SUPPORTS ITEM NO.
P&E COMMITTEE AGENDA
Environmental Grants
NOVEMBER 7, 1996
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: October 22, 1996
TO: Standing Committee on Planning & Environment
FROM: Director of Environmental Health, in consultation with the
General Managers of Engineering and Corporate Services,
Director of Permits & Licenses and Medical Health Officer
SUBJECT: Environmental Grants
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council approve a grant of $20,000 to the Strathcona
Community Gardeners Society for their "Environmental Systems
Project"; source of funds to be the Environmental Grant Fund
in the Solid Waste Capital Reserve.
CONSIDERATION
B. THAT Council approve a grant of $24,000 to the Oceans Blue
Foundation for their "Keep Greater Vancouver Spectacular"
community-wide clean-up program; source of funds to be the
Environmental Grant Fund in the Solid Waste Capital Reserve.
C. THAT Council approve a grant of $15,000 to the Better
Environmentally Sound Transportation Association for their
"Bike to Work Week" program; source of funds to be the
Environmental Grant Fund in the Solid Waste Capital Reserve.
GENERAL MANAGER S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of A;
and submits the B and C for Council s CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
On March 27, 1990, Council approved an allocation of $250,000 to fund
the Environmental Grant Program.
On July 10,1990, Council approved the Environmental Grant Guidelines and
Criteria.
On May 10, 1996, Council approved a further allocation of $250,000 for
the continuation of the Environmental Grant Program. They also approved
amendments to the Guidelines and Criteria requiring a detailed budget,
financial statement and brief summary report upon completion of the
project. The amended Guidelines and Criteria are appended for reference.
Approval of grants requires eight affirmative votes.
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BACKGROUND
On March 27, 1990 Council approved a number of recommendations
concerning the City's Environmental Program. One of those dealt with the
creation of a $250,000 fund to sponsor private, non-profit,
non-partisan, community based programs aimed at personal actions that
restore or improve the environment.
There have been eight Environmental Grant Reports considered by Council
to date. In total 34 requests have been reviewed with 24 funding awards
to organizations totalling approximately $235,000.
On May 10, 1996 Council approved the continuation of the Grant Program
and allocated a further $250,000 to the Fund.
CURRENT GRANT REQUESTS
This is the ninth Environmental Grant Report and it contains three grant
requests.
Project Amt. Requested
Environmental Systems Project $20,000
Keep Greater Vancouver Spectacular $24,000
Bike to Work Week $15,000
The Staff Review Committee, comprising representatives of the Special
Office for the Environment and Corporate Services has reviewed the
submissions relative to the criteria approved by Council, and makes the
following recommendation:
1. Strathcona Community Gardeners Society -
Environmental Systems Project Requested: $20,000
Recommended: $20,000
Strathcona Gardens is a non-profit, charitable society with currently
over 200 gardeners. The Strathcona Community Garden is a three acre
green space in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Work began on the
Strathcona site in 1985 and consisted primarily of regenerating land
used previously for industrial waste. Since then, espaliers of heritage
fruit trees, a medicinal herb garden, and nesting grounds for local
birds have all been created. The gardens offer plot space for individual
community members to grow organic food and community areas for people
and animals to share for educational, recreational and environmental
purposes.
All projects and work have been successful because of the large amounts
of volunteer time and sharing of individual expertise. An annual open
house, monthly meetings, and ongoing educational activities attract
people from across Vancouver for educational workshops, tours and
exchanges. Recently the Strathcona Community Gardeners have constructed
a Garden House: an example of environmentally sustainable architecture
and community based design. It is a gathering centre for community
members to meet, share their expertise, engage in innovative
environmental education, and learn about the potential for ecologically
conscious building.
The Environmental Systems project is the second phase of this project.
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it will enhance the relationship between the people involved in the
gardens and the environment creating a more ecologically sustainable
space. The objectives of the project are: to protect and enhance
community use of the local environment, provide a safe and accessible
composting toilet facility which in turn will create fertilizer for
non-edible habitation, create an environmentally sensitive energy (small
scale solar power) source at the gardens, create a reusable (grey)
water system, provide a space for heritage seeds to be stored and traded
within the community using recycled, non-toxic and sustainable
materials, provide a model of a sustainable and environmentally
responsible resource systems and provide a time for people in the
community to share their knowledge with each other.
With respect to the environmental grant guidelines, this program is very
supportive of City policies and meets all of the grant criteria.
2: Oceans Blue Foundation -
Keep Greater Vancouver Spectacular Requested: $24,000
Recommended: $24,000
Oceans Blue Foundation is a Vancouver-based, non-profit foundation
committed to sustainable tourism. Their work focuses on practical
environmentally friendly actions that encourage the tourism industry to
be Good Hosts and visitors to be Good Guests. This request is for
financial support for the creation of a manual to accompany the Keep
Greater Vancouver Spectacular (KGVS) program. This program is intended
to be the first of many that will help Vancouver lead the way in the
world-wide practice of sustainable tourism. The KGVS manual will assist
other communities organize their own clean-up programs. The plan calls
for concerted efforts in four areas: Community Programs, Responsible
Education, Meaningful Standards and Strategic Planning.
KGVS is a six-week-long community cleanup program that brings residents
and businesses together in an effort to improve the local environment.
The manual will be sold to B.C., Canadian, and international communities
that plan to organize their own local clean-up campaign using the KGVS
model. The manual will offer advice including information on:
administration, identifying major partners and corporate sponsors,
communications planning and advertising, liaising with local authorities
and government, volunteer identification and organization, setting-up
and running workshops and liability concerns and trouble-shooting.
With respect to the environmental grant guidelines, criteria number 4
requires that programs should be generally supportive of City policies
with measurable physical environmental benefits accruing primarily to
City residents. This program is very supportive of City policies
although the benefits may not be primarily for City residents. The
program has definite environmental value in that the manual will be
available for other city organizations and will certainly promote
Vancouver as an environmentally conscious city. The program does meet
all of the other criteria. It is also important to note that the City of
Vancouver has been a key participant and substantial funder in the
original KGVS program, albeit not through the Environmental Grant Fund.
On the basis that this project does not directly meet the criterion
regarding physical environmental benefits accruing primarily to city
residents the request is brought forward for Council's consideration
rather than being recommended.
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3: Better Environmentally Sound Transportation
- Bike to Work Week Requested: $15,000
Recommended: $15,000
Better Environmentally Sound Transportation's (B.E.S.T.) mission is to
promote and encourage the use of environmentally and socially
responsible alternatives to the private automobile in Greater Vancouver.
B.E.S.T. currently runs three major projects: Our Community Bikes (OCB),
Main Station Bikes (MSB), and the Alternative Transportation Centre
(ATC). OCB is a community bike store that takes in used bicycles,
reconditions them and sells them on a sliding scale. MSB is a
commuter-focused bike store providing services, parts and accessories to
all cyclists; profits from MSB are allocated to the ATC's educational
programs. The ATC provides education, resources and consultation
services to help individuals and organizations use alternative modes of
transportation to the single occupancy vehicle. The ATC coordinates Bike
To Work Week (BTWW) in June, which was initiated in Vancouver this year.
B.E.S.T. is requesting a grant to cover three-quarters of the salary
costs of a full time project coordinator for the 1997 Bike To Work Week.
In order for next year's events to be successful, a full time
coordinator is needed to proceed with the fund raising, planning and
organization of the various activities.
Bike To Work Week aims to raise awareness and recognition of the bicycle
as a viable alternative mode of transportation to the private automobile
through: events set up to provide education on cycling safety, corporate
challenges to encourage widespread participation from employees and
employers, addressing barriers to cycling to work, a bike-a-thon to
facilitate overall community involvement and to gather and analyze data
on cycling needs in Vancouver.
BTWW will consist of three major awareness and public participation
events: Bike Buddy and Safe Riding Day, the Clean Air Commute and the
B.E.S.T. Bike-a-thon. An evaluation of the success of BTWW will be based
on: the number of people signed up as Bike Buddies, the number of people
stopping at our informational tables and displays, the number of
organizations and employees participating in the Clean Air Commute, the
number of new bicycle facilities installed at workplaces, the number of
individuals participating in the Bike-a-thon, the amount of money raised
in the Bike-a-thon, the number of members generated for B.E.S.T. and the
number of cycling needs addressed from those identified in the survey.
With respect to the environmental grant guidelines, criteria number 5
requires that priority will be given to those proposals which require
one time funding or initial seed money, and do not require ongoing City
financial commitments. This is the second year for this specific program
but the first time that B.E.S.T. has requested a grant for it. They have
expanded the program somewhat and all aspects of it are very supportive
of City policies. The organizers have been advised that the
environmental grant program is not for ongoing programs and that future
grants for this specific item would be unlikely. The program meets all
of the other criteria. The Finance Department recommends providing half
of the request now and the final half upon completion of the project.
On the basis that this project does not meet the criterion with regard
to priority being given to one time funding or seed money the request is
brought forward for Council's consideration rather than being
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recommended. If Council approves this application it should be on the
clear understanding that this does not represent a commitment to fund
this annual event on an ongoing basis.
SUMMARY
The Staff Review Committee place before Council for consideration the
Keep Greater Vancouver Spectacular and Bike To Work Week projects and
recommend approval of the Environmental Systems project applications
under the Environmental Grant Program in the following amounts:
Environmental Systems Project $20,000
Keep Greater Vancouver Spectacular $24,000
Bike to Work Week $15,000
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APPENDIX A
Environmental Grant Guidelines and Criteria
CITY OF VANCOUVER
1. Groups sponsoring activities or programs must be private,
non-profit registered societies which are community based.
Applicants must demonstrate financial need as well as managerial
and environmental knowledge and ability.
2. Programs or projects must be directed to personal or group actions
which restore or improve the environment. As an example, in the
solid waste area, proposals must be supportive of the City's
objectives of waste reduction, recycling and re-use.
3. Programs for funding consideration should not duplicate existing
programs in the public or private sector; they should be directed
to new initiatives or unmet needs.
4. Programs should be generally supportive of City policies with
measurable physical environmental benefits accruing primarily to
City residents.
5. Priority will be given to those proposals which require one time
funding or initial seed money, and do not require ongoing City
financial commitments. Grants are not intended to supplement
existing efforts by defraying a portion of the current operating or
program costs. The City will consider grants where the City is the
sole contributor but preference will be given to supplement
existing funding or volunteer efforts. Grants are not intended to
address accumulated debt or past operating deficits.
6. To qualify for an Environmental Grant, an organization must supply
accurate program and financial information. It should specify what
the grant is to be used for and the period for which the grant is
requested. Applicants must submit a detailed budget and audited
financial statement upon completion of the program.
7. Term of the program should be a maximum of one year.
8. Not all groups meeting the above criteria will automatically
receive a grant or grant increase. Grant allocations are dependent
on the environmental grant budget level.
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