Council has deferred its decision on whether or not to sponsor the Jasper Folk Music Festival until its June 16 meeting.
A $3,000 sponsorship was suggested by Coun. Rico Damota, May 19, after council denied the folk festival’s application for $5,000 from the Economic Development Fund. The organization was denied because its request didn’t meet the requirements of the fund, which is for one-time purchases.
Damota was to bring forward a motion at the June 2 meeting for decision, but the issue became muddied as council dealt with numerous funding requests that were outside of its regular processes.
Council did, however, make a decision on another of the folk fest’s requests—although it did not result in immediate funding and might not result in any at all.
Earlier this year, the festival contacted the Culture and Recreation Board requesting the fee be waived for the use of Centennial Park for its Sept. 11–13 event.
Usually such a request would be at the discretion of the board, but because the cost is more than $2,500—coming in at $4,666.81—the municipality’s policy requires it to come before council for decision.
Keeping with the precedent set by the board, council voted to defer its decision until after the event, when the festival can present its budget, showing whether it made a profit. If there is a profit, the municipality will require the festival organizers to pay the fee and, if not, council will revisit the request.
During council’s discussion, June 2, Damota’s suggestion to sponsor the event and the folk fest’s request for free use of the field were conflated, muddying the waters and creating significant confusion.
Coun. Helen Kelleher-Empey argued the festival needs money now and council should support it, as it’s a grassroots event that has the potential to benefit the community.
Damota also spoke in favour of sponsoring the event, but suggested—for a second time—that council needs a clear policy on sponsoring events and providing funding to local groups, as it is difficult to make funding decisions without one.
This issue is one that council has run into a lot in the past month, both while dealing with the Economic Development Fund and with funding requests that have come outside of that process.
During the June 2 meeting, for example, council also faced a funding request from Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge for $1,500 to help with the cost of Seniors’ Week activities. That request came straight to council, without going through an application process for the Economic Development Fund or the Community Development Fund, as it doesn’t fall within either one.
That created significant discussion—and was further complicated as council discussed whether it should just use the proceeds from its Canada Day pancake breakfast for that purpose.
But, in the end, it determined it would provide the $1,500 out of its own budget for council projects.
Council will continue to discuss the possibility of sponsoring the folk festival at its June 9 committee of the whole meeting and will make a decision at its June 16 regular meeting.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
