Kincardine council

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Kincardine council has chosen to stick with its policy rather than decide in favour of a recommendation from the recreation services committee pertaining to use of the community centre in Underwood.

In committee-of-the-whole last night (June 16), recreation director Karen Kieffer explained that the community centre committee operates two jamborees per year and wants to donate the profits to local charitable groups instead of putting the money back into the municipal budget.

She said currently the volunteers purchase the supplies from municipal funds and use municipal facilities for the jamborees, and then any profits made go back into the municipal coffers.

Now, the committee is requesting that it be given discretion and authority to donate the proceeds raised from the jamborees to local charities of its choice. The committee members volunteer their time to operate these jamborees, and the average profit is $800 to $900.

The recreation services committee supports allowing the community centre committee discretion over the funds as long as they are donated to local registered charities and up to a maximum of two jamborees per year.

However, Kieffer said the municipality has a policy in place for allocating funds for local charities and community groups and she believes this is the proper procedure for donations, not at the discretion of a single committee.

She recommended council re-affirm its policy for allocation of community grants and that it be followed by all departments and committees.

Councillor Ron Hewitt said the community centre committee could rent the facility like other groups do, and then do whatever it likes with the money.

"We suggested they rent the facility and they had doubts about insurance and other items," said councillor Guy Anderson.

"We're between a rock and a hard place here," said councillor Randy Roppel. "These are volunteers who put these events on and they should decide where the profits go."

"They could put on one for the municipality and one for their own programs," said mayor Larry Kraemer.

"If we don't follow our policy, we're going to have a line-up of other groups wanting to do what they want with their profits," said chief administrative officer John deRosenroll.

"What was the discussion at the recreation committee?" asked deputy mayor Laura Haight.

"It was a split decision," said councillor Kenneth Craig. "There were good points and bad points which is why we brought it to council for a decision."

"Does the community centre group have a particular cause they want to support?" asked Haight.

"They want to donate to a local hospital or something similar to that," said Kieffer.

Hewitt said the committee could ask for some relief from the rental of the facility and then hold the jamboree as normal and donate the money where it wants.

Anderson said allowing a reduced rent for certain groups costs taxpayers' money and the recreation committee did not want to make that decision.

"If we want to address the current policy, then we're making a large mistake if we exempt this group from the policy this time," said Craig. "Affirming the policy is the right answer, then we bring a policy amendment to council. That's a better process."

"And if they want to donate to a particular group, rent the facility and then do so with the profits," said Kraemer.

Councillor Marsha Leggett said the issue came up in September and at that time, the community centre committee was told to rent the facility and then donate the money where it wanted. "They said then they just wouldn't have any more jamborees," she said.

Haight suggested the community centre committee could also endorse a particular group for a community grant donation from the municipality.

Kieffer will tell the community centre committee that council is sticking to its policy, and again suggest the group rent the facility and use its profits for whatever purpose it decides.

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010