Sunshine Music Festival has rescinded its request to use the washrooms at Palm Beach Regional Park during the festival on Labour Day weekend.
At the qathet Regional District meeting on Thursday, August 22, the regional board received a letter from Sunshine Music Festival indicating the organizers had ordered extra porta-potties and handwashing stations, and have purchased two small tents for people to change in. They are also looking for ways to deal with not having a baby changing area.
When the letter was introduced, the regional board voted to receive the letter.
Later on in the agenda, the board considered a resolution regarding use of the washrooms that had been brought forward from committee of the whole. The resolution stated that if the washrooms continue to remain open and if the alarm sounds, that Sunshine Music Festival, at its expense, close the washrooms and call a septic pumping service to drain the tanks. City director CaroleAnn Leishman suggested the board vote down the recommendation.
She said festival organizers had rescinded its request to have the washrooms open and made alternative arrangements because they do not want to take on any liability with having the washrooms open.
Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall said he wanted to thank the music festival for the correspondence, which helps with the thorny issue of the washrooms remaining open.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said it was unfortunate that the regional district was not able to accommodate the music festival this year. He said he thinks in the future the regional district can take a look at what other communities are doing.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re not able to help them out after all of the wonderful work they’ve done to make improvements at the park,” said Gisborne.
The motion for the washrooms to remain open was defeated.
Leishman then moved a subsequent motion to close the Palm Beach washroom facilities during the Sunshine Music Festival.
The motion carried.
The motion was in keeping with a staff recommendation that came up at the Thursday, August 15, committee of the whole meeting. The recommendation was that the washroom facilities remain closed during the festival due to public safety and financial implications.
The septic system at Palm Beach Regional Park has recently undergone an upgrading but there were concerns raised by staff about the system having the capacity to deal with the pressure that would potentially be placed on it with patrons of the music festival using the washrooms. It had been suggested during debate by some regional directors that regional district staff members or volunteers could administer the usage of the washrooms, restricting the use to people with mobility problems or special needs, or to parents wanting to use the washrooms as changing facilities for their young children.
