Moira Coull asked Council January 13 to waive the cost of a Temporary Noise Bylaw permit.

Ms. Coull and fellow organizers hosted a New Year’s Eve soiree for the Picton United Church Food Bank. They rented the Masonic Hall in Picton, applied for a temporary liquor licence, secured insurance for the event, booked a band, and hired a qualified Smart Serve bartender.

“We find that prior to Christmas, there’s a lot of donations that flow to the Food Bank, but in January, things slow down and folks don’t have quite the same giving feeling,” Ms. Coull said. “So we decided on a New Year’s Eve party in support of the Food Bank.”

Despite a snowstorm that almost halved the number of expected revellers — just 39 attended out of an expected 75 — the event was a success. Revellers donated over 150 pounds of food.

But all the overhead costs ate into the monetary proceeds, leading Ms. Coull to request the Noise By-Law Permit fee be waived for the fundraiser.

“Event expenses were incurred based on original attendance estimates and included hall rental, insurance, permits, food, band, decorations, bar services, etc. 

“Waiving the Noise By-Law Permit fee allows additional funds to be donated to the Picton Food Bank and offset unavoidable event expenses.”

Council unanimously voted to waive the fee, and asked staff to review the bylaw fee process. Bylaw officials may be allowed to waive the fee for community fundraisers in future.

The County is not all the Royal Hotel and the Drake Devonshire,” Councillor Bill Roberts noted. “One in three children going to sleep in Prince Edward County tonight lives below the poverty line. If we didn’t have groups like Moira’s and what they are doing, this County would come to a screeching halt. They put the unity in community.”