SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 7  
                                                      CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
                                                      FEBRUARY 1, 1996     


                              ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT


                                                    Date:  January 19, 1996


     TO:       Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets

     FROM:     Director of Finance

     SUBJECT:  1996 Funding Ceiling - 'Other' Grants



     RECOMMENDATION

          THAT  the 1996  funding  ceiling for  'Other'  Grants be  set  as
          follows:

               Annual Recurring and Miscellaneous      $  604,800
               Sister City Societies                       15,000
               Collingwood Village                        191,700
               Vancouver Art Stabilization Program        100,000
               Vancouver Economic Commission              200,000
               Barrier-to-Bridges Grants                   15,000
                                                       $1,126,500


     GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

          The General Manager of  Corporate Services RECOMMENDS approval of
          the foregoing.


     COUNCIL POLICY

     Council  policy on civic grants  is presented in  the companion report
     from  the  General  Managers   of  Community  Services  and  Corporate
     Services.


     PURPOSE

     The purpose of  this report is  to submit  for consideration the  1996
     funding ceiling of the 'Other' Grants.


     BACKGROUND

     City Council, on  June 22,  1989, approved the  recommendation of  the
     Director of  Finance to restructure  the 'Other'  Grants funding  into
     three  separate categories:  Major  Facilities, Annual  Recurring  and
     Miscellaneous.   Since 1989 five new grant programs have been included
     in  'Other' Grants and they are as follows: Sister Cities, Collingwood
     Village,  Vancouver Art  Stabilization, Vancouver  Economic Commission
     and Barrier-to-Bridges.


     DISCUSSION

     1.  Major Facilities

     The   Major  Facilities   category  provides   funding  to   the  four
     organizations  which operate the Vancouver Art  Gallery and the Museum
     Complex at Vanier Park.  The  grants to these organizations are  based
     on  specific and on-going arrangements  as stipulated in the operating
     agreements with the City.   An amount of $3,250,500 has  been provided
     in the 1996 Preliminary Operating Budget to fund these grants.

     Council  should note that the Operation Review of the Vancouver Museum
     has been completed  and the  consultant is finalizing  the report  for
     presentation to Council.  The budget established at this time does not
     include any  provision to reflect  the financial  implications of  the
     recommendations from the consultant.


     2.  'Other' Grants

     a)  Annual Recurring and Miscellaneous

     In  establishing  the funding  ceiling  for the  Annual  Recurring and
     Miscellaneous   category,   the   Director   of   Finance  has   given
     consideration  to   the  funding   levels  provided  to   the  various
     organizations in 1995, as well as the anticipated requests in 1996.

     It is  estimated that an amount of $604,800 will be sufficient to fund
     the 1996 grant  requests.  This compares to actual expenditure in 1995
     of $658,300.


     b)  Collingwood Village

     City  Council,  on  December  15,  1994  approved  the  proposed  1995
     operating  budget of  the Collingwood  Neighbourhood House  Society to
     operate  the  facilities  at  the Collingwood  Village.  $159,700  was
     allowed to provide  a one-time grant  of $86,400 for  the purchase  of
     gymnasium equipment and $73,300 to cover the 1995 portion of operating
     costs  of the gymnasium.   The estimated annualized  operating cost is
     $191,700.  Staff will report back on specific needs at a later point.


     c)  Vancouver Art Stabilization Program

     In November 1993, Council approved, in principle, to provide an amount
     of $500,000 to the Vancouver Art Stabilization Program to be disbursed
     as grants at  $100,000 a year over five years.   The third installment
     of the grant has been included in the ceiling.


     d)  Vancouver Economic Commission

     City Council on September  14,1995 approved the final report  from the
     Economic Development Task force, and  approved in principle an  annual
     grant of  $200,000 to fund the  Commission. The grant is  to cover the
     May 1  to April 30 fiscal  year, to be reviewed  and approved annually
     upon receiving an application  and annual report of the  activities of
     the Commission.


     e)  Barrier-to-Bridges Grants

     City  Council on  December  15, 1995  approved  a 1996  allocation  of
     $15,000 to the Barriers-to-Bridges Grants program.  Staff will  report
     back on the allocation of the grants at a later date.



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