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Resident urges stricter parade safety rules after candy-throwing incident
Summary
John Woods, a Whitehill resident, praised the holiday parade but told the council that throwing candy from vehicles created safety hazards for children and urged enforcement of a rule prohibiting items being tossed. Council later recognized parade-related revenues in a minor budget amendment.
John Woods, who identified himself as a Whitehill resident, urged the council to enforce parade-safety rules after participants threw candy from vehicles during the holiday parade.
"Why evidence was published was just tossed to the wayside," Woods said, adding that a mother near him struggled to hold her baby amid falling candy and that the practice could easily lead to a child being harmed. He asked who would accept responsibility if a child were injured and urged the council to address the habit of handing out sweets during the parade.
Staff later presented a housekeeping budget amendment recognizing $7,000 of revenue and $7,000 of expense in the WDBC budget to account for downtown activities and parade-related events, a net-zero change intended to move costs into a revenue-supported account. A staff member said the change reflects that event activities are beginning to be covered by revenue generated at downtown events.
The council did not vote on new parade rules at this meeting; Woods' remarks were made during the public-comment portion of the agenda and will likely inform future discussion about event oversight and enforcement.
