At its regular meeting on Oct. 13, Peace River town council revised its Grants to Organizations Policy.
After reviewing the policy at the Sept. 8 Governance and Priorities Committee Meeting, and also the Sept. 28 regular meeting, council agreed to change the intake period from three to two application periods.
“Moving to two intake periods, January and June, provides a more streamlined process for both applicants and administration,” says Mayor Shelly Shannon.
“It also allows council to consider applications within a more structured funding schedule.”
Council also chose to switch wording on the Recreation and Sport Development portion of the funding categories. The wording now adds the application should enhance development of initiatives that support healthy living through local strategies, programs and activities.
“Peace River is a regional hub, and many events benefit more than just our residents,” explains Shannon.
“We want to recognize initiatives that bring people into our community, support local businesses and contribute to our regional economy, while ensuring Peace River taxpayers receive value from their investment.”
Shannon adds the grant is meant to help non-profit groups, those of which are cornerstones to creating a comfortable and welcoming community.
“Our non-profits and volunteer organizations are invaluable to our community,” says Shannon.
“They deliver programs, host events and provide services that enrich our quality of life. This grant helps support their efforts while encouraging community involvement and economic activity.”
Shannon says the revisions will help improve the intake process and decision making.
“The revised policy provides clearer application timelines and evaluation criteria,” explains Shannon.
“This creates greater transparency for applicants and helps council assess requests consistently, based on community benefit, financial accountability and alignment with our priorities.”
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter