07 - August 26, 2020 RIPA Committee Agenda Package
Rural Initiatives/Planning Advisory Committee
August 26, 2020
Table of Contents
I.Agenda –August 26, 2020 ………..........................................................................2
II.Minutes –July 22, 2020………….………………………………..…………………….3
III.Report – AdditionalFunding Requestsand CommunityGrantProgram Approval5
IV.DRAFT–Community ServicesApplication Package………………………………...9
V.DRAFT –Festival and Events Application Package………………………………….19
VI.DRAFT –Community Signage Program………………………………………………29
Rural Initiatives/Planning Advisory Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
9:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.
Meeting to be held electronically.
Agenda
1.Approval of Agenda
2.Approval of the Minutes
3.Additional Funding Requests and Community Grant Program Approval
4.Date of Next Meeting
5.Adjournment
Rural Initiatives/Planning Advisory Committee Meeting
Date: July22, 2020
Location: Elgin County Administration Building, 450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas
rd
Administrative Services Boardroom, 3
Floor
Time:9:00 A.M.
Attendees:Members of the Rural Initiatives/Planning AdvisoryCommittee
Councillor Ed Ketchabaw (electronic)
Councillor Sally Martyn (In-person)
(electronic)
Warden Dave Mennill(electronic)
Elgin County Staff
Chief Administrative Officer, Julie Gonyou(in-person)
General Manager of Economic Development, Alan Smith (electronic)
Supervisor of Legislative Services and Community Relations, Katherine
Thompson (electronic)
Regrets: Heather Derks
Jim Bundschuh, Director of Financial Services
1.Call toOrder
nd
The Rural Initiatives/Planning Advisory Committeemetthis22day ofJu, 2020 in
the Administrative Services Boardroom, at the County Administration Building, St.
Thomasat9:00 A.M.omeCommittee Membersjoined the meeting electronically via
video conferencing.
2.Approval ofAgenda
Moved by: Warden Mennill
Seconded by:Councillor Martyn
Resolved that the agenda be approved as presented.
Recorded Vote
YesNo
WardenDaveMennillYes
CouncillorDominiqueYes
CouncillorSallyMartynYes
CouncillorEdKetchabawYes
40
-Motion Carried.
3.Adoption of Minutes
: Warden Mennill
Moved by
Seconded by: Councillor Giguère
Resolved that the minutes of the previous meeting be adopted.
Recorded Vote
YesNo
WardenDaveMennillYes
CouncillorDominiqueYes
CouncillorSallyMartynYes
CouncillorEdKetchabawYes
40
-Motion Carried.
4.Draft Elgin County Community Grant Program (CGP) – Review of Scoring Matrices
The Committee reviewed the grant program applications and scoring matrices and
provided feedback. Questions were eliminated or merged in order to streamline the
process and avoid duplication.
5.Next Meeting Date
th
Ameeting date has been set forAugust 26, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
6.
Adjournment
Moved by: Warden
Secondedby:CouncillorGiguère
th
Resolved that the meeting adjourn at10:15 a.m.to meet again onAugust 26,2020 at 9:00
a.m.
Recorded Vote
YesNo
WardenDaveMennillYes
CouncillorDominiqueYes
CouncillorMartynYes
HeatherDerksYes
CouncillorEdKetchabawYes
50
- Motion Carried.
1
REPORT TO RURAL INITIATIVES
AND PLANNING ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
FROM:Katherine Thompson,Supervisor of
Legislative Services and Community Relations
th
DATE:August 19,2020
SUBJECT:Additional Funding Requests and Community Grant Program Approval
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the August 19th, 2020,report titled, Additional Funding Requests and Community
Grant Program Approval, submitted by the Supervisor of Legislative Services and
Community Relations, bereceived and filed for information; and,
THAT the Rural Initiatives and Planning Advisory Committee provide direction regarding
additional funding requests; and,
THAT theCommunity Grant Programapplication packages Community Services,
FestivalsandEvents and Community Signagebe approved and that staff proceed with
implementation of the2021 process beginningon September 1,2020.
INTRODUCTION:
The COVID-19 global pandemic has createdunprecedentedchallenges that have
caused organizations to quickly change direction in order to adjust to the new realities of
public safety and physical distancing requirements. Community service providers and
festival and eventorganizers have had to significantly change the methods they utilize
to provide their services to the community and in many cases have had to cancel their
initiatives and events. The pandemic has also changed the way in which the RIPA
Committee allocated grant funding in 2020.
Simultaneously,the RIPA Committeehas been reviewing the process in which funds
are allocated and has been developing a new Community Grant Programscheduled to
launch in September 2020. This revised program willbetter suit the needs of the
community andwillalign with the goals and priorities ofCouncil’s Strategic Planfor
2020-2022.
2
DISCUSSION:
Staff have received some feedback regarding the continued struggles that organizations
across the County face to pay their expenses particularly in the absence of event
revenues. At the end of April, as it became apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic
would continue into the summer months, the Chair of the RIPA Committee directed staff
to follow-up with local Community Service and Event and Festival organizers to
determine if their programming would proceed in 2020. Staff provided the Committee
with updates over the course of May and June. In total seven (7) events indicated that
they would not go forward.
The Committee made the decision to support Community Service organizations who
had submitted requests for funding to support adjustments to their programming as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations shifted services to virtual
platforms and developed new and creative ways of delivering services to their target
populations. On June 23, 2020 the Committee decided unilaterally not to provide
financial support to festivals and events that had been cancelled.
While no requests for additional funds havebeen received directly from event
organizers, some concerns from residents and a member of local Council have been
shared with the CAO on behalf of event organizers that ongoing operational support for
Festival and Events is something that is needed to ensure sustainability and suggesting
that the County consider providingoperational funds to support them even if events and
festivals have been cancelled.
At this time there is no process in place to determine whether residual grant funds can
be used to support the ongoing expenses of organizationswho were forced to withdraw
their applications whentheir events were cancelled. Should the Committee wish to
support these organizations, we would need to reach out to each of these organizations
to request updated information regarding the proposed use of these funds (as their
original event applications would no longer be relevant). It would then be prudent to
develop a set of standardized criteria against which these new requests could be
weighed to ensure accountability and transparency of the process.
Alternatively, and the staff preferred option, is to proceed with the launch of the new
Community Grant Program onSeptember 1, 2020. This will open the application period
for the 2021 calendar year. Correspondence could be sent to all previous applicants
encouraging them to apply and providing them with information about accelerated
timelines that will allow the Committee to provide funding earlier in the new year when
possible.
Community Grant Program application packages for Community Services, Festivalsand
Events and Community Signage have been included for the Committee’s review.These
packages have undergone several rounds of detailed review and efforts have been
3
made to incorporate all feedback from both County Council and the RIPA Committee.
These packages have been reduced in size, language has been simplified and
standardizedand duplicate questionshave beenremoved to ensure a positive
experience for the grant applicant. It is the intention of staff to seek feedback from
applicants at the end of the 2021 processregarding their experiences with the new
application/process so that the program can be further refined if necessary.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
If the Committee decides to entertain additional requests from local organizations
remaining grant funds, freed up as a result of withdrawn applications, could be utilized.
There are no financial implications associated with the approval of Community Grant
Program Application Packages.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
Serving ElginGrowing ElginInvesting in Elgin
Ensuring alignment of Planning for and Ensuring we have the
current programs and facilitating commercial, necessary tools,
services with community industrial, residential, resources, and
need.and agricultural growth. infrastructure to deliver
programs and services
now and in the future.
Exploring different Fostering a healthy
ways of addressing environment.
Delivering mandated
community need.
programs and services
Enhancing quality of
efficiently and
Engaging with our
place.
effectively.
community and other
stakeholders.
LOCAL MUNICIPAL PARTNER IMPACT:
None.
4
COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Previous grant applicants will be notified regarding the new application process and
timelines and will be invited to participate in a virtual public information session about
the process.
CONCLUSION:
Staff are requesting that the Committee provide direction regarding additional requests
for funding in the 2020 calendar year and that the Committee approve the Community
Grant Program application packages so that preparations can be made to open the
application process for 2021 grants on September 1, 2020.
All of which is Respectfully Submitted Approved for Submission
Julie Gonyou
KatherineThompson
Chief Administrative Officer
Supervisor of Legislative Services and
Community Relations