Councillors in Gibsons have given tentative approval for $12,150 in grants to community groups after getting requests that amounted to $21,074. The 2017 grants budget is $20,000.
The grants were the main item on the agenda for the May 16 committee of the whole meeting, and Mayor Wayne Rowe told representatives of the various groups looking for money who were in the audience that having more requests than they can fund means making difficult decisions.
“It’s always a struggle for council to deal with grants of assistance, because we get applications from many well-deserving organizations and even though the amounts in some cases are modest, it’s important for these groups … to be able to succeed with their various endeavours,” said Rowe. “We generally try not to use grants of assistance to be a sustaining operational budget for organizations.”
Coun. Silas White drafted recommendations based on the criteria set out in Town policy, and priorities submitted by his fellow councillors.
Several groups got at least a portion of what they were asking for. The Gibsons Public Art Gallery, which already gets $2,000 a year as a line-item in the main budget, also got $3,000 for two special projects approved. Crime Stoppers, however, had its $2,500 request turned down.
The only recommendation that saw any debate was the suggestion to grant only $750 to the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society “parent and tot” program out of their original ask of $3,524.
Coun. Jeremy Valeriote said that number was much lower than the grants awarded in previous years. “I’m fairly comfortable sending the message that we don’t want this to be ongoing, operational funding and maybe giving a signal of that by decreasing the amount... I feel like going from $2,000 [in 2016] back down to $750 on an ask of $3,500 is maybe being a little severe on a program many people value,” he said. Valeriote proposed $1,500 instead.
Rowe chimed in to support that, saying he also felt such a drastic cut might be too severe, and in the end councillors went with $1,500.
“We do, as a general rule, try to retain some portion of the grant funding for one further intake in the fall,” Rowe said by way of explanation for not allocating the entire $20,000. Once the decisions had been made, Rowe told the audience, “If we haven’t met your hopes or expectations, I’m sorry. We do the best we can.”
The committee’s funding decisions still have to be approved by the full council at its first meeting in June.
The committee also heard an update from two groups that get ongoing funding from the Town – Sea Cavalcade and the Sunshine Coast Jazz and Entertainment Society.
Linda Williams of the Jazz and Entertainment Society gave a rundown of last year’s Music in the Landing series as well as the Jazz Festival.
Williams said last year’s Jazz Festival took a hit to the bottom line because of bad weather, and the Society posted a $3,500 loss for the year. She said they’ve been able to help cover that shortfall by adding an extra fundraising dance this year. The 2017 Jazz Festival is scheduled for June 16 to 18.
Conchita Harding of the Sea Cavalcade, which will run July 28 to 30, told the committee they’re making a few changes for 2017 after a review of last year’s event and the schedule is still being finalized.
One of the biggest is setting up a beer garden as part of the Friday night events. Harding said that will mean Gower Point Road won’t have to be closed as long, and RCMP have also endorsed the idea.
Harding and Williams are also both involved in bringing the Caravan Stage Society Tall Ship performance to Gibsons for a series of performances from July 26 to 29 as a special Canada 150 event to coincide with Sea Cavalcade. Harding said a lot of the Sea Cavalcade planning effort this year has focused on the logistics of that event.
Council has already set aside $5,000 to help with the cost, which would total around $17,500. It’s hoped grants and donations will cover the bulk of it.
