HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-17-001 - Environmental Committee Recommendation - 2016 CEIG
REPORT TO: Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: January 9, 2017
SUBMITTED BY: Environmental Committee
PREPARED BY: Dianna Saunderson, Committee Administrator 519-741-2200 ext.
7277
Siobhan Delaney, Administrative Clerk, 519-741-2200 ext. 7274
Barbara Steiner, Senior Environmental Planner 519-741-
2200 ext. 7293
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: December 8, 2016
REPORT NO.: FCS-17-001
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION - 2016
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT GRANT (CEIG)
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RECOMMENDATION:
That a total of $5,000.00 from the Community Environmental Improvement Grant
capital account be awarded as follows:
$1,025. - to Community Access Bikeshare – The Working Centre for a
Bikeshare Education Project;
$3,000. - to Edible Forest Heights for the Forest Heights Community Centre
(FHCC) Food Forest Enhancement Project conditional upon approval from
City Parks Operations and receipt of a building permit if required. \[The
grant is to be used to build a sloped roof on an existing structure,
installation of a cistern and to improve signage for the food forest and
pollinator fedge\]; and further,
$975. – that the unused balance be carried forward to the 2017 Community
Environmental Improvement 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:
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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.
REPORT:
The Environmental Committee received eight (8) grant applications for the 2016
Community Environmental Improvement Grant (CEIG) from the following groups for the
following projects:
The Working Centre - Community Access Bikeshare – Community Outreach for
Bikeshare
Edible Forest Heights – Forest Heights Community Centre (FHCC) Food Forest
Enhancement Project - Water Collection System
Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate Institute and Vocation School – KCI Riders –
Secure Bike Parking
REEP Green Solutions – Home Energy Coach Group Consultations
Resurrection CSS (with support from the Boardwalk Community Association) –
Bike Racks
St. Aloysius School – Greening at St. Aloysius
St. Bernadette Catholic School – Going for Gold at St. Bernadette: School
Ground Greening
Huron Heights Secondary School – Outdoor Classroom
To facilitate the evaluation process, Environmental Committee members completed
scoring sheets for all CEIG applications, the results of which were compiled to produce
an aggregate ranking of all the applications. Additionally, applicants were invited to
attend the October 20, 2016 Environmental Committee meeting to make short
presentations on their grant requests. Six (6) of the eight (8) applicants opted to make
presentations to the Committee at that meeting.
On November 2, 2016, the 2016 CEIG Sub-Committee evaluated all eight applications
received based upon the criteria for funding (see Appendix A), the merits of the
applications, and the scoring provided by the Environmental Committee members.
Based on its deliberations, the Sub-Committee brought forward a recommendation as
outlined in a memo dated November 4, 2016 which was circulated to the Committee for
consideration at the November 24, 2016 meeting.
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The CEIG Sub-Committee recommended 2016 grant allocations as follows:
Requested Recommended
Group
Grant Grant Funding
The Working Centre – Community Access
$2,550. $1,025.
Bikeshare
Edible Forest Heights – Forest Heights
Community Centre (FHCC) Food Forest $5,000. $3,000.
Enhancement Project
Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate Institute and
$5,000 $0.
Vocation School – KCI Riders
REEP Green Solutions $2,500.$0.
Resurrection CCS $1,645.06 $0.
St. Aloysius School – Greening at St. Aloysius $2,000. $0.
St. Bernadette Catholic School – Going for Gold at
$2,920. $0.
St. Bernadette
Huron Heights Secondary School – Outdoor
$5,000. $0.
Classroom
At the November 24, 2016 Committee meeting, members expressed support for the
sub-committee recommendation. It was noted Community Access Bikeshare’s grant is
intended to be used for moving bikes to and from events and promotional material with
a maximum of $500 to be used for salaries.; and, Edible Forest Heights’ grant is to be
used to build a sloped roof on an existing structure, installation of a cistern, and to
improve signage for the food forest and pollinator fedge.
Based on the Committee’s deliberations, the Environmental Committee has
recommended that a total of $4,025. be allocated to two (2) of the eight (8) CEIG
applicants, and the remaining funds be allocated to the 2017 CEIG program, as outlined
in the recommendation contained herein.
Council Policy 1-590 (Grant Program - Community Environmental Improvement) and
grant criteria have been attached hereto for Council’s reference.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The recommendation outlined in this report supports the achievement of the city’s
strategic vision through the delivery of core service.
Allocating Kitchener’s 2016 Community Environmental Improvement Grant funds will
help implement the Community Vision for the Community Priority ENVIRONMENT, in
whichour community focuses significant energy and resources on becoming more
environmentally friendly.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Community Environmental Improvement Grant capital account has $5,000
available for use toward the 2016 CEIG program. Once the funds have been provided to
the awarded grant recipients there will be a balance of approximately $1,450. remaining
in the account.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in
advance of the Standing Committee.
Memos and other supporting materials including the applications were included in the
Environmental Committee agendas for both October and November 2016 meetings.
Such materials were posted to the City’s website in advance of those meetings.
In September, Planning staff sent targeted e-mails to a database of approximately 60
relevant organizations, non-for-profits and neighbourhood associations. In addition, the
promotion of the grant opportunity was through social media such as Facebook, Twitter
and the City’s website.
At the October 20, 2016 Environmental Committee, six (6) of the eight (8) applicants
made short presentations on their grant requests.
COLLABORATE – This initiative was done in collaboration with a Sub-Committee of
community volunteers from the Environmental Committee.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, Deputy CAO, Finance and Corporate Services
Attachments
Appendix A - Council Policy 1-590 (Grant Program - Community Environmental
Improvement)
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