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Council approves donation Instead of lowering rental fee, councillors agree to give $3,500 after non-profit documentation provided
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, September 19, 2013
INUVIK
What a difference a month makes.
Faced with a different request from the Gwich'in Tribal Council at its Sept. 11 meeting, Inuvik town council backtracked on a decision made in early August by approving a $3,500 donation for the council's recently concluded self-government conference at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex.
At that time, the town council unanimously refused a request to shave approximately $8,000 off the rental fee of approximately $13,000 being charged to the tribal council for the complex.
Councillors Alana Mero and Kurt Wainman said at the time they didn't think the GTC, as a quasi-government organization, qualified for the rental-fee relief under the town's policy.
The GTC spokespeople had asked for that fee to be reduced to a flat $5,000 plus taxes. At the Aug. 12 committee of the whole meeting, they had explained the reduction in fees would be used to offer expanded programming for the conference, which would be open to the public.
At that time, Mero led the charge against granting the request.
"What's the logic in asking for such a drastic reduction," she asked. "If we open the door to giving a reduction in fees to a government group, then we run the risk of more and more groups asking for one."
The municipal policy is that discounts for renting town space, such as the recreation complex, can only be granted to non-profit groups.
At that meeting, Wainman said "we'd better stick to our policy of offering it only to non-profit groups."
A new proposal was introduced Sept. 9 at a committee of the whole meeting. The new request from the GTC asked for the town to provide a $3,500 donation to the conference rather than reducing the rental fee for the recreation complex.
The GTC also provided documentation that the tribal council is registered as a non-profit group with the federal government. That paperwork helped to alleviate the confusion about its status, which erupted after the August meeting.
Mero once again questioned how the GTC could have non-profit status, but was assured by senior administrative officer Grant Hood he had checked into it and was satisfied with what he found.
"How are they non-profit?" Mero asked. "They're a land claims group. I don't understand non-profit at that level."
Hood agreed the situation was somewhat confusing, but reiterated the documentation was valid.
"It's a little confusing, but I checked into it," he said.
Mero continued to press the point.
"We all agree this is an important conference," she said. "But how does this fit our donation policy?
"Does this fit our criteria of being open to the public and alcohol-free?"
She was the only council member to express any serious misgivings about the request during the Sept. 9 committee meeting.
There was minimal discussion when the request was voted on during the Sept. 11 council meeting.
Mero seconded the motion, made by Wainman.
The vote was unanimous.
Fred Koe, the chief operating officer for the GTC, thanked the town on Sept. 12 for their decision as the conference wrapped up. He said he had been informed the town would be providing the donation.
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