Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets

FROM:

General Manager Corporate Services / Director of Finance

SUBJECT:

2001 `Other' Grants Requests

 

RECOMMENDATION

CONSIDERATION

COUNCIL POLICY

Applications for grants under the `OTHER' Grants category are to be submitted to the Citybefore March 31 of the current budget year, and the requests are generally submitted to Council in a single report.

On October 24, 1989, as part of the rescue package for the Vancouver Symphony Society, Council approved the lease of office space in the Orpheum basement to the Society at a rent of $100,000 per year, to be offset by a grant of $100,000.

Approval of grants requires eight affirmative votes of Council.

PURPOSE

This report presents requests for funding under the `Other' and Cultural Grant categories:

BACKGROUND

Council established the `Other' Grants budget to provide funding for grant requests which do not meet the criteria for Community Services, Cultural, Childcare or Environmental grants. On June 22, 1989, Council approved the restructuring of the `Other' Grant funding into three separate categories: Major Facilities, Annual Recurring and Miscellaneous. Funding is also provided for specific programs, such as the Community Policing Offices and one-time grant requests that come before Council throughout the year. The Cultural Grant category helps sustain and develop a creative and accessible arts sector in the community.

The 2001 funding ceiling for the annual recurring and miscellaneous categories of the `Other' Grants budget is $352,000. To date, $316,500 of this allocation has been distributed as grants or reserved for on-going grant programs such as the Vancouver City Planning Commission. The current unallocated balance is $35,500.

On January 9, 2001, Council approved monthly installments of $4,000 to the Vancouver City Planning Commission, in advance of consideration of the individual 2001 Operating Grant requests, source of funds to be Other Grants Budget.

DISCUSSION

1) `Other' - Annual Recurring

The recurring grant category is intended to include those requests that Council funds on a regular basis.

Vancouver City Planning Commission Recommended $48,504

Funding for the Vancouver City Planning Commission (VCPC) is provided by way of an annual grant from Council. The grant is based on an annual budget prepared by the Commission and is supported by annual financial statements. The funding arrangement requires the City to compensate the Commission for a prior year's loss or to reduce the grant amount by the prior year's surplus.

The VCPC has submitted an operating grant request (Appendix A on file in the City Clerk's Office) totalling $48,504 after allowance for a surplus in 2000 of $73. This request maintains the 2001 gross budget at the 2000 level of $48,577.

Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver Consideration $3,500

The City has provided financial assistance to the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver since 1989. The grants, ranging from $1,500 to $3,500, have been used toward the cost of events sponsored by the Association, including the New Year's Lions Dance. In 2000, a grant of $3,500 was approved. Financial statements provided by the Association indicated that it completed the 2000 fiscal year in a positive position of $4,448, with cash on hand and term deposits totalling $24,400.

The Association has submitted a 2001 grant request of $ 4,500 (Appendix B on file in the City Clerk's Office). The grant is requested to offset costs related to the annual Chinese New Year Parade and the Canada Day celebration.

The Chinese Benevolent Association is the only community group providing street activities that receives ongoing support through the `Other' grants budget. Moreover, as noted from the financial information provided by the Society, these activities did not leave the Association in a deficit position. As a result, the Director of Finance submits this funding request for CONSIDERATION. If approved, the 2001 funding should be held at not more than 2000 approved levels of $3,500.

2) `Other' - Miscellaneous

The Miscellaneous category is intended to include one-time or first-time requests.

SPCA - Vancouver Regional Branch Consideration $27,887

The Vancouver Regional branch of the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has submitted a 2001 grant request of $ 27,887 (Appendix C on file in the City Clerk's Office) to assist in maintaining the services of the Vancouver shelter and hospital operations. The City provided financial support to the SPCA for many years until 1999, when the organization did not apply for a grant. In 2000, a grant of $27,340 was not approved due to the SPCA's strong cash balance and surplus of revenues over expenses.

For 2000, all revenues increased, with the exception of Legacies that peaked in 1999. The surplus in 2000, at $200,000, was down from the $1,161,700 surplus in 1999. The reduced surplus is primarily due to growth in salary-related expenses (increase of $541,600 or 12%) and Legacies revenues (decrease of $555,000 or 21%). The City has provided financial support to the SPCA in the past and continues to acknowledge the service provided by SPCA to the community. However, the 2000 Financial Statements of the SPCA indicates the organization continues to be in a strong financial position without City funding.

Due to this continued strong financial performance, the Director of Finance only submits the SPCA grant request for Council's consideration.

Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. Consideration $4,000

2000 funding $ 0

The Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. (WRA) is a charitable society located in Burnaby. Its mandate is to reduce and prevent suffering of orphaned, injured and pollution-damaged wildlife as well as raising public awareness of wildlife issues within the urban environment. The Association's activities include care of 3,500 animals in 2000, of which 1,011 came from the City of Vancouver via the BCSPCA or through volunteers. In addition, WRA makes presentations to Vancouver school and community groups. The Association received grants from the City of Vancouver in the amount of $2,500 in 1992, $2,575 in 1993 and $3,000 in 1994.

The grant request of $4,000 (Appendix D on file in the City Clerk's Office) is for general support to offset increasing operating expenditures of building and grounds repairs and for specific projects such as a Raptor pen for birds of prey (eagles and owls, for example) and a fibre glass pool for herons.

In 2001, the Wildlife Rescue Association received a $5,000 grant from the City of Burnaby and a $2,000 grant from the City of New Westminster. The WRA has achieved year-end surplus in both 1999 and 2000 at $202,100 and $56,500 respectively. In addition, an emergency fund is being built up and at the end of 2000 has a balance of $67,200.

The 2001 Budget received from WRA projects a modest surplus of $19,400 on a total budget of $405,500. However, many of the income categories are below budget, particularly in Corporate Donations where only $3,750 of projected $65,000 has been realized to date. At the end of October, the operating surplus was $147,100, due in large part to a bequest of $149,000 received in August of this year. There are possible plans to set this up in such a way as to preserve the principal.

The Director of Finance submits the Wildlife Rescue Association's grant request for Council's consideration.

3) Cultural Grant - Theatre Rent

On October 24, 1989, Council approved a rescue package to assist the Vancouver Symphony Society to avoid bankruptcy. Part of that rescue package was a contract to lease the basement of the Orpheum Theatre at an annual rent of $100,000 to be offset by a grant of$100,000 from the City. This arrangement allows the Symphony Society to use the City contribution as leverage in its fund raising efforts. The lease has been renewed annually, subject to the approval of the grant from the City.

The Director of Finance recommends that this lease be renewed for the period of January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 inclusive, and the rent for the period be set at $100,000. It is further recommended that a grant of $100,000 be approved to cover the lease cost; the source of funds to be the 2001 Cultural Grant - Theatre Rent budget.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The source of funds for the grants recommended is the 2001 `Other' Grants and the 2001 Cultural Grant - Theatre Rent allocations.

CONCLUSION

The Director of Finance is recommending Council approval of an annual recurring grant of $48,504 for Vancouver City Planning Commission, and a Cultural grant of $100,000 to the Vancouver Symphony Society to offset Civic Theatre rents. There are also three grant requests submitted for Council's consideration that total $35,387 under the `Other' - Annual Recurring and Miscellaneous grant categories.

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Appendices A to D are not available electronically and are on file in the City Clerk's Office.

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