TERRACE
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VOL. 24 NO. 47
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
City ups community grant money THE CITY is readying to spend $30,000 more on community grants and services this year compared to last. That amount is coming from two sections of city spending — one is for community grants and the other money it pays out for services delivered on its behalf. At a budget meeting last Wednesday, Feb. 28, council upped grants by $14,500 more than was first recommended by staff going into budget talks, and $6,400 less to service providers. If the budget becomes official as it’s written now, grants will have gone up by $11,500 and fees for service by $17,800 compared to last year. And grant requests this year came in $44,800 higher than last, with service provid-
ers asking for $24,000 more. “Given that we had an increased ask of about $50,000 more, [giving more money] doesn’t seem like much of an issue,” said councillor Bruce Bidgood at the meeting. “Just be cognizant that the $10,000 isn’t a huge issue, it’s the (accumulated) $50,000 for continuing years,” said city finance director Ron Bowles. For each $100,000 the city increases its overall budget, that translates to a one per cent tax increase. For city grants, those who applied that made the cut include: Terrace Search and Rescue at $9,000; Volunteer Terrace at $7,500; the Skeena Valley Model Railroad Association at $685; Riverboat Days grant, insurance and fireworks at $15,500; city pa-
rade expenses at $4,700; facility rental for Caledonia Senior Secondary School dry grad and prom at $3,797; Terrace and District Arts Council at $22,500; Greater Terrace Beautification Society at $500; Bread of Life Soup Kitchen at $1,000; My Mountain Co-op at $15,000; Terrace Little Theatre Society at $4,200; the Green Thumb Garden Society at $4,100 and Terrace Emergency Social Services at $5,000. Those who didn’t make the cut include: Terrace Downtown Improvement Area festivals at $5,000; the Northern Health Addiction Program at $6,000 for rent assistance; the Kermodei Friendship Society at $5,000, Ksan House Society at $8,000; and $6,700 for a new dance floor at R.E.M. Lee Theatre.
In the service section, council approved $6,400 less than was asked for from the Terrace Museum Society at $70,000. But there’s an organization being set up now, intended to help with increasing community money needs, that will get a share of gaming revenue from the city. The Terrace Community Foundation was set by staff to get a $10,000 grant, but council freed up that money for others by pinning a percentage of gaming revenue to it instead. The foundation will get $10,000 yearly from that, or a percentage of the surplus, whichever is higher. Once the foundation is ready, interest off the principle amount in its account will go towards more community grants — intended to increase what’s available now.
Library gets city bucks TERRACE’S PUBLIC Library won’t be axing service hours this year now that it’s getting the money it needs. At a budget meeting last Wednesday, Feb. 29, Terrace city council and the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine agreed to increase yearly money given to the library by $13,640. Had it not, the library would have had to decrease service hours in order to keep up with union wage increases for its staff. And leading into city budget talks, the library board decided a service decrease meant shutting its doors for two weeks this year. The decision to give them more didn’t come without thoughtful debate first on the part of city council. “Ultimately, if the funding isn’t there, it’s going to be program cuts,” said councillor James Cordeiro at the meeting. “We do get our value out of it because it’s so much more than just a library,” said Lynne Christiansen at the meeting. “I am in favour of the increase.”
CAMERON ORR PHOTO
■ Festival play CALEDONIA SENIOR Secondary drama students perform Possibly Yours, a hilarious play from the first night of the Northwest Zone Drama Festival in Smithers March 1. From left to right is Amanda Eves, Ryan Stella and Janine Rioux.
Cont’d Page 13
Oral health
Community spot
Snow fun
Dental team goes to Bangladesh to take care of people’s teeth \COMMUNITY A16
Public library is a place for a lot more than just checking out books \NEWS A5
Young athletes have a blast at the BC Winter Games in Vernon \SPORTS A26