CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

	Date:	October 29, 2003
	Author:	Karen Hasselfelt
	Phone No.:	604-871-6045
	RTS No.:	03749
	CC File No.:	2201
	Meeting Date:	December 2, 2003

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Directors of Office of Cultural Affairs and Finance
SUBJECT:	2004 Advance Grant Installments - Major Exhibiting Institutions & City Planning Commission

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT monthly installments be made to the following organizations beginning January 2004, in advance of consideration of these organizations' individual 2004 Operating Grant requests:

A.S.T.C. Science World Society	$7,006
Vancouver Art Gallery Association	$60,383
Vancouver City Planning Commission	$4,233

B. THAT bi-weekly installments be made to the following organizations beginning January 2004, in advance of consideration of these organizations' individual 2004 Operating Grant requests:

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Society	$17,906
Vancouver Maritime Museum Society	$14,025
Vancouver Museum Commission	$25,496

Source of funds for both A and B to be the "Other" Grants budget.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Managers of Community and Corporate Services RECOMMEND approval of A and B.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council's policy is to provide installments of operating grants to allow these organizations to meet their operating needs, in advance of consideration of their annual grant requests during the regular grant review process.

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to outline the amount of monthly or bi-weekly installments for each of the five major exhibiting institutions and the City Planning Commission.

BACKGROUND

In past years, the City has disbursed operating grants to the Vancouver Art Gallery Association, A.S.T.C. Science World Society, Vancouver City Planning Commission, Vancouver Museum Commission, Vancouver Maritime Museum Society and the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre Society in installments throughout the year commencing in January to facilitate cash flow for these institutions, particularly in the first quarter of the year. Installments to the Vancouver Art Gallery Association, A.S.T.C. Science World Society, and the Vancouver City Planning Commission are paid monthly, while the three other organizations are paid bi-weekly. In each case, the installments are timed to accommodate the operating cash flow requirements of the organizations.

DISCUSSION

This report recommends that installments be continued as in past years, with payments commencing in January 2004, in advance of Council's consideration of the 2004 operating grant requests. These installments allow for the organizations to manage their cash flow more

effectively, as many funding agencies do not issue 2004 grant funds until later in the year.

Operating grants are subject to Council approval and once the amount of the 2004 operating grant to each organization is approved, an adjustment is made to ensure that the correct grant amount is disbursed. Consistent with previous years, staff recommend that installment levels for these six organizations be based on 2003 actual funding levels, so that any adjustments that may need to be made in 2004 to accommodate for inflation or budget reductions are minimal.

A summary of 2004 installments for these organizations is provided in Table 1.

Table 1: Schedule of Installments
Organization	2004 Installments
A.S.T.C. Science World Society	$ 7,006 monthly
Vancouver Art Gallery Association	$ 160,383 monthly
Vancouver City Planning Commission	$ 4,233 monthly
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Society	$ 17,906 bi-weekly
Vancouver Maritime Museum Society	$ 14,025 bi-weekly
Vancouver Museum Commission	$ 25,496 bi-weekly

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Given that Council has not yet approved the 2004 operating grants to these organizations, staff note that these installments are based on 2003 approved funding levels. The reports on the allocations of the 2004 operating grants for each of these organizations will be submitted to Council at a later date, following a review of their 2003 operating performance and financial statements. As these advance installments are recommended at 2003 approved levels, staff anticipate that there will be sufficient time remaining to make any adjustments that may be required when Council approves the 2004 operating grants to these six organizations.

CONCLUSION

Staff recommend that the Vancouver Art Gallery Association, A.S.T.C. Science World Society, Vancouver City Planning Commission, Vancouver Museum Commission, Vancouver Maritime Museum Society and the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre Society continue to receive installments as outlined in Table 1 commencing in January 2004 to assist these organizations in meeting their operational requirements.

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© 2002 City of Vancouver