Winners and losers in city grant program
Niagara Safety Village, Welland Heritage Council, Welland Downtown BIA and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 4 are getting what they asked for or more in grants from the City of Welland.
But the Hope Centre and Open Arms Mission took a hit when council was finished going through its permissive and capital grants report Tuesday night.
The report had been sent back at the previous council meeting to allow councillors a second look at tax- supported funding for various community groups and organizations.
As discussions got underway Tuesday, council heard Knights of Columbus had withdrawn its nearly $ 15,000 funding request.
That gave council an option of having nearly $ 20,000 extra to move around to groups who were receiving no funding in 2018 and those who applied late to the city’s grant program.
Asked why the city didn’t support waiving $ 5,970 in fees for the BIA’s 2018 Feast Street Niagara, treasurer Steve Zorbas said staff felt the BIA had enough in its operating budget to deal with that cost.
Zorbas said council had the discretion to change any staff recommendation in the report.
Ward 2 Coun. John Chiocchio made a motion to give Feast Street its $ 5,970 request, and council passed it as it went through the report.
A motion to give $ 6,000 to Niagara Safety Village, despite it filling its request after the deadline, also passed during the meeting.
Ward 2 Coun. Leo Van Vliet and others were not very supportive of it, citing the late filing.
“Niagara Safety Village has come to us for many years. For them to come in late when they know the date, I can’t support the $ 6,000,” Van Vliet said.
He said if council was going to give that organization funding, it should also give money to three other groups that came in with late requests.
Other councillors were supportive of the request, talking about the importance of the safety village and what it brings to children across Niagara in terms of teaching safety.
Topping up Welland Rose Festival’s funding request to $ 60,000 from $ 53,690 was also approved by council.
Councillors said it’s the longestrunning event in the city and one that gives back to the city. Council heard on average, the festival receives $ 50,000 in grants and the waiving of fees.
Welland Heritage Council, another group that filed late, received its ask of $ 5,773 to help with a dragon boat festival this summer.
Ward 6 Coun. Bonnie Fokkens made a motion to take $ 5,000 away from Hope Centre’s $ 65,000 request, and $ 3,775 from Open Arms’ request of $ 48,775.
Those funds were used to help out with some of the other funding changes and to give Royal Canadian Legion Branch 4 its full capital grant funding request. City staff had recommended it only receive $ 2,500, but the legion had asked for $ 5,395 in total, $ 5,000 to replace chairs and $ 395 in waived fees.
The report still must go before council for final approval at its Feb. 6 meeting, which will be live streamed on the city website at www. welland. ca that evening starting at 7 p. m.