Council Briefs
City seeks new options for top up to NACC funding
Elaine Anselmi
Northern News Services
Published Friday, January 30, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
After a request from the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) to restore $15,000 in core funding cut from the 2015 budget, city council discussed options Monday for returning the money without taking away from other organizations.
Special committees of council
- Audit Committee: Adrian Bell
- Board of Revision: Niels Konge
- Yellowknife Combative Sports Commission: Phil Moon Son
- Community Advisory Board on Homelessness: Linda Bussey
- Community Energy Plan Implementation Committee: Dan Wong
- Development Appeal Board: Niels Konge
- Grant Review Committee: Rebecca Alty, Phil Moon Son
- Social Issues Committee: Linda Bussey, Adrian Bell
Non-council committees
- NWT Association of Communities: Bob Brooks
- Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition: Linda Bussey
- Yellowknives Dene First Nation: All of council
Source: City of Yellowknife
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The $65,000 in core funding received from the city is used for staffing at NACC, and Coun. Bob Brooks said it is the only guaranteed funding the theatre centre receives.
"Because they use core funding from the city for staffing, it puts employment of certain individuals in question," said Brooks.
While an understanding of the need for funding was shared by council, the option of taking additional funding from the $90,000 pool of special grants was not favoured out of fairness to other organizations. Coun. Adrian Bell recused himself from discussions due to his affiliation with the Long John Jamboree, which also receives city funding, and Coun. Linda Bussey stepped away from the discussion due to her involvement with the arts and culture community.
Brooks said he would approach NACC about other opportunities for service agreements that are used by organizations such as the SideDoor Youth Centre and the Curling Club, which provide services to the community in return for financial support.
Coun. Cory Vanthuyne pointed out that both organizations operate out of city-owned facilities, and warned that offering service agreements with other organizations could lead to a lineup of groups looking for similar arrangements.
Bid to host big meeting gets support
City council's Municipal Services Committee discussed the possibility Monday of hosting the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in 2017.
The meeting would gather mayors and city councillors from across the country. This year's event is being held in Edmonton. The event moves to different city every year. The required infrastructure and services for hosting the meeting are largely in place in Yellowknife, with a few pieces missing. The city would have to meet specific Internet requirements for group meeting rooms and purchase or rent computer equipment to be made available to delegates. While playing host to the approximately 130 municipal politicians would cost between $15,000 and $18,000, the city estimates between $300 and $450 per day would be invested back into the city for each attendee. The economic benefit to the city, it estimates, could be up to $175,000 between hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
RCMP report fewer crimes
The final RCMP statistics for 2014 show an overall decline in crime in the city, with 16,940 complaints reported, down from 18,176 in 2013. RCMP Cpl. Donnie Duplissea presented the report to council Monday, adding that while crime has decreased over all, the last few months of the year were busy for the detachment.
"As a man who works in uniform, policing Yellowknife was pretty colourful," Duplissea said, giving as an example, the recent standoff at the Northern Lites Motel.
Assaults of all kinds dropped to 853 reports, down from 1,254 last year, as did break-and-enters, of which 98 were reported, down from 172 in 2013.
"It is striking, the difference between this year and last," said Coun. Adrian Bell.
"Is there anything we can draw from this?"
One possible explanation Duplissea gave for the general decrease in crime was the increase in the number of people jailed, keeping offenders off the street. In 2014, 6,034 prisoners were reported, up from 5,450. As well as imprisonment, Duplissea said the fully-staffed detachment, assistance of municipal enforcement and enhanced patrols could also be the reason. He said it could "also just be dumb luck."
There were some increases in crime reported, including motor vehicle theft, which rose to 84 from 71. Mischief, including public intoxication, also saw a steep increase to 5,393 occurrences in 2014, up from 4,055 the previous year.
City makes $1 land purchase
A portion of land in Niven Lake, purchased by Redcliffe Developments Ltd. from the city in 2012, will be bought back by the city for $1 and rezoned as a nature preserve.
The rezoning would see a small portion of land about the size of two medium density lots adjacent to the Redcliffe townhouses on Niven Drive be left undisturbed in their natural state. After the $1 cost of the purchase, the financial implication for the city is the loss of the property tax, which in 2014 was assessed at $2,432.
The rezoned land will become a part of the already prescribed nature preserve that extends north from its location out to Great Slave Lake.
