Committee of the Whole Meeting (Partial Proceedings) and Bob Simpson Town Hall Meeting on Gaming Grant Cuts

Committee of the Whole Meeting - S. Forseth in attendance from 6:30pm to 6:50pm

Present: Mayor Cook with Councillors' Zacharias, Bourdon, Walters, Rathor and Montoya

Absent: Councillor Tom Barr

Staff: B. Carruthers - CAO
C. Bouchard- Corporate Services Records Coordinator
G. Goodall - General Manager of Planning & Operations
A. Burill - Manager of Social Development

Delegation - Mike Royal, Darlene Doskoch and Marilyn Livingstone from JC/CMHA re: Challenge Day 2009 in Williams Lake

1. 12 Minute Video Shown
2. Group will be approaching CRD (Cariboo Regional District) for funding
3. Group hope to have all high school students in School District #27 take advantage of Challenge Day
4. Group has attempting since 2005 to bring Challenge Day to Williams Lake. Got permission in February of 2009
5. Group is short $3,000 to host Challenge Day program here in Williams Lake

At 7:00pm, Bob Simpson hosted his Town Hall Meeting on Gaming Grant Cuts at the Gibraltar Room. Topics discussed included:

• 40 people in attendance
• Intent to submit "Cariboo-North" impact statement on gaming grant cuts
• By 2011-12, $40 million dollars generated by online gambling
• 33% of all gaming revenue supposed to go to non-profit groups
• Some groups saw a 70% decrease in their financial support from the provincial government
• Suggestion that a brief on gaming grant cuts and their impacts on local groups be prepared for Cariboo Chilcotin MLA D. Barnett with a copy to Bob Simpson (NDP MLA - Cariboo-North)
• "Invitation-only" meeting Wednesday with BC Lotteries at Blue Spoon Restaurant from 6-9pm. Bingo grants supposedly to be discussed and the future of these grants
• Local Conservation Society received 3 year funding - First 2 Years of funding came through, but third year was converted in a "direct access" grant where the group has to apply and wait for word from Victoria in February of 2010 to see if their application is successful

Bob Simpson also indicated that he attempted to once again invite Donna Barnett (BC Liberal MLA - Cariboo-Chilcotin) to this event and hand delivered and emailed a notice to Ms. Barnett but she indicated that she was unavailable for this event