Market Square fundraisers consider
calling it quits
By Jordan Press
Local News - Wednesday, March 21, 2007 Updated @ 9:48:19 AM
Fundraising efforts to pay for Market Square’s restoration could come to
a crashing halt by the end of the week, even though council has put a
stop to talks of removing the Springer name from the square.
A volunteer committee of fundraisers will have today and tomorrow to
decide whether it’s worth going on with the campaign. Fundraising
efforts for the historic square are still short about $800,000 of its
$3.65 million goal.
“I don’t think there’s much hope we can raise the balance, if we can
keep going at all,” said George Hood, former vice-principal advancement
for Queen’s University who sits on the committee.
Hood said the committee waited on soliciting donations until after the
motion went before council for a decision. On Tuesday night, council
voted eight to five to keep the Springer name affixed to the historic
square.
Hood said the fact the motion failed doesn’t make fundraising any
easier. He said he wouldn’t rule out continuing, but the whole debate
has been a setback for volunteers.
“This is clearly not a shining day for Kingston,” Hood said after the
meeting. “This violated every fundamental principle in which I am aware
of in terms of fundraising.”
At a closed-door meeting in April 2005, council approved in principle
the renaming of Market Square after the Springer family in recognition
of its $1 million donation.
When council approved the deal in an open session, there was strong public
reaction.
Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed May 13, 2005, Market
Square would be named Springer Market Square “in perpetuity” in recognition of
the family’s $1 million donation to the restoration.
A group of residents took the city to court over the renaming and other aspects
of the agreement, arguing the city acted in bad faith.
The Ontario Court of Appeals ruled last week the city did nothing illegal in
renaming the square. The court said it wasn’t completely happy with the process
council took on the matter.
When the matter to remove the Springer name from the square went to council, the
fundraising committee sent a letter to councillors saying passing the motion
would “make it impossible” to raise the remaining $750,000 for the third phase
of the project.
It would also threaten the $175,000 the fundraising committee recently received
and other money raised thus far, the note said.
“This threat being repeatedly wielded by members of Council is placing the
entire [fundraising] efforts in support of Market Square in the most impossible
of situations,” the letter said.
On Monday, the Springer Group wrote a letter to council members telling them
they were satisfied with the court's decision and were unhappy with the council
motion.
The letter said the Springer Group “is not interested in re-opening discussions”
about the square’s renaming.
When the votes came down Tuesday night, councillors decided not to start
negotiations and use the option of giving back the donation if talks failed.
After the meeting, Bryon Springer, who sat next to Hood in the public gallery
during debate, said he needed time to think over the council decision and
declined further comment.
Public works commissioner Mark Segsworth said a cash advance for repairs in this
year’s budget would pay for the remaining work. He said he didn’t know where the
money would come from if the city fell short in its fundraising goals.
In the 2007 budget, councillors approved $500,000 to cover costs for the third
phase of Market Square’s restoration. The funds were approved on the
understanding that the money would be repaid from
“We really need to take stock of all this,” he said. “I can’t say where the
money is going to come from.
“If we fall short, I don’t know.”
Mayor Harvey Rosen said it was “regrettable that it had to come to a decision of
council” about the square’s renaming. He said if a group of fundraisers don’t
think it’s possible to raise the remaining funds, then council will have a hard
time finding the cash.
Debate on a second motion pretaining to the square was cut short Tuesday night
when council voted not to extend its meeting past 11 p.m. The meeting will
reconvene whenever Rosen calls it.
The motion, from Councillor Ed Smith, said the city should move on “and put all
controversy behind us” regarding Market Square.
Councillor Steve Garrison said the motion seemed to be rubbing it in to those
who were against the renaming.
“Democracy isn’t always about everyone holding hands and singing Kumbaya,”
Garrison said. “If we are going to move together, let’s have everybody move
together.”
He then proposed adding a clause that would recognize Corinne Farber for leading
the citizen action against the renaming.
jpress@thewhig.com