The City of Greenwood received a $381,000 grant to offset the financial pinch wrought by the pandemic.
Mayor Barry Noll announced the grant at Monday’s council meeting, Nov. 23. The “COVID‐19 Safe Restart Grants for Local Governments” comes with strings attached by the federal and provincial governments, who put up the money.
The bulk of the money will go to “addressing revenue shortfalls” that would normally come through city taxes and city-owned facilities like community centres and sports arena, according to a letter from the housing and municipal affairs ministry dated Nov. 2. Re-start grants went to local governments across British Columbia to “ensure [they] can continue to deliver the services people depend on in their communities,” the letter continued.
Grant money can also go toward community first responders, city bylaw enforcement and for programming for “vulnerable persons,” the letter stipulated.
Greenwood’s grant was determined on a per capita basis, according to its population in 2018.
City hall is required to show how it will spend the grant, as per section 167 of the Community Charter, the letter explained.
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