Report for Community Services Committee November 2, 2009 Meeting

Enhancing Community Facility Services through Partnerships

Community Facility Services Partnership Framework

Recommendation:
That Community Services Committee recommend to City Council:

That Enhancing Community Facility Services through Partnerships (Policy C187A), as outlined in Attachment 2 of the October 16,2009, Community Services Department report 2009CSR018, be approved.
That Administration be directed to establish a Community Facility Services Partnership Capital Projects Funding Program as outlined in the October 16, 2009, Community Services Department report 2009CSR018.

Report Summary

This report seeks approval of a City policy and new funding program that will set City Council direction and support for third party organizations to partner with the City of Edmonton to enhance community facilities.

Report

Proposed City Policy

The City of Edmontonhas a rich history of partnering with community organizations to provide public recreation and leisure opportunities throughout the City. There are currently over 100 agreements with groups offering a wide range of opportunities.
Over the past five years, there has been a significant increased interest from not-for-profit organizations, other public sector providers and businesses to pursue some type of partnership with the City for facility development access.
The current policy (Attachment 1) approved by City Council in 1981, required updating and refining to deal with current community expectations.
To develop an update to the 1981 policy, Administration consulted with a wide range of existing and prospective partners. Prospective and current partner organizations indicated a need for easily understood processes and basic support in partnering with the City. Partners appreciate structure and standardization that creates a level playing field for projects of all sizes.
The need for funding support for capital projects was also identified as a growing need in the community.
Coupled with this feedback, Administration analysed historical demands for partnerships with the City, reviewed existing plans and policies, and compared how other municipalities have approached partnerships to develop a new policy.
The Enhancing Community Facility Services through Partnerships policy(Attachment 2) was developed to demonstrate a City commitment to partnerships by including a vision that is encouraging and supportive while recognizing the diversity of partner groups and the unique needs and nature of each partnership.
In support of this vision, the policy defines an overall partnership approach, principles, and processes (Attachment 3) through clearly defined roles and responsibilities in order to nurture long-term collaborative relationships.
The proposed Policy C187A provides City Council with a framework of principles and processes to clearly guide developing and ongoing partnership relationships in operating, programming and capital development. A comparison of the original and updated policy is provided as Attachment 4.

Proposed Funding Program

Analysis, research and feedback indicate that partners receive strong operating support through the existing Community Services Grant framework:

-Community League Operating Grant

-Community Investment Grant

-Family and Community Support Services

-others: project, seed, travel, and hosting.

Operating grants are governed under the existing framework based on the specifics of the partnership.
What was identified from the analysis was a need for a capital funding program for partnership proposals.
A wide range of community projects have received support from the City over the past few years (e.g. La Cité francophone, Ukrainian Canadian Archives, GO Centre, Rowing Club, Varscona Theatre, Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton).
As a result of the review of demands for capital funding support, a program to contribute to facility development/conservation partnership proposals was identified as a need.
The proposed Community Facility Services Partnership Capital Projects Funding Program will provide City Council with an objective, transparent and consistent method to fund a portion of an infrastructure based partnership proposal for public recreation and leisure opportunities.
This program is intended to enhance partner support for public recreation and leisure opportunities through new construction, expansions, redevelopment and rehabilitation of existing facilities.
The partner groups targeted by this proposed capital projects funding program include recreation/amateur sport, multicultural/emerging immigrant andrefugee, social services, seniors, and arts and heritage.
Community League capital projects are not included in the scope of this program as they continue to be governed under approved Policy C502 - Community League Grants 2004.

Program Framework

A review of historical trends for partnership proposals suggests creation of an annual grant program of $5 million per year, over three years beginning 2011.
A qualified partnership project may apply for up to $2 million per year to a maximum of up to $6 million over three years.
The grant would be capped at a quarter of the complete project budget (exclusive of operational/program grants, and business case development support).
Qualified projects requesting funding in excess of these parameters will be assessed under the same framework and recommended for funding through the budget process.
Administration will provide a partnership grant recommendation report to City Council for approval annually.
City Council may adjust funding levels to respond to demand in the future.

Policy

Policy C187 – Agreements with Non-Profit Organizations for the Co-operative Operation of Recreation Facilities.

Focus Area

Improve Edmonton’s Livability
Ensure Edmonton's Financial Stability

Public Consultation

A Public Involvement Plan was developed. Qualitative input was collected on the policy statements and framework from existing and prospective partners, public recreation and leisure advocates and internal stakeholders.

Budget/Financial Implications

Funding to support this policy will be considered in the 2011 Budget process. In addition, funding through this policy is intended for capital purposes which could be for a City owned and partner operated facility or alternately, a City grant for capital work in a partner owned facility. It may be necessary to carry over funding from one year to the next until decisions are made on allocation or required by the partner organization.

Justification of Recommendation

The proposed policy provides City Council with a framework of objective,transparent and consistent partnership principles and processes to guide developing and ongoing partnership relationships in operating, programming and capital development and must be approved by City Council.
ACommunity Facility Services Partnership Capital Projects Funding Programwilladdress an identified gap in providing support to those partner groups in scope for facility development/conservation capital partnership proposals.

Attachments

Existing Policy C187: Agreements with Non-Profit Organizations for the Co-operative Operation of Recreation Facilities
Proposed Policy C187A: Enhancing CommunityFacility Services through Partnerships Policy
Proposed Policy C187A Procedures
Comparisonbetween Existing (1981) and Proposed (2009) Policy

Background Information Available on Request from Department

Public Involvement Plan
The Partnership Handbook: Enhancing Community Facility Services through Partnerships
Working in Partnership with the City of Edmonton: A guide for capital development in public community facilities

Others Reviewing this Report

J.Tustian, DeputyCity Manager
C.Warnock, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer
D.H. Edey, General Manager,Corporate Services Department
L. Rosen, General Manager, Asset Management and Public Works Department

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