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7. Appr oval for Funding Applications to Exter nal Provi ders R eport
9.5 APPROVAL FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS TO EXTERNAL PROVIDERS REPORT
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Tasman District Council Community Development Committee Agenda – 13 February 2014
Agenda Page 46
3 Purpose of the Report
3.1 Applications to external funding agencies, in this case charitable foundations, require as part of the applications, a resolution supporting the applications from the governing body.
3.2 This report is to discuss the applications, the purpose of the funds and seek the Committee’s support and, ultimately, their approval for the applications to be made.
4 Background and Discussion
4.1 The Council’s Community Recreation initiatives rely a great deal on the ability of the Council to leverage external funding to succeed. The funding bodies to which the Council applies to are predominantly Charitable Trusts and Foundations and in the some cases quasi
Government bodies, i.e. Sport NZ.
4.2 Many of the funding bodies require a resolution supporting the applications from the governing body, as part of the application.
4.3 Staff are seeking the Committee’s support to make two applications: one to the Canterbury Community Trust; and another to the Lion Foundation to support the Community Recreation activities, along with a third application to the Lotteries Commission to enable the completion of the capital upgrade of the Motueka Recreation Centre (MRC).
4.4 The application to the Canterbury Trust is an annual application. It is made to garner funds to top up the funds it receives through rates to plan and deliver community events
throughout the year.
4.5 The Council is applying for $20,000 to leverage its current funding to deliver events including Skate Park Tour, Positive Aging Expo and Carols by Candlelight, amongst others.
4.6 The application to the Lion Foundation is to garner funds to support the Council’s
‘Winteruption’ event, which is a winter themed promotion of the Richmond CBD to take place Monday 23 - Sunday 29 June.
4.7 The Winteruption event will include demonstrations and promotions to promote Richmond as an attractive ‘off season’ destination. One of the proposed events is a street party on Friday 27 June for which the funds being applied for ($2934) will cover the cost of sound, stage and lighting hire.
4.8 Staff are also seeking a resolution from the Community Development Committee for the Council to apply to the Lotteries Commission for $219,000 towards the completion of the outstanding capital works at the MRC.
4.9 Following the completion of the initial capital works at the MRC, a stage two development was approved where improved disabled access was to be installed to the mezzanine floor at the MRC. The Council purchased a lift as part of this upgrade. Subsequent to this the
quantity surveyors costing was received and the projected project cost was in excess of expectations by approximately $200,000. The lift is currently stored onsite at the MRC and
Item 9. 5
$103,000 exists in the Motueka Reserves Financial Contributions account for the next stage of the MRC redevelopment. The Canterbury Community Trust has recently provided Council with a grant for $50,000 towards the work, leaving a balance to be funded of $219,000.
4.10 Access to the first floor has not met building code, due to gradient. This area is increasingly used as a venue for exercise for older adults, some 80 years plus, including the “Sit’n’be fit”
class. Providing safe and disabled access is needed. The budget will also cover the costs of replacing the worn out floor in the sports stadium at the MRC. For these reasons staff would like the Committee’s approval to apply for funding from the Lotteries Commission to supplement Council funding for the work. Sport Tasman and Council staff will be preparing the funding application.
5 Options
5.1 The Committee has the options of either supporting or declining to support staff making the funding applications.
5.2 Support for the applications will enable staff to use external funding to support and enable the delivery of a number of events and, more specifically, support the ‘Winteruption’ event in Richmond. The application to the Lotteries Commission will provide funding to complete the upgrade of the MRC by providing disabled access to the mezzanine floor and a new floor for the sports stadium.
5.3 A lack of support and approval for the funding applications would place a number of events, including the ‘Winteruption’ promotional event, in jeopardy and make completion of the MRC upgrade difficult.
6 Strategic Challenges / Risks
6.1 There are no risks to the Council in applying for external funding of this nature. There are, however, risks to the events if funding of this nature is not forthcoming as current funding from rates has been reduced significantly in recent times. There is also the risk that the MRC upgrade cannot be undertaken.
6.2 If the applications are not supported, further prioritisation would need to occur, further reducing the number of events, grants and support able to be delivered to residents and ratepayers.
7 Policy / Legal Requirements / Plan
7.1 There are no policy, planning or legal requirements within this decision.
8 Consideration of Financial or Budgetary Implications 8.1 The only consideration for this matter is covered in 6.2 above.
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Tasman District Council Community Development Committee Agenda – 13 February 2014
Agenda Page 48
9 Significance and Consultation
9.1 The decisions being sought in this report are of low significance, as they do not lead to changes in levels of service, are not particularly of public interest and do not have major implications for Council’s budgets, assuming the staff recommendations are supported.
There is no need for public consultation on the decisions being sought.
10 Conclusion
10.1 The practice of applying to external agencies for funding has long been in place by Council.
The majority of the Council’s community based events rely on this leveraged funding for their survival. The Council has, in the past, been supportive of these applications as it lessens the dependency on general rates. Support for the application to the Lotteries Commission for the MRC upgrade will enable the project to be completed.
11 Next Steps / Timeline
11.1 If support and approval are provided by the Committee the applications will be sent to the respective funding bodies.
Attachments
Nil
Item 9. 6
8. Ec of est and Environment Awards O pti ons Report