Regional grants policy revamped

PENTICTON – The Regional District Okanagan Similkameen is making changes to its grants policy.

Chief financial officer Sandy Croteau said one facet of the new policy will see gas tax funding only used for projects involving land owned or leased to the regional district, eliminating the funds from the reach of non-profits and societies who might otherwise be potential applicants.

The electoral area grant-in-aid policy remains relatively unchanged with the same eligibility requirements but with a new provision that says the regional district must post all grants awarded during the year, according to Croteau.

Formalization of a regional grant-in-aid policy now provides guidelines for “doing what we’re already doing,” she said. The regional district didn’t have a grant in aid policy for regional initiatives but provided funds in the past for such uses anyway.

“This lays out the guidelines as to what is regionally significant. Three electoral areas must benefit for a grant in aid to be deemed regionally significant,” Croteau said, noting the maximum limit on grants would be $50,000. Organizations will not be able to receive more than two grants in a four year period, and all grants awarded will be published for the year.

Croteau said a discretionary grant-in-aid fund was also discussed which would see an amount set aside during budget discussions which could be used to fund applications for grants that came to the board after the budget had been set for the year.

It is expected the board will approve the recommendations at the June 4 Regional District board meeting.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.