Get your bibs and appetites ready — the Rotary Club of Port Moody has announced its dates for the 2017 RibFest.
The third annual event will be at Rocky Point Park from July 21 to 23 and is expected to feature award-winning ribbers delivering mouth-watering barbecued meats, beverage gardens and live entertainment.
But whether the group receives the same level of support from the city as it has in the past two years remains to be seen.
Organizers have asked for $34,000 of city support for 2017, mainly for parks staff ($11,000) and police ($9,500), with additional costs for portable toilets and waste collection for organics, garbage and grey water.
The amount requested is higher than the approximately $29,000 used for the 2016 RibFest, when the Rotary Club was able to take advantage of a Metro Vancouver program that provided largely free portable toilets.
As well, additional costs are being budgeted to further fine-tune the organic waste diversion.
In 2015, RibFest received $22,400 of in-kind support from the city ($35,000 was budgeted), and raised about $40,000 for Rotary's community donations and programs.
At its Nov. 8 meeting, council voted to defer the funding request.
Coun. Diana Dilworth suggested the delay so that council could discuss funding levels for all the city's festivals and events to make sure that each is being treated equitably.
The matter is expected to be on the city's finance agenda later this month.
spayne@tricitynews.com
@spayneTC
