HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-12-193 - Environmental Committee Recommendation -2012 CommuREPORT TO:Finance & Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: December 10, 2012
SUBMITTED BY:
Environmental Committee
PREPARED BY:
Daphne Livingstone, Committee Administrator, 519-741-2277
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
All
DATE OF REPORT:
December 1, 2012
REPORT NO.:
FCS-12-193
SUBJECT:
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION -
2012 COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT
GRANT (CEIG)
RECOMMENDATION:
That the 2012 Community Environmental Improvement Grant (CEIG), to be funded from
the Environmental Stewardship Capital Account, be awarded as follows:
Three thousand dollars ($3,000) to My Sustainable Canada for the creation of a
prototype mobile application that allows consumers to compare appliances based
on energy and/or water consumption and carbon emissions; and further,
That of the remaining $22,133.51 in 2012 CEIG funds, be allocated as follows:
One thousand dollars ($1,000) be used to assist with costs related to the creation
and production of commemorative material identifying the City of Kitchener’s
contribution through the CEIG towards projects;
Seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750) be used to assist with 2013 advertising
costs; and,
The remaining funds ($20,383.51) be prorated for use as part of the 2013 grant
program.
BACKGROUND:
The Community Environmental Improvement Grant (CEIG) was created in 2004 to foster a
sense of environmental stewardship throughout the City. The aim of the CEIG program is to
encourage residents to actively participate in environmental initiatives, by undertaking projects
that meet the following objectives:
increase awareness of how we view and treat air, water and land resources, and
encourage solutions to improve the quality of these resources;
promote healthy lifestyle practices;
foster a sense of environmental stewardship;
promote and initiate the development of short term, intermediate and long term
community-based environmental programs; and,
support environmental research.
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To facilitate this program, annually $10,000. is budgeted to the Environmental Stewardship
Capital Account. This year the account has $25,133.51 in funds primarily as a result of not all of
the funds being allocated in previous years.
REPORT:
This year the Environmental Committee received applications from My Sustainable Canada and
the Children’s Groundwater Festival. To facilitate the evaluation process, Committee members
completed scoring sheets for both CEIG applications; the results of which were compiled to
produce an aggregate ranking of all the applications. Upon review, if the application met the
eligibility criteria the average score a group received in the ranking was used as a percentage of
its overall funding request to determine a potential baseline of funding. Using this methodology,
a Sub-committee of the Environmental Committee met and deliberated as to whether the grant
allocation for a particular group should be increased or decreased from its identified baseline.
At the November 15, 2012 Environmental Committee meeting, the Committee considered the
Sub-committee’s recommendation. Based on its deliberations, the Sub-committee does not
recommend funding to the Children’s Groundwater Festival. It was noted that as the Festival
received funding in 2010, its application was contrary to the criteria which stipulate that
applicants may not seek continual support for a project; and, are only permitted to reapply every
three years. The Sub-committee supports the program and recommends the Festival re-apply
at a later date, or for a specific project that has not already been funded.
Committee is recommending that a total of $3,000., be allocated to My Sustainable Canada, as
outlined in the recommendation contained in this report. In addition, it is proposed that of the
remaining $22,133.51 in CEIG funds, $1,000. be used to assist with costs relating to the
development of commemorative material identifying the City of Kitchener’s contribution, $750.
be used towards 2013 advertising costs and the remaining $20,383.51 be prorated toward the
2013 CEIG program to support additional projects.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The CEIGsupports the community priorities ‘leadership and community engagement’ and
‘environment’ of the City of Kitchener’s Strategic Plan and the recommended projects support
initiatives found within the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Air Quality in Kitchener.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Environmental Stewardship Capital Account has $25,133.51 available for use toward the
2012 CEIG program. It has been recommended that $20,383.51 be prorated toward the 2013
CEIG program to support additional projects.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
In August, Planning staff sent targeted e-mails to a database of approximately 60 relevant
organizations, not-for-profits and neighbourhood associations. Promotion of the CEIG was also
offered through communications tools of like-minded organizations such as, Sustainable
Waterloo, REEP and CREW. The September 13, 2012 edition of Your Kitchener included an
advertisement for the CEIG and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and the City’s website
were used to further expand communication on the grants.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
D. Chapman, Deputy CAO Finance and Corporate Services
Department
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