The Community
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Volume 112, Issue 29
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
$1 Including GST
Killam Fire Department celebrates another busy year at awards dinner
LESLIE CHOLOWSKY PHOTO
The Killam Fire Department celebrated another busy year at their annual awards dinner, held on Friday, Jan 17, at the Killam Legion. Chief Joe Knievel handed out some long-term awards, welcomed some new members, and named a new Captain. Above, from left: back row, Kyle Andrews, Troy Zieffle, Dylan Eskra, Rick Krys, Roger Obrigewitch, Gordon Thompson. Front row: Ian Strachan, Trevor Levitt, Joe Knievel, Izaya James, and Bud James. See full story P17.
County considers penalties for Rec Funding reporting Leslie Cholowsky Editor
After being warned of another Alberta municipality found guilty of using public funds without documentation, Flagstaff County initiated a new recreation grant reporting system back in 2016. Initially meant to allow each Flagstaff Municipality to provide consistent information, with all held to the same guidelines, the Council of the day felt that the new funding guidelines and reporting requirements satisfied Council’s responsibility to ensure that public money is being used as intended. During their regular meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22, Council heard that reporting and disbursement has not radically improved in the years since the new reporting system was put into place. Flagstaff County has disbursed $750,000 every year since 2015 to 10 Ag Societies within the region. Upon receipt of the funding, with disbursement based on the percentage of the total urban and rural population of the region, each Ag Society is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that funding is put to use for recreational facilities and activities in the region, but strictly to registered societies, municipalities, or non-profits. As well, funds cannot be used for the operation of cemeteries, churches, museums, business associations, or playschools/childcare facilities.
Ag Societies are then charged with providing a detailed description of how the allotted funds were used, and if necessary, how that meets recreation guidelines. Ag Societies are allowed to carry left-over funding to the following year, but they need to indicate on their reports that is what was done. Ag Societies can bank or invest the funding to assist with future projects for facilities or activities on behalf of an approved recipient. Recreation funding can’t be used to pay down longterm debt. Formal guidelines were drawn up in 2017, and new reporting methods went out with the 2017 cheques when administration experienced a lack of reporting consistency between Ag Societies. During the regular meeting of Council held Wednesday, Jan. 22, Assistant CAO Brent Hoyland told councillors that 2019 funding reports, due at the end of September, are not yet complete, with $244,138 of the $750,000 grant presently unaccounted for. He also noted that Ag Societies have provided funds to organizations that are not registered non-profits or societies, and that funds have been distributed to organizations that do not fall under recreation activities or programs. Hoyland asked Council to decide if the penalties that exist within the present funding agreement should be applied, and to decide if these penalties are sufficient.
The 2019 agreement warned that future funding allocations will be withheld until reporting is received. Council reviewed a five-year comparison of grant funding disbursements. Councillor Jeff Eckstrand asked, “Why do the groups who receive the funding have to be registered?” CAO Shelly Armstrong responded, “With public funding, Council has a responsibility that public money not go to private enterprises. You have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure public funds are spent correctly. “These are the same guidelines groups face when they want to work a casino.” Deputy Reeve Howard Shield noted, “We warned them last year that if we didn’t get the paperwork, the funding would not be released. “As I see it, we have two main issues to address: the funding reports and funds going to non-registered recipients.” He asked administration, “Why aren’t we giving the funding out directly?” Armstrong responded, “Previous Councils wanted the funding to be distributed by local groups within each community.” Councillor Erik Skoberg, present by telephone, said, “Perhaps we need to penalize Ag Societies by withholding funding in 2020 that was incorrectly distribuSee REC FUNDING P26