Council supports funding community groups in the development and maintenance of community use facilities. A process is needed to handle funding requests from community groups.

Throughout the year, representatives of community groups will present to the appropriate committee a description of their program, their successes, their current financial position and their plans for the forthcoming year. It is recognized that community groups have different relationships with the City. For example, some community groups operate city-owned facilities by way of a multi-year agreement. Another example is a community group that operates a privately owned facility and requests funding from the City for a specific project such as an expansion or a piece of equipment. It is desirable to treat these groups somewhat differently.

By the end of June of each year, staff liaison will notify their respective community groups about the following year’s budget process. Groups operating city-owned facilities with a multi-year agreement are not required to follow this procedure but are required to follow the terms of their agreement with respect to funding requests and regular reporting. However, special requests may be considered above and beyond the terms of the agreement and then must also follow this procedure.

Community groups must have their budget requests for the following year to their staff liaison before the end of July. Failure to do so may mean loss of funding for the following year.

In August, staff liaison will arrange a meeting of the appropriate committee of Council (all members of Council are to be invited) to hear presentations from the community groups requesting funds. The focus of their presentation will be on the use of the funds.

Council Committee will hear the presentations and make recommendations to the budget process.

An applicant may appeal a decision to Council Committee of the Whole. Community groups may appear before Council Committee of the Whole during budget deliberations.

In the cases of a two-year City Council budget, the same process applies and applications for funding may be for both years or either of the two years.