Route 22 Artists Collective and other community groups are going to have to wait a little longer to receive funding from the Town of Cochrane.
At the April 7 Committee of the Whole meeting, Coun. Susan Flowers tried to encourage her fellow councillors to expedite the funding process, but others on council felt with the Community Investment Operating Grants framework still pending that all decisions on allocations should wait until at least this fall.
Route 22 has requested $75,000 from the Town over three years to help with its operating costs, with the money likely coming from the $80,000 in annual funding no longer being allocated to the Cochrane Victims’ Services, which was absorbed by the Southern Alberta Regional Victim Serving Society in 2024.
Other organizations currently under consideration through the new Community Investment Operating Grants framework are Sport 4 Life at $100,000 per year and Helping Hands at $75,000 per year.
The problem is the new Community Investment Operating Grants framework has not yet been approved by council. Therefore, Town administration told committee members on Monday that it would likely be the end of May when the framework gets first consideration by the Committee of the Whole, and probably June before it comes to council for final approval. That means the funding stream wouldn’t open until fall at the earliest.
Coun. Flowers felt this was too long for the organizations to have to wait.
“I just hate to leave them hanging when they really need the funding,” she said. “It’s tricky because the year is almost over by then, and some of these groups are really in dire need. I would rather see us give them each a little bit to tide them over.”
However, Flowers was outvoted by the majority of committee members, who felt the framework had to be in place first before allocations of any kind.
“It’s hard to be able to deal with this request in isolation,” said Coun. Alex Reed, who spoke for the majority. “I really appreciate that the report says Administration recommends that, along with other eligible groups, that this consideration be given after the new policy comes forward. I think that is the right stand from my position.”
