the Willistead Capital Restoration Reserve Fund, it is estimated that the fund will have a balance of approximately $125,730 at December 31, 2013 to be used towards future restoration at Willistead.

So the Restoration Reserve Fund was guesstimated at $125,730.00 at the end of the 2013 fiscal year. That represents approximately 25% of what the City will be paying for the changes to the park. Again, that doesn’t include any of the other ongoing costs. Please note that the Reserve also includes other sources of income paid by Willistead Manor Inc. Did you know that Willistead Manor was an incorporation? With all of that in mind, the Restoration Reserve Fund will not grow by leaps and bounds with the Rotary Club’s annual donation of approximately $33,347.65.

By comparison consider that a Catering Fundraising Event held at the manor in 2012 and 2011 generated income of $ 19,326.95 and $ 28,781.85 respectively. During these events the public park remained a public park; people didn’t have to pay admission charges to walk around the park; no major expenditures on the part of the City were necessary to hold the events; no destruction of the historic park was done and the Heritage Park remained as pristine on the day after as it was on the day before. If two such events were held in 2012 and 2011, isn’t it possible that they would also generate approximately the same amounts? The two such events would result in the Reserve Fund being increased by approximately $38,653.90 in 2012 and $57,563.70 in 2011. And no costs! No annual maintenance and repair costs; no snow removal costs; no policing costs; and most of all, no lawsuits which may arise from someone being hurt on the asphalt pathways. Compare that to the Rotary Club’s donation coupled with all of the associated and ongoing costs.

Mr. Honourable Mayor, Honourable Councillors, and Board Members of Willistead Manor, what are you thinking?

                                                           

Harold G. LeBoeuf - Windsor.

                                 Looking forward to your comments below.