Sackville Town Council...really?

At Mount Allison most students don't really have any dealings/problems with town council. But recently the council recently decided to delay discussing allowing the school to play loud music 30 minutes longer than the usual 11pm noise ordinance allows. I don't know him, but it seems that local resident" Bill Evans is the only person in the article that has any sense. Mount Allison students do “bring millions of dollars into this community,” are only asking for a short time extension and there really is no reason why they shouldn’t be accommodated...for thirty minutes.

First-class bash at Mount Allison Univeristy leads to concerns from Sackville community
KATIE TOWER
The Sackville Tribune Post


More than 800 new students are heading to Sackville this fall and will kick off their university life on Aug. 31 with the much-anticipated orientation week at Mount A, jam packed with activities and events to keep the incoming class entertained from dawn ‘til dusk.
Barbecues, karaoke, Mountie Olympics, a huge water fight, scavenger hunt, a hypnotist, and much more are included in this year’s orientation line-up, which will run from Aug. 31 right through until the Sept. 12 weekend.
But one of those activities sparked concerns last week from members of town council, who are worried the event will again disrupt a number of residents in the community.
The annual ‘first-class bash’ is planned for Sept. 8 at its usual location next to the former student centre on the corner of Main and Salem Streets. But that doesn’t sit well with members of town council, who had requested a change in venue for the concert following complaints from neighbours after last year’s concert.
Coun. Merrill Fullerton said it was his understanding that the event was to be relocated to the quad next to the university library.
But orientation chair Brent Williams said during conversations with university administration, it was decided that the quad was not a suitable venue for the event because equipment trucks wouldn’t be able to access it without causing damage to the property and there were too many trees that would affect visibility.
“So we decided to put it back in the same spot,” said Williams, who was on hand during town council’s meeting last Monday night to answer questions about upcoming orientation events.
A handful of residents in the vicinity of the concert site complained last year about the “excessive” noise level stemming from the music, which starts in the late afternoon during sound checks and runs through until 11:30 p.m.
“The decibels have to come down,” said Coun. Mike Tower.
Due to the lateness of the event, town council is asked every year to approve a request for an exemption from the noise bylaw, from the usual 11 p.m. deadline until 11:30 p.m.
But this year, that request has been put on hold by town council until they have further discussions with Mount Allison administration about re-locating the concert.
Local resident Bill Evans, however, pointed out that moving the bash to another site will only mean other residents will be disturbed by the noise.
“It’s going to be loud no matter where it is,” said Evans following the council meeting.
He also pointed out that the students, who “bring millions of dollars into this community,” are only asking for a short time extension and sees no reason why they shouldn’t be accommodated.
“You’re dickering over a half-hour,” he said, noting that the event will still run at least until 11 p.m.
Student Administrative Council president Mike Currie said that the orientation committee will be taking measures this year to let people in the neighbourhood know about the upcoming concert and thanking them for their patience.
Meanwhile, the orientation activities will also include a corn boil on Bridge Street on Saturday, Sept. 5, an event which will be hosted by the town of Sackville to “welcome our new students to the community,” said Coun. Joyce O’Neil.


P.S. This is post #200.