City holds Community Enhancement Grants to 2013 levels in the year to come

As the clock begins its countdown towards 2014, the City of Prince Rupert has outlined what community grant recipients can expect in the way of funding for 2014 and for the majority of the list, what they received in 2013 will be what they can plan for in 2014.

In another year ahead for hold the line funding, the City advised many of the grant applicants for the year to come, 2014 won't be the year where increased expectations or requests will be provided for.

It was a decision which keeps the grants to community groups at around the 1.4 million dollar range for the year to come. Leaving community groups and services that rely on civic funding for their efforts, to perhaps seek out other community sources to assist with their plans and requirements for the year ahead.

Those funding decisions are now complete, but with three exceptions.

The Library which will have a tentative grant approved at 2013 levels, but with a further review in its funding planned for the New Year.

At that same time Tourism Prince Rupert and the Visitor Information Centre will also have their grant applications reviewed. A process which allows the City to have a bit more time to decide on an appropriate level of funding for the year ahead.

Providing some background on the need for some critical infrastructure requirements in the city, the Mayor outlined how the city at this time still needs to address those concerns, before they consider adding additional funding to the Community Grants.

Council also explained that while they had recently received that 2.1 million dollar cash injection from the Port from it's payment in lieu of taxes, they still had concerns from their budget deliberations of the spring to take care of, before they could expand any funding for the grants process.

The short discussion on the grant applications can be found from the City Council Video archive for Monday December 9th, the guidelines for the year ahead and the discussion of those decisions can be found from the 1 hour thirty minute to 1 hour thirty nine minute mark of the Council replay.

A quick scan of last Monday's agenda (pages 17 to 19)  also outlines what the community groups had been asking for in 2014 and what they had received in 2013, which now will be their benchmark for planning for the year ahead.