Following a request for additional information in consideration of whether to provide a donation to the Sundre Hospital Futures Committee in lieu of waiving the rental fee, council last week settled on the latter.
The organization, which is preparing for the third annual Sundre Hospital Legacy Gala set to take place in November, had previously submitted a request to waive the roughly $750 rental fee for the Sundre Community Centre.
During the July 30 meeting, Coun. Todd Dalke said there is a cost to the municipality above and beyond the rental fee waiver in terms of staff time, and had suggested a donation.
“Research revealed that no charges by invoice were provided to the gala committee” last year, said Betty Ann Fountain, development officer, following up during the Aug. 20 meeting.
“In 2017, council did waive the rental fees for three full days…this year’s request is pretty much the same.”
The committee’s chair, Gerald Ingeveld, who attended the meeting, addressed council and offered some background on the board’s history, which has evolved since first launching largely as a physician recruitment and retention initiative.
“We’re actually the first hospital advocacy group that has been invited to help choose a site lead for a hospital, which we did,” said Ingeveld, referring to Elan Heinrichs, who started her position last November.
“We’re very happy with her,” he said, adding the board has also been invited to get involved in long-term planning for Alberta Health Services’ Central Zone and that a meeting with the provincial government department’s chief executive officer was even scheduled later in September.
The committee wants to be a part of a community-based effort to come up with solutions for Sundre’s health-care concerns, he said.
The gala helps to support that initiative and is raising funds in part for a future hospital. The event was started in 2016, he said, expressing gratitude for the municipality’s previous decision in waiving the community centre’s rental fee.
“Council has supported us in so many ways — with grants, with volunteers, with people being involved,” he said, reiterating the committee’s request as well as extending elected officials an invitation to participate in the gala.
“This is going to be a pretty cool gala — we’re launching a scholarship program for at least two scholarships.”
Joanne Overguard, who recently lost a battle with cancer, was a founding member of the committee, and one of the scholarships was started by family in her memory, he said.
Although he did not want to spoil too many details, Ingeveld said the board is also working with a videographer on developing a video and planning to share the committee’s long-term plan for local health care in the community.
Coun. Cheri Funke said the question previously discussed at the last meeting was whether council should waive the fee or instead provide the committee with a grant that covers the fee.
Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, suggested waiving the fees would suffice.
“I completely support the function and waiving the fees in some way,” said Coun. Todd Dalke, adding the reason the matter was brought back is because some town staff do end up putting in some work for such events, and there should be a paper trail for budgetary purposes.
Mayor Terry Leslie further inquired whether perhaps the councillor would be interested in directing administration to track the actual employee cost above the rental fee waiver to better reflect the total amount contributed by the municipality.
“Absolutely,” said Dalke.
“The question is legitimate,” said Leslie.
“Typically we would charge a fee to cover those costs, and it would be interesting to see if those fees are in line,” he said.
The mayor said council appreciates the committee’s proactive approach to community health care that does not content itself waiting for what Alberta Health Services decides but instead seeks to get involved in the process.
“We have a lot invested in this community,” said Ingeveld.
Council proceeded to carry a motion to waive the community centre’s $750 rental fee.
