SOOKE
NEWS MIRROR
2010 WINNER
ON POINT
SKATING DUO
Editorial
Local teen heading to prestigious ballet school.
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Entertainment
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Sports/stats
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Wednesday, JANUARY 16, 2013
Pilar and Leonardo Maekawa will be skating in Japan.
Your community, your classifieds P18 • 75¢ Pirjo Raits photo
All quiet on the harbour The water was as smooth as glass out on Sooke Harbour at Jock’s Dock during last week’s sunny but cold weather. The sun will continue to shine around Sooke over the next week. Temperatures will hover in the 6 to 7 degree range with cloudy periods. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will remain mainly sunny. A low of 1 degree is expected tonight.
Community grant review committee restructured Pirjo Raits Sooke News Mirror
New terms of reference for the Community Grant Review Committee were adoped by District of Sooke council at the regular meeting on Jan. 14. The Finance and Administration Committee has been reviewing the functions of the grant review committee and recommended some changes to the committee
structure. This did not sit well with Councillor Maja Tait, who was the previous chair of that committee. She said she took issue with the terms of reference and felt the only way she could consider supporting them was if there were now four public members and two council members on the committee. “I also find the finance committee is making recom-
mendations on what should be funded,” she said. “I feel it should be council setting policy, not everyone on the Fnance and Administration Committee represents the public. It should be council making decisions.” Mayor Wendal Milne said the district gives out four per cent of its budget in grants and they have an obligation to scrutinize those grants and stand by their decisions. In 2012 the
2444 SUNRIVER WAY SOLD JAN. 07, 2013
district gave out $65,000 in community grants alone and close to $50,000 in feefor-service contracts to the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce, Sooke Region Tourism Association and the Visitor Information Centre. Milne stated that Sooke was more generous in those areas than many other communities. Councillor Rick Kasper said the mayor made the commitment to take it upon
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himself to look at the current grant policy. “People have to realize that in today’s economy money is not readily available. We have to insure money is spent wisely. If money isn’t spent properly, that’s money ill spent... making less for other people,” said Kasper. The new community grant structure will have three categories; annual, bi-annual and service agreeents. Each
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of the categories have strict criteria for accountability and reports. The annual grant (Category A) is not to provide on-going s u p p o r t for an indefiniate period; the bi-annual grant (Category B) will not exceed $10,000 and is for new projects and will not fund administration, travel or wages. Service Agreements (Category C) will require accountability,
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