Council this week waded into the difficult task of shaving almost half the community's grant requests.
With $95,000 to hand out, the municipality received $189,000 worth of fund and grants-in-aid applications. At its Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday (March 27), council went through the list, line by line.
Making up approximately 30 per cent of the 11 funding applications, the Squamish Art Council's (SAC) request was the largest and saw the biggest reduction. SAC's board of directors asked for $50,000, but lawmakers decided to allocate just $15,000 - all of which must be handed out to art projects through its SAC Funds program.
"The request just seems to be out of touch with the economic realities that we are facing," Coun. Ron Sander said.
Coun. Bryan Raiser agreed. He said he was disappointed that SAC had spent taxpayers' money on advertising for the arts council and its initiatives last year.
"It rubbed me the wrong way," Raiser said.
SAC is grateful for the district's support, the art council's president Krisztina Egyed said, noting that the money will help generate new artistic and cultural activity through the SAC Funds.
Callaghan Winter Sports Club requested that $5,200 worth of fees involved with Official Community Plan (OCP) and rezoning applications for land being considered as part of the Squamish Sport Legacy Park be waived. But that request was denied.
The piece of Crown land on which the organization has applied for tenure is designated for light industrial use under the OCP. The fees are usually attached to commercial developments and this project is to build a sport's facility.
If the club's request was accepted, Sander warned it could set a precedent for other projects. The club could raise the cash itself, Coun. Patricia Heintzman said, noting it has 400 members.
"They can have a fundraiser in one night and make $5,000," she said.
A spokesperson for the club could not be reached before press time.
Council had a difficult time supporting a number of requests that they deemed the responsibility of the Sea to Sky School District.
One such application was from the Howe Sound Secondary School Career Programs, which would fund two students to attend the RCMP Youth Academy.
To resolve this issue, the municipality needs to come up with a grants policy that would layout what the district will and will not fund, Coun. Doug Race said.
"I think this is the value of having a policy," he said.
Heintzman suggested the district should give such organizations a heads up for next year.
The budget decisions agreed to at Committee of the Whole still need to be voted on in a regular business meeting.
On Monday, April 2, at 6 p.m. at the Squamish Seniors Centre, the municipality will hold an open house on the budget. The district aims to adopt the 2012 budget by May 1.
