|
CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
March 29, 2004 | |
Author: |
Karen Hasselfelt | |
Phone No.: |
604-871-6045 | |
RTS No.: |
04026 | |
CC File No.: |
2051 | |
Meeting Date: |
April 22, 2004 |
TO: |
Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets |
FROM: |
Director, Office of Cultural Affairs |
SUBJECT: |
Reconsideration of 2004 Cultural Grant Recommendation |
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council not approve a Project Grant to Full Figure Theatre Company, 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 presents the results of staff's reconsideration of one Cultural grant application from the Operating and Project Grants deadline of December 2003 as requested by the grant applicant, and makes recommendations based on the outcome of this process.
BACKGROUND
In November 1994, Council approved a grant reconsideration process for Community Services and Cultural grants with the following features:
· specified grounds for reconsideration (referred to in Council Policy, above) must be identified and explained;
· staff's reasons for initial recommendations, the applicant's reasons for seeking reconsideration, and staff's responses, are presented in writing (see Appendix A); and
· grants that are not in dispute can be considered by Council earlier than those being reconsidered.
The process is not intended to revisit questions of artistic merit, organizational competence or any number of other evaluation criteria. In a letter sent on March 1, 2004, all grant applicants were advised of staff recommendations, along with reasons for recommended reductions or no grants. One organization requested reconsideration, as follows:
|
Original Request |
Orig. Recomm. |
|
Full Figure Theatre Co.: |
$ 2,500 |
$0 |
DISCUSSION
On March 23, 2004, Council approved Operating and Project grants totaling $1,419,500, leaving a balance of $49,500 for the second Project grant deadline in June. Approved grant recommendations did not include Full Figure Theatre Company as they had submitted a written request for reconsideration.
Staff reviewed the original application, supporting materials, and the information submitted with the reconsideration request. The written submission from Full Figure Theatre Co. requesting reconsideration, together with the staff response are provided in Appendix A.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There will be no financial implications if Council approves the staff recommendation for no grant to the Full Figure Theatre Company. There is a second round of Project grants available in June with $49,500 of unallocated funding currently set aside from the 2004 Cultural Grants budget. This second round of grants is open to organizations that have not previously applied for the first round of funding in 2004. Thus, Full Figure Theatre Company would be ineligible to re-apply again this year, should Council approve the staff recommendation of no grant.
CONCLUSION
After a review of the application for reconsideration, staff have concluded that
the original recommendation for no grant to Full Figure Theatre Company should remain unchanged.
* * * * *
