Two Local Businesses Ride In To Save The Food Bank's Day
“Oh wow, I am always blown away with Moose Jaw’s response, when I went into this to ask Council for help I knew it was a shot in the dark, but I thought I would give it a try”
And with those words and that sentiment Jason Moore, development manager with the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank went from being rejected by Council’s Executive Committee to on top of the world as the community responded literally within hours to pay the landfill and permit fees for the Food Bank’s new permanent home at 270 Farirford Street West.
“I am overwhelmed. What a heart warming feeling,” Moore said after being rejected by Executive Committee to within hours two local businesses stepping up to help out.
“Within hours of it hitting the media (Moose Jaw Today/Moose Jaw Express) there was a response to help. The very next morning,” he said.
Silver Star Salvage and Recycling has graciously offered to pay for all of the permitting fees and Hazer Enterprises (a trucking company) offered to pay the dumping fees.
In addition there are two on-going Go Fund Mes where about $900 was raised by Tuesday evening, the on-line fundraisers are continuing with all funds raised going to help the Food Bank with renovation costs associated with the new facility.
The news of the new facility was publicly announced on Monday just prior to Moore attending Executive Committee in the afternoon to ask for Council’s help.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SAYS NO
Speaking to Executive Committee city manager Jim Puffalt said Administration did not recommend the City waive dumping or permit fees as the type of work the Food bank does was not the City’s responsibility and by granting the waiver it would set precedent for numerous other non-profit organizations to request similar concessions.
“We recommend to Council there be no waiver of disposal site fees. Unfortunately there are a number of companies, a number of non-profits in (the city) that does provide this great level of service,” Puffalt said.
He had earlier stated “the Food Bank provides a tremendous service to our community.”
Puffalt said the City had earlier turned down a request by the Salvation Army to waive $2,000 dumping fees for mattresses and couches the group no longer accepted due to the bed bug invasion problem. The Salvation Army had requested the waiver on only items they did not accept and people dropped off after hours costing the charity money for dumping fees.
In March 2018 the City declined the Salvation Army’s request largely on the basis that it would show favourtism and create a precedent.
Puffalt said the provicial government, private individuals and groups such as the City’s employees who have raised money on their own in the past to help out the Food Bank as it was not the City’s responsibility.
“Unfortunately it is not the responsibility of the City of Moose Jaw to provide food security….we believe the best option is for the provincial government, whose responsibility it is and our private citizens (to fund),” he said.
In his submission Moore asked the City to waive the landfill and permit fees in the same spirit others in the community have shown when offering to help with the project.
Many contractors involved in the project had offered their services at reduced costs making the needed new facility more of a reality, the Food bank’s request read.
Executive did not ask Moore any questions about the Food Bank’s request.
Mayor Fraser Tolmie said the Food Bank did very important work in the community but the City could not afford to set a precedent as they have in the past denied similar requests.
“…we have been faced with other organizations in the community that have come and asked for some support in their times but unfortunately this does set a precedent for us,” Mayor Tolmie stated.
He spoke about the March 2018 request the former Executive Committee had received from the Salvation Army and denied.
“I remember when the Salvation Army came it was said people just use the Salvation Army as a dumping ground and the easy way to get out of landfill fees.”
Mayor Tolmie said his family would be personally supporting the project.
Councillor Heather Eby said she would like to grant the request but could not as it was precedent setting and would have major financial repercussions to the City.
“This is not a large sum of money but it opens up a big large sum of money if we do approve this as there are dozens if not dozens and dozens of organizations that do great work that at times need landfill and permitting,” she said pointing out Riverside Mission’s building project and major renovations by Joe’s Place in the past as examples.
“I would really like to approve them all but if we can’t approve them all we really cannot approve one. I don’t like that but that is really the right thing to do,” she said.
Councillor Doug Blanc said the decision was a hard one to make and he also understood there was a difference between the Food Bank’s one-time and the Salvation Army’s on-going request.
“Unfortunately it (the Food Bank) is a service that is required in our city. I wish it wasn’t required but it is,” Councillor Blanc said.
“I understand the financial implications of other groups coming forward so it is a bad scenario to be put into having to vote against a community group that does marvelous work,” he said.
No member of Executive Committee spoke in favour of the Food Bank’s request.
In a 5 - 2 vote with Councillors Jamey Logan and Kim Robinson opposed and Mayor Tolmie, Councillors Dawn Luhning, Crystal Froese, Blanc and Eby in favour Executive Committee voted in favour of Administration’s recommendation to receive and file the Food Bank’s request and not grant them the assistance they requested.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
The renovation work at the new building will commence as soon as the City issues the applicable demolition and buildings permits with the Food Bank hopeful to have the work done by the end of July.
To help fund the renovations the Food Bank has started The Last Piece Of The Puzzle Campaign and has a goal of $147,000.
Anyone wanting to donate may do so by going on-line to the Moose Jaw and Districts Food Bank’s web-site mjfoodbank.org where the donation page will load automatically, by mailing a cheque to the Moose Jaw Food Bank at 305 Fairford Street W, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan S6H 1X6, Canada or giving them a call at (306) 692-2011.
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