Pittsboro parks committee plans Blue Star Memorial and Veterans Day ceremony, seeks event coordinator

Pittsboro’s Parks Board advanced planning for a Blue Star Memorial and a Veterans Day ceremony while agreeing to begin recruiting a special-events coordinator and to gather competitive bids for holiday lighting and event services.

A board member reported ordering the Blue Star plaque; production was estimated to take four to six months and the board discussed holding a dedication on or near Veterans Day. The board’s events committee outlined ceremony needs — a 20-by-40 tent, a podium, a PA system, a bugler and a color guard — and estimated basic rental costs and logistics. Members discussed an approximate event budget and asked staff to return projected costs during the budget cycle.

The board also reviewed the Christmas event held in December: staff said 13 vendors attended and vendor sales were generally positive, but the large vendor tent suffered weather damage. Members recommended hiring a contractor for tent setup/teardown rather than relying on volunteers; a contractor quote near $850 for a setup was referenced during discussion.

Procurement steps: the board directed staff to solicit at least three bids for lighting and tent services, ensuring quotes are comparable ("apples-to-apples") and that vendors specify lights-per-foot for tree installations. The board intends to weigh quality and reliability after recent vendor responsiveness issues.

Next steps: staff will advertise the special-events coordinator position, collect vendor quotes for lighting and tent services, and present a firm budget for the Blue Star dedication and Veterans Day ceremony at a future meeting.