1998 Funding Ceiling: 'Other' Grants

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: January 19, 1998
Author/Local: J. Beresford/7789 CC File No. 2201
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: Director of Finance
SUBJECT: 1998 Funding Ceiling - ‘Other’ Grants
RECOMMENDATION
A.THAT the 1998 funding ceiling for ‘Other’ Grants be set as follows:

Major Facilities $3,450,900
"Other" Grants 550,000
Total $4,000,900
B.THAT Council approve an advance of its 1998 Operating Grant to ASTC Science World Society in the amount of $31,000, representing 40% of the 1997 funding level.
GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Corporate Services RECOMMENDS approval of A and submits B for CONSIDERATION.
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 the 1998 funding ceiling of the ‘Other’ Grants budget for Council’s approval.
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, four new categories have been added: Vancouver Art Stabilization Program, Barrier - to -Bridges, Sister City Societies and Community Safety Offices.
DISCUSSION
Major Facilities
The Major Facilities category provides funding to the four organizations which operate the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Museum/Space Centre 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. The ceiling also includes grant funding for Science World which was transferred from the Cultural Grant category in 1997.
The proposed grant ceiling includes funding of $3,450,000 for these organizations. Reports on the allocations of the 1998 grants will be submitted to Council at a later date.
2. Other Grants
The Other Grant category provides funding for the Annual Recurring and Miscellaneous categories as well as for several specific programs, including the Vancouver Art Stabilization Fund, the Barriers - to - Bridges program, the Sister City Societies and the Community Policing Offices.
Based on recent approvals and requests anticipated in 1998, it is proposed to establish a budget of $550,000 to provide for these grants in 1998. Reports on the allocation of these funds will be submitted to Council at a later date.
ADVANCE PAYMENT TO SCIENCE WORLD
ASTC Science World Society, operators of Science World, have normally received an advance grant payment from the City. However, with the shift of this grant from the Cultural category to the Major Facilities category in 1997, the requirement for this payment was overlooked in the 1998 grant installment report. Consultation with the Director of Cultural Affairs suggests that, under the advance grant program in the Cultural Grant category, Science World would have been eligible for a payment of $31,000 in February, 1998. As the organization has expressed concern about a change in the pattern of payments from the City, the Director of Finance is recommending that a payment of $31,000 be made to Science World at this time, representing 40% of the funding provided by the City in 1997. Recommendation of the final grant amount for 1998 will be included with the "Other" Grants category later in the year.
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