SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 3
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
APRIL 25, 1996
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: April 9, 1996
To: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT: Reconsideration of 1996 Cultural Grant
Recommendations
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve the Director of Cultural
Affairs' original recommendations for Cultural
Grants to the following three organizationsthat
have requested reconsideration:
Jewish Community Centre (#56) $3,000 Project
Kootenay School of Writing (#65) 2,500 Operating
Vancouver Opera Guild (#128) 300 Operating
TOTAL $5,800
B. THAT Council not approve Cultural Grants in the
Project category to the following three
organiza-tions that have requested reconsideration:
Digital Earth (#32)
Historical Performance Society (#53)
National Youth Orchestra (#76)
Approval of the above recommendations will leave an
unallocated balance of $17,085 in the Operating Grants
category and $1,000 in the Project Grants category.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services submits the
foregoing for CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
On November 22, 1994, City Council established that
reconsideration of grant recommendations will be considered
only if they are based on one or both of the following
premises:
1) that eligibility criteria have not been properly
applied; or
2) that the financial situation of the applicant has
not been properly assessed or understood.
Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative
votes.
PURPOSE
This report contains the results of the staff reconsideration
process that has been initiated by six cultural grant
applicants. It proposes no changes to the original staff
recommendations.
BACKGROUND
In November 1994, Council approved a new 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 provided;
- staff's reasons for initial recommendations, applicants'
reasons for seeking reconsideration, and staff's
responses, are presented in writing (see Appendix B);
- grants that are not in dispute can be considered earlier
than those being reconsidered; and
- some portion of the grants budget is set aside to allow
for funding of new or increased grants arising from the
reconsideration process.
In late February 1996, all Cultural Operating and Project
grant applicants were advised, in writing, of staff
recommenda-tions, along with reasons for recommended
reductions, or no grants. Six organizations requested
reconsideration, as listed in Appendix A.
On April 2, 1996, City Council approved staff recommendations
for all Operating and Project grant applications not being
reconsidered. The approval left a balance of $17,085 in the
Operating Grant budget and $1,000 in the Project grants
budget, for a total of $18,085.
DISCUSSION
After applicants for reconsideration provided written
infor-mation to support their requests, Cultural Affairs
staff conducted a review of each request. The original
applications, supporting materials, and the information
submitted with the reconsideration requests were reviewed by
a staff committee. Clarification was sought from applicants,
as required.
Appendix A lists the applicant's grant request and current
staff recommendations. Appendix B contains written
submissions from applicants requesting reconsideration,
together with staff responses. Council will note that a
number of applicants have not identified either of the two
grounds for reconsideration as the basis for an appeal, but
staff have tried to address applicants' concerns in their
responses.
CONCLUSION
The Director of Cultural Affairs' original recommendations to
the six groups requesting reconsideration totalled $5,800.
No changes to these recommendations are being recommended as
a result of the reconsideration process this year. However,
the National Youth Orchestra, which has significant
representation from Vancouver, has been advised that it will
be considered for a Baxter Fund grant if it applies in
collaboration with a locally based cultural organization.
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