Donations to local organizations seem to be part and parcel of council’s job, and Feb. 17 proved to be no exception.
The finance committee received another batch of requests for donations, and one asked to send a local representative to council as well.
Council granted requests to the Palmerston Co-op Nursery School for use of the curling club floor in the Palmerston community centre on April 24 for a fundraising event.
The amount is not to exceed $350.
Councillor Barb Burrows noted council has approved similar requests before.
Shortly after, the finance committee considered a request from the Wellington Farm and Home Safety Associations for a $500 grant and for council to provide a member to that group.
A letter from vice president Walter Grose noted that “Our mission is to promote safety and educate the rural and urban members of our county. It takes a lot of volunteers to promote safety and there is always a financial cost to do this.”
He also noted that Minto currently does not have a representative on the association.
Minto approved a grant of $300, and Deputy-mayor Judy Dirksen, chairman of the finance committee, said, “I think they usually ask for $500 and we give a grant of $300.”
Providing a councillor remains to be done. Dirksen said the town did not currently have a representative and that had been the case for a number of years.
Anderson recommended checking around to see if anyone was interested. Dirksen said obviously council cannot insert a name without checking and suggested deferral.
However when it came to supporting the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team, council was in agreement to provide support. The group was looking for aid to provide various programs at the Clifford medical centre.
A letter from Pam Turton, of the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team, said, “Programs that are currently running include Chronic pain self-management and diabetes. The ultimate goal of these programs is to enhance patients’ overall health and to prevent or delay complications from existing disease processes. “
The FHT offers medical and social services throughout Minto, primarily at the Clifford Medical Centre where it operates programs for chronic pain and diabetes clients.
They use a committee room at the library at $15 per hour. The team’s request of the various room and halls for the various programs amounted to $750.
“It’s to improve medical service in Clifford and the surrounding area,” Dirksen said.
Council approved the $750 request.
