MAPLETON – The township here may be introducing new limits to grants it provides for community programs and initiatives, non-profits, service groups, community groups and athletes.
It’s also considering cutting some programs entirely.
Treasurer Patrick Kelly proposed a new policy that combines three existing Mapleton grant programs: municipal grants, 50/50 grants and athletic and cultural bursaries.
He said the intention of the new policy is to “streamline existing grant policies into one consolidated policy.”
He presented the draft policy during a Sept. 9 council meeting and said “all of the main components of these programs are still as they were [with] no substantial changes.”
Municipal grants involve the township supporting programs and initiatives such as Grove Hubs, hospital recruitment programs and the Seniors Centre for Excellence.
“Those types of applications don’t require a robust application process – more of a letter from those groups indicating that they’ll continue to request funding,” Kelly said.
A second stream of grants defined by the new policy are operating grants – these would support non-profits with projects, programs or events that positively impact the community, Kelly said.
The third stream is capital grants, that are currently known as the 50/50 program.
“They are used by service clubs, community groups and volunteer organizations for a one-time capital purchase,” Kelly said.
“We would have that application package available on our website starting Oct. 1, excepting applications until the end of the month. After that, they would be reviewed by staff and included within the final budget,” he said.
Approval for 50/50 grant applications is currently based on recommendations from the township’s parks and recreation advisory committee, but in Kelly’s draft policy the decision making moves to staff, and then council for final approval with the budget.
Kelly said that’s because the program is now broader than just parks and recreation, as it could include “any community project that’s deemed a benefit to the community as a whole.”
Councillor Michael Martin said he understands the rationale to increase efficiency from a budgetary perspective, but asked “What about our current system? Is it meeting the current objectives that we have?”
Martin also noted he values the township’s advisory committees and is concerned that they’re starting to become obsolete.
“I worry a little bit that … if we don’t give them meat on the bone to provide recommendations … we’re losing the relevancy a little bit,” he said.
Kelly said, “What wasn’t working under the existing process I think was that there seems to be a significant lag between approval of some of these and the actual work moving forward.
“So moving to a more streamlined program that has an application date process that’s fairly tight and reporting requirements afterward to show the work has been completed, we think it’s a little stronger on that side.”
In terms of input from the parks and recreation committee, Kelly said, “The way the policy is written, it doesn’t exclude input from the parks and recreation committee.”
He said if council see a need or desire to have the parks and recreation committee continue to provide recommendations ahead of time, the draft could be amended. The draft policy limits athletic grants to a maximum of $1,000 per team, whereas it used to be limited to $200 per athlete.
Kelly said this change was made because “previously the allocation that’s in there frankly isn’t a sufficient enough amount that if every player of a team were to get the $200 individually, one team would eat up the entire budget.
“So the options would be increasing the envelope of funding that’s made available for these programs, or, what we thought was more appropriate, still showing the value of what has been achieved by a team but giving them a full team allocation rather than 12 separate applications for funding being approved.”
Martin said while the athletic and cultural bursaries are a “nice-to-do,” he would consider removing that stream of funding entirely, in part because not a lot of people know about it.
“I don’t disagree from a finance perspective that there should be a cap,” he said.
“But on the grant side, philosophically, I don’t want to have happen in Mapleton like happens in the big cities where you have a lineup of delegations from community groups that are looking for money come budget time.
“It’s taxpayers dollars that we have,” he said. “I like that it comes through an advisory group that are private citizens who get delegated to.”
Martin added, “I wonder if we could maybe find someplace halfway in between that meets Mr. Kelly’s needs from a budget perspective with a max that won’t exceed budget line but also honours the existing advisory groups that we have.”
Davidson asked Martin if he wanted to recommend that applications would continue go through the parks and recreation committee before coming to council, and if he’d like to recommend that athletic and cultural bursaries be removed. Martin did neither.
For athletic and cultural bursaries, he said, “I would recommend leaving it in with a cap.”
Kelly asked council what the cap should be, and suggested using the average annual amount given out over the last three years. Kelly said he’d also appreciate seeing a cap on the other streams, because “it is a taxpayer funded expense.
Davidson said, “I think a cap is important to have but I think you’re going to have to come back to give us what that average is so we can actually have a discussion of what the cap should look like.”
Councillor Lori Woodham said she’d support continuing to have the parks and recreation committee provide recommendations. She said looking at the three-year average could aid in a decision about whether to cap athletic/cultural bursaries or eliminate them.
She suggested the decision be postponed until Sept. 22 and council agreed.
