The township’s new policy against reducing or waiving facility rental fees will impact the municipality’s traditional support for the Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation’s Starlight Gala.
Council has regularly waived all PMD arena fees for the gala, which is rotated between arena complexes in Harriston, Palmerston and Drayton.
Council passed a resolution implementing the policy on Dec. 13, eliminating fee reductions and waivers commonly provided to help subsidize facility users, particularly those raising funds for community projects.
The option was one of four presented in a staff report prepared in response to council’s request for a new policy.
The other options included:
– continuing to address requests on a case-by-case basis using a preset allotment of budgeted funds;
– establishing a firm policy of considering requests for funding only during the budget process; or
– establishing a formal grant application policy with a formal application, eligibility requirements and clear evaluation criteria.
The staff report, prepared by CAO Brad McRoberts, suggested council consider:
– whether council has the moral authority to provide public funds on a discretionary basis to various groups or individuals;
– how council determines the merits of one group over another;
– what is considered a benefit to the community at large; and
– are organizations already being subsidized directly or indirectly with municipal funds?
The report also noted any funds or reductions must be accounted for within the township’s budget.
During discussion on the proposals, Mayor Neil Driscoll pointed out the PMD arena runs a deficit of about $480,000 annually, effectively providing a municipal subsidy to all users of the facility.
“We’ve got hard-working taxpayers out there that never come to the arena,” the mayor stated.
At the Jan. 10 meeting, council received a letter from Palmerston hospital foundation development officer Dale Franklin requesting council waive the fees for the May 27 gala.
“In order to gain as much success as possible, we are asking that the Township of Mapleton council approve our request for waiving of the rental fees of the complex, as has been done for previous galas,” the letter states.
“We also respectfully request that the maximum proceeds of the bar be allocated to this important fundraiser. The health of our local hospital is of paramount interest to all Mapleton residents, and we have been very appreciative of this consideration in the past.”
Franklin also noted 2016 gala proceeds funded the purchase of a picture archiving communication system (PACS), which allows the hospital’s radiology department to store electronic images and reports, and enables real-time collaboration with specialists in other locations.
“This is a significant benefit, which shortens wait times, and lengths of stay for our patients,” Franklin stated.
“This year’s gala project is being determined now … Our reality though, because equipment needs are not funded through the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, is that our hospital will require close to $350,000 worth of support from the foundation in the coming fiscal year.”
Councillor Dennis Craven stressed the foundation is the main source of funding for hospital equipment of all types as “the province only funds the operating part.
“If you want a new x-ray machine or something like that, it all goes through the local people,” said Craven. “If it wasn’t for that foundation and their fundraising then we just would not have some of the stuff that we have there.”
“What kind of amount are we talking about?” asked councillor Marlene Ottens.
McRoberts explained that set-up time for the gala takes about a week and involves considerable time from facility staff.
“It would be around $5,000,” he estimated. “I would suggest looking at how we can minimize their cost operationally.”
McRoberts pointed out that approach was taken with the Drayton Kinsmen Club’s 2016 farm show at the PMD Arena Complex.
For that event, council and the club agreed to a reduced rate of $3,350 – a $1,625 reduction. The agreement required the Kinsmen to meet certain conditions involving reduced hours of access for set up and ensuring Kinsmen (rather than staff) provide site security after hours.
Craven said Franklin told him she is “willing to meet with whoever she has to meet with” to arrange an accommodation.
“I don’t have a problem with the request,” said councillor Michael Martin. However, he added, “I wonder how it fits in philosophically” with the new policy on rental fee reductions.
Craven said, “My thought would be that it contradicts it.”
Ottens noted council designates an amount in the budget for donations and pointed out the gala “is not an every-year thing. It’s every three years.”
Martin responded, “I don’t have an issue with this request, but if we’re going to make a resolution on something …”
Craven pointed out, “We get requests from service clubs and churches and so on; they tend to put money where they are … one thing with the hospital board and the hospital is it’s the only group that services all the people of Mapleton.”
Martin replied, “Sorry, but that argument can be made for anything. Right? If there’s a building, playground equipment or a skate park, certainly anybody can come and use it.
“The resolution’s pretty clear. It’s pretty black and white.”
“Can we see how much we can whittle it down?” wondered Ottens.
“We’re not asking you to make any decision tonight,” Driscoll pointed out. “We’re just asking to receive this for information and have staff report back.”
McRoberts pointed out the set up process might not need to be as time and labour-intensive as in the past.
“It’s a matter of saying to them, ‘If you were paying for this, how would you do it? Maybe you only need two days or three days?’” he suggested.
Council received the correspondence as information.
