Morinville council is gearing up for a total overhaul of its grant policy, one that could lead to tighter rules on how it spends its money.
Town council voted last week to postpone consideration of its 2014 community grant policy until August due to the lateness of the hour (the council meeting ran until about midnight).
Council gives out $27,500 a year to local groups and individuals through its community grant program to fund trips and run events that benefit the town as a whole. The grants are awarded quarterly.
Council has struggled in recent years with the grants, often spending hours debating which ones to approve. Council has routinely run into causes it wants to support (such as the Canada Day fireworks show) but can’t due to the rules behind the grant fund.
Council asked its staff to review the fund’s rules last September. A draft of the new rules was in the agenda package for last week’s council meeting. If approved, the rules would kick in for 2014.
The proposed rules would cut the grant program down from four intakes a year to two: March 29 and Sept. 30. Grants would not be given retroactively unless an event took place between the application deadline and the time council considered the grant application.
As is the case now, grant applicants have to be non-profits and must be present when council is considering their application to answer questions. New is a requirement for applicants to have no outstanding debts to the town and to show that their event adds value to the community in the form of partnerships or volunteer opportunities.
The new rules also change the cap on grants. Previously, grants were capped at $2,500 or half of an event’s total cost, not including in-kind support, with each group limited to one grant a year. The new rules have a flat $2,500 cap that counts in-kind support, and eliminate the once-a-year limit.
Also proposed is a new application form, one that explicitly asks if the applicant is from Morinville and a non-profit. It also asks applicants to classify their events as arts/culture, recreation/sports, community development, family and community support services, or perpetual. Perpetual grants are limited to five years.
The new rules return to council this Aug. 27.
