September 7, 2005 Source: Queen's University:
http://qnc.queensu.ca/story_loader.php?id=431f0a75a458d Wary city approves Homecoming plan By ANNE KERSHAW Kingston City Council has decided to support what some are calling “a pilot project” by Queen’s aimed at creating a controlled atmosphere for a Homecoming party on Saturday, Sept. 24. At last Monday’s meeting, councillors approved a request by Queen’s Alumni Relations for an exemption to a city noise bylaw to permit an open-air homecoming concert to be held in the parking lot behind Miller Hall until 2 am. The noise bylaw normally takes effect at 11 pm. In a presentation to council last week, Vice-Principal (Advancement) George Hood explained that the university is attempting to create a sanctioned event on campus that will bring students and alumni together in a safe and fun place while minimizing disruption to the community. He noted that research of other universities indicates that the most successful homecoming events are those held on campus. As result, he said, Queen’s, the AMS, the City of Kingston Police are working closely to stage an open-air concert in the Miller Hall parking lot. This is modeled on a very successful annual concert held at the same location on the Friday night of each Orientation Week for students. The request for a noise bylaw exemption is an attempt to avoid the crowds and unlawful behaviour on Aberdeen Street associated with last year’s Homecoming. It is hoped that with the 2 am noise exemption students will be more likely to disperse after the concert. “Council’s willingness to support our efforts, and the overall goodwill expressed towards the university as we attempt to improve our relations with our neighbours is greatly appreciated,” says Mr. Hood. “Now, of course we are hoping we can show that their confidence in us was well placed. It’s now up to the students and the alumni to demonstrate that they respect the concerns of the city and that they can have fun without violating community standards of behaviour. “We’re not expecting miracles,” he says. “But we hope to see some significant improvement over what happened last year.” The bylaw exemption will go a long way toward helping to ensure a successful concert and a good outcome, AMS President Ethan Rabidoux says. “We’re very happy and we see this as a demonstration of faith from the Kingston community to Queen’s and the students. We know they have some concerns but they trust us to be able to hold a responsible party and hopefully set the pattern for the following year,” he says. City councillor Rick Downes, who supported Queen’s request for the exemption, says the university needs to understand that he and others on council view this as a “pilot project.” “We want to make sure the students who are coming to Kingston are made to feel welcome but we also expect them to take on the responsibility of being citizens of Kingston when they are here,” he told the Queen’s Gazette. “I believe that some members of council were pretty reluctant to pass the exemption. But in the end, we decided to accept the proposed solution that Mr. Hood and his group put forward. “The bottom line is we want to work with Queen’s and the students and make them feel welcome but that’s only 50 per cent of the equation. The other side is that we want to see the students behave reasonably. And the more you develop a trusting relationship, the more freedom you will have. And as soon as they don’t behave, they will have their freedom restricted.” Mr. Downes noted that there are “a lot of mixed feelings” about Queen’s. “We are trying to be reasonable, but if people are going to abuse a goodwill gesture then obviously there isn’t going to be goodwill the next time.” The university has focused intensely on community relations over the past year. Since Principal Karen Hitchcock this spring endorsed the report of the Principal’s Task Force on Community Relations, the university has been working to implement the recommendations and significant progress has already been made. Three of the relevant recommendations are expected to be fully implemented as the new school year begins. They are providing a place for residents to call to quickly resolve noise issues in the off-campus area, creating property inspection capability within the AMS and improving Homecoming to mitigate the impact on surrounding neighbourhoods. As part of an effort to improve the quality of housing for students, the AMS is helping to organize property standard teams that include students who have received training on relevant bylaws. At the same time, Campus Security is elevating awareness of Kingston’s noise bylaw by providing a place for students and permanent residents to call to resolve late-night noise. As of the beginning of September, Campus Security can be contacted anytime of the day or night to attend off-campus residences and provide information about the noise bylaw. In some cases, Campus Security may assist the City of Kingston by forwarding to them a noise complaint for investigation as a bylaw infraction. With respect to Homecoming, discussions between the Kingston police and Campus Security are ongoing, although they have not been been finalized, says Queen’s Security Director Dave Patterson. Joint staffing and operations for the alumni football game and the alumni concert are also being discussed and coordinated. In keeping with a recommendation of the Principal’s task force, the university has indicated to the police that names of individuals whose behaviour has been brought to the attention of the police can be forwarded to the AMS Judicial Committee, the student- administered non-academic discipline tribunal, or to Queen’s security staff who will write a incident report and forward it to the AMS for judicial review.
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