Windsor city council has approved another year of 'Open Streets.'
The pilot project, that saw roads from Sandwich Town to Ford City temporarily shut down last year for street festivals, will return this September.
The city is getting a $55,000 'Ontario150' grant to cover the expense, with $5,400 left over from last year being applied to hosting this year's festival.
One notable change will be the hiring of a seasonal event manager, with $30,000 set aside for the position.
(AM800 file photo)
Councillor Fred Francis was surprised by the request for the new hire. "That's never been discussed before and if you remember last year we had two Open Streets and we didn't have to hire a manager, so this year one of the questions I wanted to ask is, if we were able to do it last year without this position, what's changed?"
While Francis questions the need for a dedicated manager for the event, he hopes 'Open Streets' will become an annual tradition. "The one we do in September will dictate that what we learn, what we've learned last year with the two 'Open Streets' we've held, what we'll learn with the one in September of this year and how we move forward on that."
'Open Streets' is set for September 17th from 10am to 5pm along an 8km stretch from Sandwich Town to Ford City.
A total budget of $55,000 was set aside for the pilot project in 2016.