City Moving To Re-Allocate Lottery Funding

In yet another impact of the COVID - 19 pandemic the City has decided to re-allocate previously approved Saskatchewan Lotteries funding or risk losing it.

The funds from the Saskatchewan Lotteries Community Grant Program and Special Events Hosting funding for 2020 - 2021 grant year will not be spent as events have been cancelled.

In order to not have to return to Saskatchewan Lotteries for previously approved initiatives which were cancelled do to the pandemic the Parks and Recreation Department asked Council to approve new initiatives . The move would allow organizations to plan for alternative uses of grant funds returned to the funding pool.

For the 2020/2021 budget year organizations in the city received $140,298.10 of Saskatchewan Lotteries Community Grant Program funding was adjudicated to community organizations. These programs occur between April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

So far $60,126.70 in grant funding has been approved for programs has been cancelled or at risk of being cancelled due to COVID-19.

In asking Council to grant the Parks and Recreation Department direct authority to review each request for re-allocation independent of Council, recreation service manager Scott Osmachenko said it coukd be dome “as long as applications meet the program's guidelines.”

“Alternative programs must continue to align with Saskatchewan Lotteries as well as eligible expenses and a revised budget may be required,” Osmachenko said. “There won’t be another application process. But what the project is an what the budget will be.”

At the present time whether or not a program will be cancelled is unknown.

“There is still time for them to re-use their re-allocated funds in a different program(s),” he said.

Councillor Chris Warren asked if there was any potential of re-allocating funding to groups who did not receive the full amount they applied for due to a limited pool of funding available.

Osmachenko said it was possible so long as the proposed program followed Saskatchewan Lotteries Corporation's guidelines when targeting certain groups and initiatives.

Where funding is not used it can be re-allocated to other organizations through the target groups.

“Obviously I want that money to be used as well…I may be a little bit concerned Council will not be able to approve some if those reallocation at the end,” Councillor Darren said asking if Council woukd receive a report on it.

Osmachenko said the Parks and Recreation Department could provide a report to Council as well as their advisory committee.

Councillor Scott McMann asked if a request had been made to extend the funding past the March 31, 2021 deadline to Saskatchewan Lotteries.

Osmachenko said there had been but no extension had been granted.

“We have asked that question and no extension has been given to the guidelines. And there is a risk in a reduction in funding next year based on the current climate. So we may not be be getting as now. We know that we have until the end of March 31st, 2021 to spend the funds,” Osmachenko said.

In a unanimous vote Council approved the request.