Editor,

With the recent announcement that Hydro’s for Heroes will not happen this year, I’ve seen a wide range of emotions expressed on social media. Some of the comments have been directed at the city, with statements such as, “Council needs to do better,” or “The city shouldn’t have let this happen.”

While many of us on council do donate our time and funds to these events as private citizens, a vast majority of community events are NOT organized by the city. When something goes wrong with events like Culture Fest (formerly Holland Happening), Fourth of July Celebration or Hydros for Heroes, the criticism often turns toward the city. These events are organized by dedicated groups of volunteers not the city.

The city’s role is to support these events by removing as many obstacles as possible to help them succeed. We assist with things like road closures, public land, permitting, public safety, and some advertising. We need to maintain certain safety standards and guidelines, but beyond that, our goal should be to help facilitate—not hinder—the process (in my opinion).

Another way the city supports community events is through funding. We provide grants through LTAC (Lodging Tax Advisory Committee) dollars. Events like the ones mentioned above have successfully applied for and received LTAC funding in the past. Hundreds of thousands of dollars a year are provided to events locally through that fund.

It often feels like 1% of the population does 90% of the work to make these events happen. These volunteers organize events year after year, asking for help or trying to pass the torch—but it’s often difficult to find people willing to step up. Rarely does someone volunteer to “take the lead,” yet many are quick to criticize when things don’t go perfectly.

As a city we can — and should — continue to improve the way the city partners with volunteer organizations. Certainly, there are times when some “Red tape” could have been avoided. When it happens, we take a good look at our policies to see if it makes sense to make some modifications in the future.

If there’s an event you care deeply about — whether you don’t want to see it disappear or believe it could be improved — I encourage you to reach out to the event organizers and ask how you can help. You might just be the difference that helps it succeed.

Bryan Stucky

Oak Harbor Council