Woodstock Votes for 24/7 Security at Museum Square and Removing Benches and Picnic Tables

Thursday, 21 October 2021 at 16:45

Woodstock City council has approved a motion to remove all of the benches and picnic tables downtown and will hire 24/7 security at Museum Square.

WOODSTOCK - Woodstock City council has voted in favour of 24/7 security at Museum Square.

This will only be temporary for now and run until January and will cost around $50,000. Councillor Deb Tait brought forward the motion and you can read her reasoning online here.

Councillor Acchione was the only councillor against this idea, saying we should let the police handle this.

"My only concern is to just keep on throwing these band aids on, when we have already approved so much with the police force, we just added two officers, we also have an auxiliary force that is just amazing, that can do the same kind of deterrents of walking around and would not cost the City or taxpayers anymore money."

Councillor Tait asked for a recorded vote and Councillor Acchioned ended up voting in favour of the security motion despite his concerns.

Yesterday the Museum Advisory Board committee demanded council take action regarding the homeless situation in Downtown Woodstock. You can read their letter online here.

One of the issues they brought forward, which had not been made public the Police, is that someone deliberately tried to light a fire at the Museum. This fire was lit under a gas line and could have destroyed the historic building.

Councillor Todd Poetter was offended by the letter from the committee, saying he didn't think this should have been made public.

"I take offence to the letter that they wrote, the fact that it made radio station and social media is even worse. If it was just an internal letter that would be one thing. I know a lot of people on that comittee and I was surprised that they would make demands, when they should know that we have been struggling with this and I agree they have been struggling tremendously with all these issues and yes they are volunteers and do I appreciate their volunteering, absolutely, I don't want them to get the wrong idea, but I took offence to this letter and I am still offended by it that they were going to demand from us certain things. They didn't offer any solutions by the way."

Poetter also seemed to take offence to the content of the letter, explaining just how bad things had gotten downtown.

The other motion was to remove the benches at Museum Square. Councillor Talbot amended the motion to have all City benches downtown and the picnic tables.

Councillor Acchione was the only councillor against this idea, saying it would deter people from going downtown.

Other councillors argued that the only people using these amenities are the ones causing the problems.

In the end council voted to remove all the City benches and picnic areas. The only councillor to vote against this motion was Jerry Acchione.