ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: April 15, 2002
Author/Local: L.von Fersen/6005

                                                                                                    RTS No. 02464

CC File No. 2051

                                    CS&B: May 2, 2002

TO:	Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM:	Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT:	Reconsideration of 2002 Cultural Grant Recommendations

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT Council not approve a Project Grant to the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (#39) in accordance with the Director of Cultural Affairs' original recommendation.

B. THAT Council not approve a Project Grant to Shameless Hussy Production Society ( #78), in accordance with the Director of Cultural Affairs' original recommendation.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services presents the foregoing for Council's CONSIDERATION.

COUNCIL POLICY

On November 22, 1994, City Council established the policy that cultural grant recommendations will be reconsidered only if the reconsideration requests are based on one or both of the following premises: (1) eligibility criteria have not been properly applied; or (2) the applicant's financial situation has not been accurately assessed.

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

This report relays the results of the staff reconsideration of two Cultural grant applications, as requested by grant applicants and makes recommendations based on the outcome of this process.

BACKGROUND

In November 1994, City Council approved a grant reconsideration process for Community Service and Cultural grant applicants who disagreed with staff recommendations regarding their applications. A key feature of this process is that there are only two specified grounds for reconsideration (referred to in Council Policy, above). The process is not intended to revisit questions of artistic merit, organizational competence or any number of other evaluation criteria.

In a letter dated Feb. 26, 2002, all Operating and Project grant applicants were advised of staff recommendations, along with reasons for recommending reductions or no grants. Two Project grant applicants requested reconsideration:

	Request	Original Recommendation
Greater Van. Professional Theatre Alliance	$6,000	$0
Shameless Hussy Productions	$5,000	$0

On March 26, 2002 Council approved staff recommendations totalling $ 1,278,500 for the 77 Operating and 24 Project Grant applications not involved in the reconsideration process. No funds were left in the Operating grant category. In the Project category, $40,000 is being held to address requests coming to the second project grant deadline of June 3, 2002.

DISCUSSION

After the two applicants for reconsideration provided written information to support their requests, staff conducted a second review of each request. Discussions were then held with representatives from both organizations, and a staff committee reviewed the original applications, supporting materials, and the information submitted with the reconsideration requests. Written submissions from applicants requesting reconsideration, together with staff responses are provided in Appendix A.

CONCLUSION

After a second review of the two applications for reconsideration, staff have concluded that there are no grounds for reconsideration and that the original recommendations for no grants should remain unchanged.

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