By Cecilia Nasmith
Though keenly supportive of the Rotary Club of Cobourg's idea for a fundraiser they hope will encourage everyone to get their COVID-19 vaccinations, council members decided at this week's meeting to require more information before agreeing to a bylaw amendment that would let it go forward.
The idea set out in a letter from COVID-19 Committee Chair Gord Ley is to sell lawn signs for $10 that proclaim that this person has received a vaccination and urge others to do so.
They are hoping to sell 2,000 signs, Chief Building Official Dave Hancock said, but they offered no specifics on the size or their exact wording and design.
The bylaw does provide specifics on size, and limits quantity to 20. Also, the bylaw provides for a 14-day display.
“This is a COVID vaccine promotion, and I suspect it would be longer than 14 days,” Hancock guessed.
“As far as the message of 'get your vaccine,' it was just a suggestion. I haven't seen anything. The sign bylaw says organizations can promote fundraising or charitable community events, programs or activities, so it doesn't meet the intent of the sign bylaw.”
Director of Planning and Development Glenn McGlashon recalled an initiative during Canada's bicentennial year where owners of homes that were at least 200 years old could celebrate the milestone with a lawn sign that said their house had been standing in 1867. The council of the day allowed these signs to be displayed for the entire year.
Accordingly, he suggested perhaps the Rotary signs could be permitted to stay through the end of 2021 - “just so they are not around for longer than the message is required and they are not lingering for months or years after the need has passed,” he said.
Councillor Nicole Beatty said she supports the effort, but is not comfortable with having no idea of what exactly the sign might say.
“For 2,000 signs across the town, we as council need to know for sure what the message is going to be printed on the signs,” she insisted – adding that to fail to do so might provide an unfortunately precedent for future fundraisers.
“I agree, just given the number of signs,” Councillor Emily Chorley said.
Beatty made a motion to refer the request to the May 31 committee-of-the-whole meeting, and to include a staff report providing those missing pieces of information.
