Council to Review Community Enhancement Grant Applications tonight

Tonight's Prince Rupert City Council Session will provide residents with their first glimpse of the local groups seeking Community Enhancement Groups from the City.

When it comes to request for 2016 there is a group of 9 repeat applicants and 6 new applicants seeking a total of $1.125 Million dollars, 86,000 dollars of those are requests sought by new applicants to the process.

A report for Council outlines the 2016 analysis completed by City Staff which notes that City's Operating Fund Revenues will remain relatively the same compared to 2015. However cost pressures on City finances will be found in 2016 including general inflation, benefit and cost increases, energy cost increases and the result of negotiated wage increases.

It is also noted in the report to Council that it is anticipated that the Property Tax Mill Rate will need to increase by 2 per cent to cover capital needs for City Operations.

With all of that in mind, City Staff is recommending that the 2016 Grants be reduced to offset the projected tax increase, with the City's Financial Department recommending that no new applicants be accepted for 2016 and that amounts awarded be scaled back to $850,000.

The Repeat Applicants include:

AFFNO - (L'Association des Francophone et Francophile du Nord-Ouest) In-Kind $600-900

Museum of Northern British Columbia -- Main Museum -- $160,000
Museum of Northern British Columbia -- Kwinitsa -- $18,000

Prince Rupert Community Arts Council -- $10,000

Prince Rupert Community Halloween Fest -- $6,000

Prince Rupert Performing Arts Centre Society $125,000

Prince Rupert Public Library -- $646,000

Prince Rupert Special Events Society -- $20,000 Operating, $10,000 In-Kind

Prince Rupert Wildlife Shelter -- $6,000

Tourism Prince Rupert and Visitor Centre $36,500

Totals In Cash Grants -- $1,027,500.00
In-Kind Grants -- $10,750

New Applicants

Grad Parents Committee 2016 -- 1,615 In-Kind

North Coast Immigrant and Multicultural Society -- No Amount Listed In-Kind

Prince Rupert Harley Riders -- $1,800 In-Kind

Prince Rupert Marine Rescue -- $12,000

St. Andrews Cathedral -- $25,000

Transition Prince Rupert Society -- $46,105

Totals in Cash Grants $83,105
In-Kind Grants  $3,425

Council will review the report and discuss the topic as part of tonight's Council session starting at 7 PM.

You can review the full report to Council from page 18 of the Agenda Package for this evening's session.

For more items related to this evening's Council session see our Preview page here.

For more background on City Council developments see our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review