HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin 85-84REPORT #3
CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE
40 TEMPERANCE STREET
BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO
L1C 3A6 TELEPHONE 623-3379
REPORT TO COUNCIL MEETING HELD OCTOBER 22 1984
ADMIN. 85 - 84
SUBJECT: REPORT FROM THE BICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully recommended that Council:
1. Receive Administrator's Report ADMIN 85 - 84 for information;
2. Adopt one of the two following courses of action:
a) Acquire 300 books from the Newcastle Village and District
Historical Society at a cost of $6,000; or
b) Reject the request;
3. Advise the Historical Society of Council's decision.
BACKGROUND AND COMMENT:
At the October 4th meeting of the Bicentennail Committee, one of the
items discussed was the August 28th letter to the Chief Administrative
Officer from Judge Lovekin on behalf of the Newcastle Village and
District Historical Society. The letter had been held by staff until a
meeting of the Bicentennial Committee as it seemed most appropriate that
it first be presented to this Committee as it is suggested as a Bicentennial
Project.
The Bicentennial Committee has generally had a policy of not providing grants
to local organizations as it is undertaking its own projects, including the
development of a Bicentennial coin and publication of a series of articles
entitled "Faces and Places". The Committee is currently examining the
possibility of commissioning an appropriate permanent reminder of the Town's
Tenth and the Province's 200th Anniversary. Judge Lovekin, on'_behalf of the
Historical Society, is suggesting that the Town purchase approximately 300
copies of Professor Squair's book on the Townshipsof Darlington and Clarke.
The Society would thereafter repurchase the books from the Town as funds were
available. Essentially, Judge Lovekin's request would amount to an interest
free loan with the collateral being offered in the form of 300 copies of
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Professor Squair's book. Because the suggested arrangement would most
likely go beyond the mandate of the Bicentennial Committee, it was felt
most appropriate to refer the matter to Council.
For the information of Council members, I am attaching Judge Lovekin's letter.
Respectfully submitted,
DSJ:nof David Johnston, M.C.I.P.,
Chief Administrative Officer
att.
HIS HONOUR JUDGE CANADA JUDGE'S CHAMBERS
E. RICHARD LOVEKIN COURT HOUSE
605 ROSSLAND ROAD E
WHITBY, ONTARIO
LIN 554
August 28th, 1984
Mr. David S. Johnston, M.C.I.P.,
Chief Administrative Officer,
Corporation of the Town of Newcastle,
40 Temperance Street,
Bowmanville,
Ontario LIC 3A6
Re: Request for municipal assistance for Bi -centennial
project by Newcastle Village and District Historical
Society - Reprint of Prof. Squair's book on the
Townships of Darlington and Clarke.
Dear Sir:
In my capacity as Chairman of the Committee for the
reprinting of Prof. Squair's book by the Newcastle Historical
Group, I am writing you confirming'our recent discussion
regarding this project.
The reason why I was entrusted with this project by the
Society is because I have had some experience in publication of
legal texts such as Cartwright and Lovekin, Law of Divorce in
Canada. I have for some time been of the opinion that this
valuable local historical work should be made available through
a second printing, the first edition having been sold out and
hence unavailable for several years and so I volunteered for the
job.
The Society is new as a formally chartered organization
but its members have been locally active in historical matters
for years. We do not have the fiscal resources to finance the
reprinting which is a relatively large undertaking so we are
looking to the municipality for financial assistance by way of
a non interest bearing loan.
We considered the outright grant approach and the loan
approach and have arrived at the conclusion that a loan is
fairer to the municipality and acceptable to us.
We are proposing that the municipality purchase 300 books
at $20.00, that is a total of $6,000.00. We can formally
deliver these books to you for safekeeping or we will hold them
to your account. You may, of course, keep all these books and
continued/...
2.
they are security for the money advanced. The plan we would
suggest however is that when we have sold enough books to be
in funds we would re -purchase the books from you and you could
take these funds back into your accounting system to be used
at some future date for other historical purposes. We may
make a complete pay back in one year but suggest three years
as a safe maximum. We will pay back in installments.
In the printing industry volume production reduces the
cost per unit very substantially because of the economic rule
known as fixed and variable costs. The fixed costs in reproducing
a book are high for each page has to be photographed and the
presses "setup". Once those fixed costs are met the press time,
paper and binding are the variable costs and they are relatively
small. There is of course no profit in producing an item you
cannot sell so the trick is to run the largest number you think
you can sell to reduce the unit cost and not to over supply the
market. We have 250 pre -publication, conditional orders at
$20.00; the post publication price will be $30.00. We &ould
finance a 500 copy run ourselves but a 1000 copy run would lower
substantially the unit cost and result in a profitable as
opposed to a break-even or loss situation. Any ultimate surplus
accumulated by a sell-out of all copies would of course be funds
in the Society's hands for future projects and the Society is
a registered non profit charitable organization so no single
individual would make any money whatsoever. Indeed our members
donate their time and effort as we would expect in such an
organization.
I understand members of the Society have spoken to the
Mayor and individual members of council and we have been led to
believe that assistance such as we propose, or some other kind
of assistance, will in all probability be forthcoming by formal
motion of council.
My present purpose is to put the facts before you so
the matter will come before council fully thought out and ready
for their formal action. Both of us are in the position of
course that we must report.back to our principals.
I await your reply and suggestions.
Yours 1
E. Richard ekin
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