Find That Money!! Accessing and preparing grants for your municipality 2009 SUMA Convention

1. Find That Money!!Accessing and preparing grants for your municipality2009 SUMA Convention Jennifer Fink, SUMA Jennifer Getz, Municipal Affairs Shelley Kilbride, MCDP Brian Mack, Municipal Affairs

2. Agenda • What grants are available & where to look • What funders really want to know • Grants available from Municipal Affairs • Example Situation • 5 most common mistakes on applications • Helpful hints for filling out the application • Barriers • Answering your questions

3. Grants available • SUMA staff have developed a list of grants municipalities are eligible to apply for • New table format broken down alphabetically • Also offers tables broken down by category (ie. housing, tourism, health, seniors, upgrades, economic development, youth) • Will make it quick and easy to see grants available for your municipal project • Also use government department websites to find available grants

4. Sample Table & Summary page

6. What funders really want to know • What are you doing? • Why are you doing it? • What does it cost? • How much money do you want? • Who is involved? • Is the project ready to start • Have you completed the engineering assessment (include with application) • Do you have all the required permits (include with application)

7. Municipal Affairs Grants • SIGI – Saskatchewan Infrastructure Growth Initiative • BCF – Building Canada Fund, Communities Component • Federal Gas Tax • Primary Weight Corridor - Capital Program (PWC) • 11 Others Conditional and Unconditional Programs - see http://www.municipal.gov.sk.ca/

8. Example • Town of Picturesque • Opportunity: Potash One is building a new plant within 5km of the Town of Picturesque. • This new opportunity will result in 200 new permanent positions • The town and the RM meet to discuss the potential effects this may have on the municipal infrastructure • They regularly work together to provide infrastructure to their ratepayers

9. Example con’t • Issues Arising: • The Town of Picturesque is already facing capacity and quality issues (a PDWA as evidence) with their water system as well as capacity issues with their wastewater system given the current demand from the town and surrounding RM • The road leading up to the plant was previously classified as Primary Weight but is in need of an upgrade to retain the standard and improve on some safety issues • The town does not have the available lot space to accommodate such an influx of people and there are very few houses available on the market

10. Municipal Affairs Grants

11. BCF Quick Facts • Provides funding for construction, renewal, expansion and upgrade of local infrastructure in communities with populations under 100,000 • The federal and provincial government each committed $94.5 million over 5 years • Program is cost shared 1/3-1/3-1/3 by the federal/provincial/municipal governments • Qualifying projects fall into 17 priority areas including: drinking water, wastewater management and roads

12. Federal Gas Tax Quick Facts • Grants for environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure projects that promote long-term growth and community sustainability • Project must create positive environmental outcome: • Cleaner air • Cleaner water and/or • Reduced GHG emissions

13. Federal Gas Tax Quick Facts • Eligible project categories include: • Public Transit Infrastructure (including Transit for Disabled Related Infrastructure) • Water Infrastructure • Wastewater Infrastructure • Solid Waste Infrastructure • Community Energy Systems • Local Roads & Bridges • Capacity Building

14. Federal Gas Tax Quick Facts • Funding • Years 2005-2010 – $147.7M per capita • Years 2011-2014 - $224.2M per capita • Years 2015-beyond – Permanent funding - Details TBD

15. Federal Gas Tax Quick Facts • What’s New • 2008-09 Installment #2 payments to be made by March 31, 2009 • Program Evaluation • Some of you will be contacted in the coming weeks • Environmental Outcomes Reporting • Will be contacted for further information

16. SIGI Quick Facts • SIGI provides interest rate subsidies over five years on municipal borrowing for lot development and related offsite infrastructure stemming from growth • Over five years eligible municipalities will receive interest rate subsides on $300 million of municipal borrowing • Lot development projects, related costs and offsite development directly related to increased capacity are eligible

17. Primary Weight Quick Facts • PWC funds construction or material rehabilitation of Saskatchewan rural roads designated as Primary Weight Corridors • Funding is determined annually. In 2008-09 approximately $4 million was allocated to capital construction • Roads that are designated as a Primary Weight Corridor and have an existing maintenance agreement qualify for the program

18. Need help or information? • For information on any of the mentioned programs or any other programs and services offered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, please contact: • Ministry of Municipal Affairs 410-1855 Victoria Avenue Regina, SK S4P 3T2 Phone: (306) 787-8809 Fax: (306) 787-3641 http://www.municipal.gov.sk.ca

19. 5 most common mistakes • Not calling to ask questions – program staff are readily available to answer any questions • Sending in incomplete applications • Missing the deadline date • Not indicating in the application WHAT you are doing and WHY • Not reading all of the materials provided to the municipalities regarding the program such as letter and checklists

20. Helpful HiNts • Call to ask questions – advisors are ready and willing to help! • Remember to refer to program material regarding mandatory requirement • In most cases the application process is competitive, applications will compete for the limited funds available • Funders base their assessments on a rating scale • Refer to the rating guide for information and form your answers around these items

21. Helpful hiNts • Carefully read all communication sent to the municipality regarding the program, they contain important information • Do not leave it to the last minute. When you become aware of a program and the important dates, begin to prepare • Administrators must communicate information regarding programs to the council members early so planning can begin

22. Barriers What do you see as barriers to the application and process??

23. Barriers • Lack of experience preparing grant applications • Shortage of Administrators • Lack of municipal funding for planning and engineering • Administrator workload may not leave time for preparation of an application Help is just a phone call away – program advisors are there to help you!!

24. Questions??