Council fields requests for additional funding
By Dan Jensen

Camrose city council fielded a number of requests for increases in funding November 10.

Camrose and District Support Services is requesting a 2009 municipal grant of $93,271, up from the 2008 amount of $85,500.

The amount, along with a combined $58,097 from Camrose, County and the villages of Bawlf, Bittern Lake, Edberg, Ferintosh, Hay Lakes, New Norway and Rosalind, would allow CDSS to access $604,471.00 from Family and Community Support Services under the 80 per cent province/20 per cent municipality funding formula.

CDSS is also hoping to access an additional $71,444 from FCSS and partnering municipalities as part of a funding increase announced by the provincial government in the spring of this year.

"CDSS was allowed to carry all or most of the increase into 2009 as long as each municipality provides its match as required by FCSS regulations," said CDSS executive director Margaret Holliston.

The City of Camrose share under the matching formula is $7,354.

That would bring the total City of Camrose funding for 2009 to $100,625.

Councillor Max Lindstrand said the City of Camrose is receiving good value for the amount of money it puts into the CDSS program.

"It allows us to get much greater funding from the province."

Camrose and District Support Services' internal programs include Camrose and District Home Support, Camrose and District Pre-school, Community, the Family Resource Centre, OSCAR – Out of School Care, Rural Communities, and the Volunteer Centre.

External programs include the Boys and Girls Club, DARE, Hay Lakes Preschool, Open Door, Service Options for Seniors and SPAC, the social development strategy project.

The total cost of all the programs is $2,358,222.

"That's well over the CDSS funded portion of 33 per cent," said Holliston.

The Camrose Chamber of Commerce is requesting a grant of $33,500.

"We're looking for a five per cent increase in allocation for the visitor information centre," said Chamber of Commerce president Dave Jewell.

"We feel that is a reasonable amount for what the centre offers the community."

The City of Camrose allocated $26,200 to the Chamber of Commerce to operate the visitor information centre for 2008. The salary of the three summer staff amounted to $18,641.

Tourists came from Africa, all over the Americas, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and many parts of Asia.

The Camrose Chamber of Commerce has committed, as part of its 100th anniversary legacy, to establish a system of historical/educational signage along the city's system. With the purchase of the Camrose Train it is planning to create a partnership with Tourism Camrose, City Center Camrose and Travel Alberta to establish a tourism marketing plan to promote the train and bring awareness of Camrose and area to more tourists.

The Canada Day committee is asking that the City of Camrose grant for the July 1 celebrations be increased by $4,200, from $12,800 in 2008 to $17,000 in 2009.

The total cost of Canada Day celebrations this past July was $28,800, approximately $6,000 more than he amount that had been budgeted.

"We had a considerably better fireworks display but they cost us $10,000," commented Canada Day committee chair Dirk Bannister.

The Canada Day committee has launched efforts to secure sponsorship for the 2009 Canada Day celebration.

The funding requests have been referred by council to the 2009 budget deliberations.