Agenda of Community and Culture Committee

Grants Subcommittee

MINUTES

Minutes of an ordinary meeting of the Grants Subcommittee held in the Edinburgh Room, Municipal Chambers, The Octagon, Dunedin on Tuesday 20 June 2017, commencing at 9.05am

PRESENT

Chairperson	Andrew Whiley
Deputy Chairperson
Members	Christine Garey	Chris Staynes
	Marie Laufiso	Alison Copeman

IN ATTENDANCE

Joy Gunn (Events and Community Development Manager), Wai Piggott (Financial Analyst), John Christie (Director Enterprise Dunedin), Tammy Jackman (Events Special Projects Coordinator).

Governance Support Officer Arlene Goss

1 Public Forum

There was no Public Forum.

2 Apologies

Moved that the Grants Subcommittee (Cr Chris Staynes/Cr Marie Laufiso):

Receives an apology from Cr Aaron Hawkins.

Motion carried

3 Confirmation of agenda

Moved (Cr Andrew Whiley/Cr Chris Staynes):

That the Committee:

Confirms the agenda without addition or alteration

Motion carried (GS/2017/020)

4 Declarations of interest

Members were reminded of the need to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arose between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.

The following interests were declared and members agreed to step back from the table when they were discussed and decided.

· Cr Staynes declared an interest in Item 9: NZ International Festival of Environment, Science and Technology.

· Cr Laufiso declared an interest in Item 6: Otago Early Childhood and Schools Maori and Pacific Island Festival Charitable Trust.

· Cr Garey declared an interest in Item 1: Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival Trust.

Moved (Cr Andrew Whiley/Cr Christine Garey):

That the Committee:

a) Notes if necessary the Elected or Independent Members' Interest Register attached as Attachment A; and

b) Confirms the proposed management plan for Elected or Independent Members' Interests.

Motion carried (GS/2017/021)

Resolution to exclude the public

Moved (Cr Andrew Whiley/Cr Christine Garey):

That the Committee:

Pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, exclude the public from the following part of the proceedings of this meeting namely:

General subject of the matter to be considered

Reasons for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Ground(s) under section 48(1) for the passing of this resolution

Reason for Confidentiality

C1 Consideration of Applications

S7(2)(b)(ii)

The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.

S48(1)(a)

The public conduct of the part of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding exists under section 7.

This resolution is made in reliance on Section 48(1)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, and the particular interest or interests protected by Section 6 or Section 7 of that Act, or Section 6 or Section 7 or Section 9 of the Official Information Act 1982, as the case may require, which would be prejudiced by the holding of the whole or the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting in public are as shown above after each item.

Motion carried (GS/2017/022)

The meeting went into non-public at 9.15 am

..............................................

C H A I R P E R S O N

Community and Culture Committee

15 August 2017

Part A Reports

Otago Museum Report to Contributing Local Authorities - May to June 2017

Department: Corporate

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 The attached report, prepared by Otago Museum, provides an update on the key activities from May to June 2017.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Community and Culture Committee:

a) Notes the Otago Museum Report to Contributing Local Authorities – May to June 2017.

Signatories

Author:	Cindy Ashley - Personal Assistant to General Manager
Authoriser:	Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services

Attachments

	Title	Page
a	Otago Museum Report to Contributing Local Authorities - May - June 2017	21

SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS

Fit with purpose of Local Government

This report relates to providing local infrastructure and a public service and it is considered good-quality and cost-effective by monitoring activity.

Fit with strategic framework

	Contributes	Detracts	Not applicable
Social Wellbeing Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Economic Development Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Environment Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Arts and Culture Strategy	☒	☐	☐
3 Waters Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Spatial Plan	☐	☐	☒
Integrated Transport Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Parks and Recreation Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Other strategic projects/policies/plans	☐	☐	☒

Māori Impact Statement

There are no known impacts on tangata whenua.

Sustainability

There are no known implications for sustainability.

LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy

There are no known implications, as funding this activity is provided for in the LTP.

Financial considerations

No financial information presented. The Council contributed funding of $4.023 million in the 2016/17 year.

Significance

Significance has been assessed as low in terms of Council's Significance and Engagement Policy.

Engagement – external

There has been no external engagement.

Engagement - internal

There has been no internal engagement.

Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.

There are no known risks.

Conflict of Interest

There are no known conflicts of interest.

Community Boards

There are no known implications for Community Boards.

Community and Culture Committee

15 August 2017

Community and Culture Non-Financial Activity Report for the Quarter Ended 30 June 2017

Department: Arts and Culture and Community and Planning

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 This report updates the Committee on key city, community, arts and culture outcomes for the quarter ended 30 June 2017.

2 There have been small percentage increases in satisfaction with community and with culture facilities across all measures.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Committee:

a) Notes the Community and Culture Non-Financial Activity Report for the Quarter Ended 30 June 2017.

BACKGROUND

3 The Community and Planning group of activities works with other agencies to set the direction for managing Dunedin's built and natural environment. It also works to enable a strong sense of community and social inclusion through the provision of advice and support to community groups and social agencies, and provides events for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

4 The Arts and Culture group of activities operates Dunedin Public Libraries, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, the Dunedin Chinese Garden and the Olveston Historic Home.

DISCUSSION

5 The Residents' Opinion Survey (ROS) is the principal mechanism by which the Council measures resident satisfaction with a wide range of its activities.

6 From July 2016 the ROS has been conducted on a continuous monthly basis, aiming to obtain around 100 responses each month, to replicate the average annual sample size of around 1,200 obtained in previous years. The quarterly results in the graphs below generally reflect the responses of around 300 residents. A sample of 300 has an expected 95% confidence interval (margin of error) of +/- 5.7%, whereas the annual result for 2015/16 had a margin of error of x/- 2.5%. Results for the year will continue to be published in the annual ROS report at year end. Notable measures are listed in the balance of this report.

Satisfaction with community

7 A 4% decrease in satisfaction with ‘sense of community’ was reported in the quarter ended June 2017 when compared to the previous quarter.

Satisfaction with Festival and Events

8 A 7% decrease in satisfaction with ‘city festival and events’ was reported in the quarter ended June 2017 when compared to the previous quarter.

Satisfaction with cultural facilities

9 A 1% increase in satisfaction with Dunedin Public Libraries was reported in the quarter ended June 2017 when compared to the previous quarter.

10 A 6% decrease in satisfaction with Dunedin Public Art Gallery was reported in the quarter ended June 2017 when compared to the previous quarter.

11 A 3% decrease in satisfaction with Toitū Otago Settlers Museum was reported in the quarter ended June 2017 when compared to the previous quarter.

12 A 5% decrease in satisfaction with Dunedin Chinese Garden was reported in the quarter ended June 2017 when compared to the last quarter.

13 Satisfaction with Dunedin Olveston Historic Home was introduced in 2016. A 3% increase in satisfaction was reported in the quarter ended June 2017 when compared to the last quarter.

14 Visitor numbers to the Dunedin Public Libraries for the year 2016/17 represents a decrease of 4.4% compared to the year 2015/16. A key factor impacting the level of visitor numbers includes the availability of free Wi-Fi for visitors in an increasing range of alternative locations, and is related to a decline in borrowing.

15 Visitor numbers to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery for the year 2016/17 are on par with the overall figure for 2015/16. In actual terms there was a small 1.5% increase in visitor numbers. Our programme is popular with Dunedin audiences as well as with visitors to the city.

16 Visitor numbers to the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum for the year 2016/17 up to June 2017 is above the level for the same period in 2015/16. Toitū remains the #1 Dunedin attraction from 106 attractions on Trip Advisor, with continuing high levels of new visitors and repeat visits from the local community.

17 Visitor numbers to the Dunedin Chinese Garden for the year 2016/17 up to March 2017 is above the level for the same period in 2015/16 reflecting increased visits by tourist and local residents due to the increasing public profile for the Garden and popular public programmes, especially during holiday periods. The number of annual pass holders has also increased. The Dunedin Chinese Garden is now sitting at #17 (up from 18) from a total of 106 Dunedin attractions in Trip Advisor.

18 The total numbers for the quarter ended 30 June 2017 are slightly up (180 visitors) compared to the same quarter last year. Total visitor numbers for the full year is slightly down (201 visitors) compared to last year. The autumn shoulder season of April and May account for approximately 14% of visitors to the House. The graph also indicates the start of the winter season which is lowest visitor numbers to the House.

Major Initiatives

19 South Dunedin Future - Community and Planning staff have continued to contribute to cross Council work under South Dunedin Future and the development of the South Dunedin Pop Up. A ‘Plan and Plate’ Night was organised in South Dunedin on 18 May, working with the South Dunedin Stakeholder Group, to encourage community-led social and economic initiatives. From this, a number of projects have emerged; including rejuvenation of community gardens, a community café, and a night market concept for local food vendors. Initiatives are being led by local “champions” from the community with support from the South Dunedin Stakeholder Group.

20 South Dunedin Pop Up - Planning for the fit out of a South Dunedin Community Pop-up facility at the Cargill Enterprises property at 199 Hillside Road, South Dunedin has been a major focus for the Community and Planning and Arts and Culture groups during the quarter. Physical work on the fit out has commenced and it is hoped to have the facility open by 30 August 2017 with a formal opening ceremony to take place on that date. Please note that the opening date is not yet publicised as the timing of some components of fit out are still to be confirmed.

21 Sammy’s - The public engagement plan around future use of His Majesty’s Theatre (Sammy’s) is being developed. The plan is for engagement to commence on 1 September and include a presence at the Ara Toi community hui on 16 September and an interactive presence at Vogel Street party and Dunedin Heritage festival in mid-October.

22 Arts and creativity - Work is underway to finalise the process to implement the newly adopted Art and Creativity in Infrastructure Policy. This work is being driven forward by the Policy team, working with staff from Community Development and Events, the Arts and Culture Group, and infrastructure teams. A number of potential projects have already been identified and a proposed process for identifying future projects.

Community

23 Community Development staff, with Runaka representatives and a group of young people organised three youth hui in the city as a means of developing a collaborative youth vision and action plan. The development work will be on going, with Council taking a partnership development approach with young people.

24 The March round of Community, Community Arts, Community Events, and Creative NZ grants was undertaken, with all funds utilised in this financial year. Grants continue to support a diversity of projects, groups and events within the city.

25 In April, stakeholder engagement workshops were held as part of the Festivals and Events Review; with feedback from these, and a survey carried out earlier in the year, contributing to a new Festivals and Events Plan. The draft Plan will be provided to Council in October 2017.

26 The Community Events Advisor organised the annual Sunday Sounds events, and on 25 April 2017, also coordinated the ANZAC celebrations in Queen’s Gardens.

27 The Puaka Matariki Festival was held between 17 and 23 June 2017; the Festival included more than 40 events celebrating the Maori New Year. Grants totalling $10,000 were provided from Otago Community Trust, and administered by the Puaka Matariki Roopu. These grants supported the development of 23 community events.

28 Events and arts staff supported the city’s hosting of the Lions Series; developing with other Council departments, Otago Polytechnic and contractors, a fan trial which included an innovative light show.

29 The Otago Community Trust and DCC have match funded a new Arts and Culture Capability Fund, which will be open from the 2017/18 year.

Cultural Facilities

30 Dunedin Public Art Gallery – Significant exhibitions launched during the period included: Growing Demand by Eve Armstrong and Untitled (exploded view) by Rebecca Baumann, both commissioned as part of our Creative New Zealand funded Visiting Artists Programme; Call sick by Frances Hodgkins Fellow, Campbell Patterson and Soften, an exhibition exploring photography in the DPAG collection.

31 Dunedin Chinese Garden – Key activities during this period included the Easter period and school holidays, traditionally times of high visitation. There have been delegations during this period from Beijing and Shanghai. The Dragonboat Festival, now renamed and branded as the Legend of Qu Yuan was celebrated in late May in collaboration with the local Chinese community.

32 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum – Key activities for this period included the closing months of the highly successful exhibition “Slice of Life”, as well as the annual provision of hot drinks and opening the Museum immediately following the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. Easter and the school holidays is also a busy time. Behind the scenes tours were held for International Museums Day (May 18). The visitation numbers are a record high at over 309,000 and the Museum remains the top visitor attraction in Dunedin on TripAdvisor.

33 Dunedin Public Libraries – Key activities undertaken by the Dunedin Public Libraries during the quarter include a full month’s activities for New Zealand Music Month; the celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the Blueskin Bay Library; the continuation of the review of mobile library services; and further development towards a new website.

34 Dunedin Olveston Historic Home – As the peak tourism season comes to an end, work begins on updating documentation, listings and planning in preparation for the coming season. The garden at Olveston has a grading of National Significance and autumn is the time to feed the soil, and bed down the garden for winter. The staff focus changes from providing public tours to running formal education classes and caring for the collection.

OPTIONS

35 As this is an update report, there are no options.

NEXT STEPS

36 A further update report will be provided after the conclusion of the next quarter. The South Dunedin Pop-up and work with stakeholders will be a key focus. The Pop-up is proposed to be developed as a pilot project for the arts and creativity in infrastructure approach, involving local creative people working with the project team from the early stages.

Signatories

Author:

Bernie Hawke - Group Manager Arts and Culture

Nicola Pinfold - Group Manager Community and Planning

Authoriser:

Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services

Sandy Graham - General Manager Strategy and Governance

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS

Fit with purpose of Local Government

This report relates to providing a public service and it is considered good-quality and cost-effective.

Fit with strategic framework

	Contributes	Detracts	Not applicable
Social Wellbeing Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Economic Development Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Environment Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Arts and Culture Strategy	☒	☐	☐
3 Waters Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Spatial Plan	☐	☐	☒
Integrated Transport Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Parks and Recreation Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Other strategic projects/policies/plans	☒	☐	☐

The Community and Culture portfolio of activities support the outcomes of a number of strategies.

Māori Impact Statement

There are no known impacts for tangata whenua.

Sustainability

As an update report, there are no specific implications for sustainability.

LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy

As an update report, there are no implications for the LTP, although some measures are level of service performance measures annually reported as part of the LTP.

Financial considerations

As this is an administrative report, there are no financial considerations.

Significance

This update report is considered of low significance under the Significance and Engagement Policy.

Engagement – external

As this is an update report, no external engagement has been undertaken.

Engagement - internal

As this is an update report, no internal engagement has been undertaken.

Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.

There are no identified risks.

Conflict of Interest

There is no conflict of interest identified in respect of this report.

Community Boards

The updates in this report do not relate specifically to Community Boards but are likely to be of general interest to them.

Community and Culture Committee

15 August 2017

Part B Reports

Recalculation of Rates Relief Grants

Department: Community and Planning

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 This report seeks approval from Council to amend the Grants Policy 2015 clauses relating to Rates Relief applied for after 1 July 2017. The proposed amendment seeks to remove the 50% non-rateable criteria for Rates Relief grants, allowing a more consistently applied approach to this area of our grants.

2 The amendment is proposed due to identification that an audit assessment of Rates Relief grants have been inconsistently applied by staff, and that some organisations are now financially disadvantaged by a change in assessment practice. Staff consider that a change to the Policy will ensure consistent application in future.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Committee:

a) Approves the amendments below to the Grants Policy 2015, page 7, paragraph 4.7 within the table labelled "Percentage of grant non rateable*"

Add the following title above the table “Percentage of Grant”

Remove the column titled non rateable from the table and the row with the words
“Where the property is deemed 50% non-rateable” (see Attachment A – proposed table).

b) Approves the date of 1 July 2017 for the amended policy to come into effect.

Background

DCC Grants Policy 2015

3 The Council’s Grants Policy 2015 states: “Rates Relief Grants are for non-government and not-for-profit groups or organisations, which serve the social, educational, recreational, cultural and environmental wellbeing of the community. They are not intended for government or government agencies, or organisations established directly or indirectly by government and/or to deliver government initiatives, such as Boards of Trustees, Public Health Organisations or similar.

4 Organisations can apply for a grant to pay a percentage of their rates in accordance with the goals of the Grants Policy. The goals of the Grants Policy are:

· ‘To encourage both self-help and community involvement as part of the city’s strategic framework and the Long Term Plan (LTP).

· To help establish, develop and maintain activities and facilities that can demonstrably contribute to the social, educational, recreational, cultural, heritage and/or environmental wellbeing of the community as they relate to the city’s strategies and LTP.

· To encourage and facilitate voluntary participation in and effective operation of community groups committed to “public good” activities which promote the city’s strategies and LTP.’

5 To be eligible for a Rates Relief Grant a group or organisation must:

· Benefit primarily Dunedin residents, and

· Make their facility available for wider community use (either through attendance of programmes/services or by hireage).

6 Council recently approved an amendment to the Grants Policy 2015, stating that applications for Rates Relief Grants will not be accepted from organisations that hold betting or gaming licences. These include horse racing (galloping and harness) clubs and greyhound racing societies, and organisations licensed as gaming machine venues ”

7 Per organisation annual Rates Relief grants range from $32 to $24,000, dependent on the valuation of the land owned or occupied by the organisation.

What is 50% Non-Rateable?

8 The Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 Schedule 1, Part 2 page 75 states: Land 50% non-rateable includes:

· Land owned or used by a society incorporated under the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies Act 1908 as a showground or place of meeting.

· Land owned or used by a society or association of persons (whether incorporated or not) for games or sports, except galloping races, harness races, or greyhound races.

· Land owned or used by a society or association of persons (whether incorporated or not) for the purpose of any branch of the arts.

Notes: For the purposes of this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, land does not include: land used for the private pecuniary profit of any members of the society or association land, in clause 2, excludes land in respect of which a club licence under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 is for the time being in force.’

Current Council Policy Relating to Rates Relief

9 The effect of the Council’s Grants Policy 2015 is that the maximum Rates Relief grant available is the maximum amount of rates that could be levied for that property. Applicants are categorised according to whether their contribution to the community is 'essential', 'very important', 'partly important' or 'has value'. Grant amounts may vary between 25%-75% of the rateable value based on the category the community group is assessed as, as shown in the chart below:

Percentage of grant	non-rateable*
75% grant	or 25%*	essential
65% grant	or 15%*	very important
45% grant	or 10%*	partly important
25% grant	or 5%*	has value
(*Where the property is deemed 50% non-rateable.)

10 Assessment of the appropriate category for the organisation is made on the number of other users of the premises that are not related to the core activities of the applicant. Therefore, an organisation with five or more regular users of the premises would be assessed at the 'essential category', those that are the only users would be categorised as 'partly important'.

11 An example of assessing the maximum grant available is set out below. A community hall with a nominal value of $100,000 would be rated as follows:

· General Rate Commercial Variable $ 776.00

· Commercial Community Services Fixed $ 227.00

· Commercial Fire Protection Water Variable $ 86.50

· Commercial CV Drainage Connected Variable $ 285.60

· Commercial Drainage Connected Fixed $ 482.00

Total $1,857.10

12 The maximum grant available for the community hall under the rates relief policy would therefore be 75% of $1857.10 =$1392.82.

13 If the community hall qualified as being 50% non-rateable under the Local Government Act 2002, two of the rates charges would be halved:

· General Rate Commercial (Half) Variable ( 50%) $ 387.00

· Commercial Community Services (Half) Fixed (50%) $ 113.50

· Commercial Fire Protection Water Variable $ 86.50

· Commercial CV Drainage Connected Variable $ 285.60

· Commercial Drainage Connected Fixed $ 482.00

Total $1,354.60

14 The maximum grant available for the community hall under the rates relief policy would therefore be 25% of $1354.60=$338.65.

Discussion

Consequences of Re-calculation of Rate Relief Grants

15 With the implementation of the Grants Policy 2015 organisations were required to reapply for a Rates Relief Grant in 2016, with funding allocated in the 2016/17 financial year.

16 Through this re-application process it became apparent that we had not been consistently applying our Policy for some years, with some organisations previously assessed at a higher level than the 2015 Policy allows.

17 Several organisations that had previously received Rates Relief grants, and re-applied in 2016, contacted staff to highlight that the change in re recalculation had resulted in a detrimental financial impact. Staff made a commitment to bring the matter to the attention of Council.

18 Staff are recommending that, to ensure transparency and consistency, the Grants Policy be amended to remove the 50% non-rateable variation. This would mean all organisations applying are treated in the same manner. It would significantly reduce the complexity of assessing the applications.

19 Of the 162 organisations in the city that receive a grant, 71 organisations are classified as 50% non-rateable. The proposed change in policy will therefore affect just under half of the applicants and in many instances will result in these organisations receiving a higher grant than in previous years.

20 Below is an example of how the proposed change to this policy will apply to a small selection of organisations. A full list is provided in Attachment B.

Organisation	Grant given 2015/16	Grant given 2016/17	Proposed grant 2017/18
Andersons Bay Bowling club	$2,821.76	$663.34	$2,985.01
Berwick Pool Trust	$268.88	$93.20	$279.59
Green Island Bowling Club Inc.	$2,908.28	$615.20	$2,768.40
Moana Gow Pool Trust	$555.72	$289.60	$868.80
Otago Badminton Association Inc.	$4,828.51	$788.29	$3,547.29
Taieri Dramatic Society Incorporated	$528.83	$125.59	$565.16
The MacAndrew Bay Orphans & Entertainers Club Inc.	$641.31	$136.98	$616.40
Zeus Sports and Darts Club Inc.	$401.24	$171.14	$401.24

21 A further impact of the proposed policy change is that there will be no change to existing grants that have been made, however organisations will be required to re-apply for this grant in 2018/19 financial year. This timeframe allows time for the Grants Subcommittee to schedule the meeting and be made aware of the criteria.

Financial Implications of Removing the Differential for 50% Non-rateable from the Grants Policy

22 The current budget for Rates Relief Grants is $515,700 per annum. Expenditure to date in the 2016/17 year is $460,200. The underspend is due to the reduction of payments to 71 organisations, and organisations not re-applying (although two invitations to apply were sent to out between August 2016 and March 2017).

23 Because the policy was previously inconsistently applied, not all organisations will receive an increase in Rates Relief, if Council approves the proposed amendment to its Grants Policy. For some there will be no financial impact.

24 If Council accepts the recommendation to amend the Policy there will be a forecast increase of $52,800 per annum to those organisations which have already applied. This forecast increase would be within the existing budget.

25 If all eligible organisations within the city apply for Rates Relief the projected annual increase would be $61,000.

26 The Council’s recent decision to exclude organisations that hold gambling licences would mean no actual increase in the annual budget allocation is required.

Authority to approve Rates Relief Grants

27 A review of the current process around Rates Relief grants has identified that delegating staff the responsibility of both assessing and approving grants is not best practice in all cases. Council has a delegation to the Grants Subcommittee to make decisions on applications for this grant. It is proposed that this matter be incorporated into the future review of Council grants.

Options

Option One – Recommended Option: Amend the Grants Policy 2015

28 That Council approves the amendment to the Grants Policy 2015 to remove the non-rateable criteria and that this change applies from 1 July 2017.

Advantages

· Clarity for the organisations applying for Rates Relief, and for Council in making assessments and recommendations.

· Council's policy is better aligned with community expectations.

Disadvantages

· Possible increase in the budget over time.

Option Two – Status Quo

29 Council makes no change to its current policies or procedures in relation to Rates Relief grants.

Advantages

· Budgets will not be increased.

· Organisations making application for Rates Relief for the first time do not have to wait for a Grants Subcommittee meeting to have this considered.

Disadvantages

· Concerns raised by organisations about the disparity of previous Rates Relief assessment and the application of the Grants Policy 2015 remain unresolved.

· The practice of staff assessing and approving grants is inconsistent with the Auditor General’s good practice guide ‘Principles to underpin management by public entities of funding to non-government organisations’.

Next Steps

30 Staff will notify the affected organisations within the next month of the Council’s decision and will assist them with advice for making new applications.

31 If Council approves the proposed amendments to the Grants Policy 2015, staff will progress the update of the policy.

32 Consideration of best practice for administering the Rates Relief Grants will be incorporated into the future review of Council grants.

Signatories

Author:

Paul Coffey - Community Advisor

Authoriser:

Joy Gunn - Manager Events and Community Development

Nicola Pinfold - Group Manager Community and Planning

Attachments

	Title	Page
a	Percentage of Grants	64
b	Organisations that are classified as percent non-rateable	65

SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS

Fit with purpose of Local Government

This decision enables democratic local decision making and action by, and on behalf of communities; and relates to providing a public service and it is considered good-quality and cost-effective.

Fit with strategic framework

	Contributes	Detracts	Not applicable
Social Wellbeing Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Economic Development Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Environment Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Arts and Culture Strategy	☒	☐	☐
3 Waters Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Spatial Plan	☐	☐	☒
Integrated Transport Strategy	☐	☐	☒
Parks and Recreation Strategy	☒	☐	☐
Other strategic projects/policies/plans	☐	☐	☒

For the Social Wellbeing Strategy assisting with Rates Relief Grants builds better communities at a local, geographic and communities of interest level.

For the Arts and Culture Strategy assisting with Rates Relief Grants builds unity and community pride by celebrating the city’s character, diversity and individuality through the arts and culture community.

For the Parks and Recreation Strategy and Environment Strategy assisting with Rates Relief Grants allow organisations to work collaboratively to improve recreation and environmental outcomes.

Māori Impact Statement

There are no known impacts for tangata whenua. Rates relief for Maori land is dealt with separately.

Sustainability

With 166 organisations supported in their activities to the community, social wellbeing is enhanced.

LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy

There are implications.

Financial considerations

There are no current financial considerations as the grant expenditure will be within budget. In the longer term, however, there may be an increase in the annual budget for these.

Significance

The proposal to amend the level of Rates Relief Grants has been assessed as having low significance in terms of Councils Significance and Engagement Policy.

Engagement – external

Several of the organisations affected by the change in assessment have contacted staff who made a commitment to report the issue to Council.

Engagement - internal

Discussions have been held with the Finance Department around implications of the proposed policy change.

Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.

There are no known risks. In house legal have confirmed existing delegations.

Conflict of Interest

There are no known conflicts of interest.

Community Boards

There are no specific implications for community boards.

POLICY REGISTER

Department responsible:	Community Development and Events
Policy number:	C 15/12/14
Policy version:
Review date:	2020
Contribution to strategic framework - specific priorities:

Chairperson	Aaron Hawkins
Deputy Chairperson	Rachel Elder	Marie Laufiso
Members	David Benson-Pope	Dave Cull
	Christine Garey	Doug Hall
	Mike Lord	Damian Newell
	Jim O'Malley	Chris Staynes
	Conrad Stedman	Lee Vandervis
	Andrew Whiley	Kate Wilson

	Title	Page
A	Minutes of Grants Subcommittee meeting held on 20 June 2017	16

Author:	Kristy Rusher - Manager Civic and Legal
Authoriser:	Sandy Graham - General Manager Strategy and Governance

	Title	Page
a	Draft DCC submission to the Inquiry into the 2016 Local Government Elections	51
b	List of SOLGM recommendations that will form the basis of the SOLGM submission	54