Niagara-on-the-Lake approved over $72,000 in community and youth grants Tuesday with relatively little debate, but spent the harder part of the discussion arguing over what to do with the money left behind.
The town had $167,443 available for this year’s Community and Youth Initiatives Grant Program, but approved only $72,414 in grants after six of 18 applications were ruled out for not meeting the program’s criteria.
That left $95,029 sitting on the table and kicked off a much longer fight: where should the money go?
Staff recommended using the balance to support eligible town recreation programs for NOTL residents, including possibly waiving or reducing summer camp fees, subject to available funding and program capacity.
But while the grants sailed through, councillors slammed the brakes on the leftover-money plan, sending it back to staff for two weeks.
That plan is expected to return to council May 26. The grant approvals must receive formal adoption that same day, before moving ahead.
The approved grants include $7,500 each for Community Crew, Music Niagara, Niagara Minor Thunderhawks Lacrosse, NOTL Minor Hockey, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and St. David’s Leos-Lions Club.
Royal Oak Community School is set to receive $7,350, while the NOTL Soccer Club is set to get $5,564 and the Niagara Pumphouse Visual Art Centre $5,000.
The list also includes $4,000 for Riverbrink Art Museum, $3,600 for Friends of Niagara National Historic Sites and $1,900 for the NOTL Horticultural Society.
The report says six applications were eliminated because they did not meet the policy criteria, including ineligible staffing costs, capital projects or projects outside the program’s intent.
Staff said there were also some applications that missed the deadline and were not reconsidered.
The recommendation for both the grant allocations and the leftover money came from the town’s community and youth initiatives grant working group, which includes councillors Tim Balasiuk, Maria Mavridis and Adriana Vizzari, along with two finance staff members.
Coun. Gary Burroughs supported the grants, but questioned whether the working group should have recommended what to do with the balance.
“I believe they’ve exceeded their authority by coming forward with what to do with a balance that they created,” Burroughs said.
Coun. Wendy Cheropita called the approved grant list “one of the best balances of funds” the town has had, adding it was also going to a “variety of new organizations.”
But she also questioned why, for the second year, the town was not using all of the available grant money.
“If we’re not using it — and it’s not as though we’re turning anybody away — then I think there’s another discussion,” she said.
Coun. Maria Mavridis, who sat on the working group, defended the process and said the criteria mattered.
“We set criteria for a reason. We don’t just hand out money because we feel good and it might fit,” she said.
She said the suggestion to use the remaining money for recreation programs came after the group heard from parents who could not afford some activities.
“We did have a couple of parents reach out that cannot afford certain programming,” Mavridis said.
“Since the discretionary funds were allocated to support families and youth in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I think it’s a good way to use it.”
Coun. Sandra O’Connor said the proposal was not ready as written.
“Because I don’t think we’ve fully fleshed this out yet, I can’t vote in favor of it at this point,” she said.
O’Connor questioned why the money would be aimed at recreation instead of other town programs, such as music, art or environmental programs and said the wording appeared open to any resident, not only those who needed help.
She proposed changing the recommendation by replacing “recreation programming” with broader “community programs,” so the money could support a wider range of programs for NOTL residents, specifically those “in need.”
But chief administrative officer Nick Ruller warned the wording still left staff with broad questions.
“Seeing as 1.1 and 1.2 have been approved, if there’s an opportunity for staff to come back for council with an answer for 1.3 that’s a little more comprehensive, I think it might better serve us all,” he said.
Coun. Erwin Wiens then moved to refer the issue back to staff for two weeks. The motion was passed.
