Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin says the county needs to consider whether it should be in the live music business after offering grants to community groups for which nobody qualifies.
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“This was a terrible use of staff time and resources and energy and, quite frankly, a bit embarrassing,” said Martin at a council meeting on Tuesday. “It’s just terrible from start to finish.”
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At issue was the distribution of grant money through Amplify Norfolk, a program meant to draw tourists to the county with live entertainment. It helped launch two events last year – the Fairgrounds Festival and an expanded Pumpkinfest.
Amplify Norfolk provides $375,000 in funding — $125,000 a year for three years – to help “de-risk new or evolving events organized by not-for-profit organizations, which must kick in funding equal to or higher than the grant they receive. The events are meant to grow tourism and economic development in Norfolk in the “shoulder seasons,” not the peak summer season.
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In December, council voted to change the categories of the grants available for 2024, agreeing to award two grants of $40,000 and one of $20,000, and $5,000 to make events more accessible.
Ten applications were received and four were identified as eligible by county staff based on the grant guidelines. But further review by a selection committee determined none of the applications warranted recommendation for grants, said Brandon Sloan, Norfolk’s general manager of community development.
“The group wanted to ensure that any potential recipients would fully meet the mandate of the program, have a high chance of success, limit county involvement and have sustainability in the future,” said Sloan.
A report provided to councilors at Tuesday’s meeting included a listing of applicants for the grants. In the $40,000 category were applications from 3 and 24 Entertainment for a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and from Long Point County Chamber of Commerce for Backroads Music Festival. In the $20,000 category were applications from HN Work Group of Simcoe for Soberfest, and from the Simcoe BIA Board of Management for Artisan’s Alley.
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Coun. Adam Veri, chair of the selection committee, said several issues complicated the selection process, among them two members declaring conflicts of interests because of their involvement with some of the applicants, leaving them unable to vote. There were also questions about whether there were enough members at the meetings to reach quorum.
“There was considerable confusion in the public on how to apply for this grant because, if we have 10 applications and none of them are correct, there’s something on our end that was unclear,” said Veri. “Certainly, there was some confusion among the committee members and even staff, to a degree, on what was eligible and not eligible.”
Coun. Doug Brunton said he didn’t see evidence of “longevity” in the proposed events.
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“Maybe we have to go back and refine it but, based on where we are financially, I find it very difficult to give money away like this,” he said.
Martin said she doesn’t think the county needs to be in the live music industry.
“I’m not entirely sold that this money needs to go out. It’s not a core municipal service. It’s not in our wheelhouse. We need to deliver the services we’re good at delivering.”
Coun. Alan Duthie said the exercise was a learning experience and suggested the county reconsider the role it could have in the entertainment field.
Councilors voted to have CAO Al Menses come back to them with a report on the matter and options for the program’s future.
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