FoodFest dropping request for funds
Organizers say money should go to those more in need
Foodfest board member Leanna Villella said it would be hard to say if the event could succeed without city funding
Welland city council seemed determined to give Welland FoodFest funding for 2024, despite organizers saying they didn’t want it and that it should go to others.
Festival board member Leanna Villella appeared at last week’s council meeting as elected officials were set to hear a report on permissive grant funding that recommended splitting remaining money available between two of four community groups/organizations that applied late last year.
Those groups were the FoodFest, which held its first event last year on Merritt Island; REACH Niagara, a group that serves individuals who do not or cannot see their doctor; Latin Niagara, which wanted to hold a festival; and Holy Trinity Anglican Church, requesting funds for its breakfast program.
Groups wanting permissive grants must apply by Sept. 30 and provide financial information from the previous year. All four applied after that date.
The report from revenue services manager Michael Lostracco recommended dividing $46,220 — left from $100,000 budgeted in 2024 — with Holy Trinity receiving $37,000 ($45,000 was requested) and REACH Niagara receiving $9,220 ($12,000 requested).
Villella told council her group, which requested $15,000 from the city, had a valid reason for not applying on time last year or providing needed financial information.
She said the festival ran the same weekend as the application deadline and applying for the grant was the last thing on her mind at the time.
The group was encouraged to apply late, and did not have any financial information until December.
“In all good conscience, and I have spoken to the team, the reason I’m here tonight, primarily, is to pull our request for funding for FoodFest and ask that you give to those more in need,” said Villella, who is
also one of Welland’s three regional council representatives.
She said city council faced a tough decision.
“We just felt it was the right thing to do to pull our request. So, I respectfully ask council, the clerk, the mayor to pull FoodFest from that list of funding,” said Villella.
Ward 3 Coun. John Chiocchio asked if the group, whose members also include Mark Holmes, Angie St. Pierre, Jeff Bennett, Terra Deschambault, Cindy Schneider and Mike Perron, plan to run the event this year.
“Of course, we’d love to do it,” said Villella. “We are all volunteers and we are all very busy people. Being able to raise the money might be a little difficult. We’ll get on that right away, I suppose.”
Villella and Holmes, also part of the Welland Floatfest board, have a motto of not going into anything unless it’s paid in full prior.
Chiocchio asked whether the group would run the food festival if the city’s finance department could find a way to provide some financial assistance, outside of permissive grants.
Villella said she wouldn’t comment on where funds could be found.
“What I will say is, what’s very important to myself, Mark, Cindy, the rest of the team, is that the festival is supported by the City of Welland.”
She also said it would be hard to say if the event could succeed without city funding.
“We don’t really have a history. The primary funding we get is from our vendors and we charge $500 for whole weekend. We could increase that but that’s not the purpose. The purpose is to get business out in front of the public at the least expensive way they can do it to promote their businesses.”
She said the group would look to find a major sponsor to cover $8,000 the festival pays to the city for services, such as fencing and tables, before holding the event again.
After Villella’s presentation, councillors went back and forth on the city’s permissive grants policy and Ward 4 Coun. Bryan Green tried to refer the report back to staff but was told cheques had been cut to groups who met requirements.
Ward 2 Coun. David McLeod asked for $8,000 to come from the city’s operating reserve fund for FoodFest.
Mayor Frank Campion said that couldn’t be done because the city’s 2024 budget was set.
“The other issue is, we’ve heard this evening from the organizer that she doesn’t want the money at the expense of either one of these places and she has withdrawn her application. So I think we’d have difficulty providing money to somebody who has withdrawn,” the mayor said.
McLeod said there was support around the table for the event but no flexibility in what council was doing at the meeting.
Near the end of the council meeting, McLeod introduced a notice of motion for the March 19 council meeting for the city to provide $8,000 to Welland FoodFest for 2024.
He did not specify from where the funds would come.