A request for funding from the Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre prompted a broader discussion of the county's grant policy at this week's committee of the whole meeting.
CAO Brenda Orchard explains the Food Bank Distribution Centre was asking for $60,000 for the coming year – the same amount they received last year. The discussion was around the provision in the policy that states the county does not want any outside group to become dependent on county funding.
Orchard suggested the policy be left as it is because council always has the option of granting an exemption from the policy, and the Food Bank Distribution Centre was an example where an exemption would be in order. The request for funding and the discussion around the policy were referred to the budget deliberations.
Orchard says it's the responsibility of staff to apply all of the conditions of the policy to the attention of council for any grant request, and point out the potential for any particular recipient to become dependent on that grant.
