Staying put

City council has decided that Summer in the Parks will continue to be on Wednesdays.

Council voted nine to one and defeated a motion that would look at possibly moving the popular summer event to another day. At-Large Coun. Larry Hebert, who requested the report, was the only one who voted for administration to look at changing Summer in the Parks to either Tuesday or Thursday.

Hebert said Prince Arthur’s Landing was congested on Wednesday because the summer event was held on the same day as sailboat racing.

“Both are good events down there at the waterfront and I’m encouraging both to stay but the reason I’m asking Summer in the Parks to move to another night is that they have less seniority down there,” he said prior to the vote.

“I get a number of calls and probably will again this year regarding parking around there. Most are from boaters but not all. Even though the city provides a shuttle service, it isn’t used very much. With the construction of the two condos and the hotel, I think it is, again, going to be a very congested area.”

At-Large Coun. Aldo Ruberto disagreed with Hebert and turned to social media in order to know how people felt. Of the 75 people who responded, Ruberto said the majority wanted to keep the event on Wednesdays.

He said over the past six years he hasn’t heard a single complaint about congestion at the event.

“They don’t see it as an issue,” Ruberto said. “They like it the way it is and congestion adds to the atmosphere. I think it’s fine. If it’s not broke don’t fix it.”

Mayor Keith Hobbs agreed and added the more the merrier.

In other business, council approved the Superior North EMS strategic plan. The new plan will look at efficiency within the ambulance services including response times, review of non-urgent calling, and district station locations.