Vernon council will only have one round of discretionary grant funds to dole out in 2018.
Usually done in two intakes, in April and October, council’s finance committee shelled out the $50,000 it has allocated for such grants each year to April’s allocations.
“I’d like that on our website so people are not spending time filling out applications for the fall when there is no money,” said Coun. Catherine Lord.
There were 20 applications asking for almost $140,000. They approved eight requests.
“We had about $2,000 or $3,000 left over so we decided to distribute it all at once,” said Mayor Akbal Mund. “Also, in October, there will be a new council in place (the municipal election is a month earlier this year) and it’s not fair to them to leave only a couple of thousand dollars.”
Two organizations received grants for $15,000: Abbeyfield Houses of Vernon Society to assist with the remodelling and creation of an additional resident room, and North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society, to help with the construction of the addition to its building on 32nd Avenue.
The smallest grant handed out was for $500.
Cheers at Hillview
You may soon be able to cheer your lowest golf score or drown your sorrows longer after missing a putt from gimme range on the 18th hole.
Council has unanimously supported Hillview Golf Course’s application to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch to extend the hours of liquor sales to 9 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
The current licence allows liquor sales from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and 10 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Sunday.
A total of 153 property owners and occupiers, including businesses, near the golf course were contacted. Eleven emails were received by the city about the application, with 10 being in favour and one in opposition.
The RCMP has stated the application does not present any particular policing concerns.