City council will leave a section of policy on the cutting room floor in order to fund the Vancouver Island Film Commission, despite a warning from the chief financial officer there’s no money to give to the organization, except from reserves.
Nanaimo council decided at its committee of the whole meeting Monday to give up to $30,000 to InFilm this year, a Campbell River-based organization that liaises and scouts location for the film industry from Nanaimo north.
The dollars hinge on change to policy, because according to chief financial officer Victor Mema, InFilm is not from Nanaimo so doesn’t currently qualify for city grants.
InFilm, a non-profit, has provided services for productions wanting to scout locations in this city since 2009 and by 2013 Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation agreed to fund it, though the corporation now no longer exists with the city pulling economic development in house.
The Nanaimo Hospitality Association considered providing a grant to InFilm through its accommodation tax, but learned from the province it cannot do so and sent a letter to mayor and council asking them to consider the funding that had been committed by the NEDC. Economic benefits from the film industry to Nanaimo has been $5 million over the past four to five years, according to Dan Brady with the hospitality association.
Coun. Bill Bestwick made the bid to give InFilm up to $30,000. Mema, however told council that unless he’s being asked to take money out of reserves – which he would not recommend – there isn’t the funding.
Staff presented an alternative of working with the hospitality association to establish sustainable funding contribution to InFilm, which councillors did not support.
Coun. Bill Yoachim said councillors have all driven around town and seen semis “galore,” every hotel booked, restaurants packed and facilities rented for one show happening now, and said it’s an industry they should be pushing for. He also suggested providing money subject to a policy amendment so they are not pushing business away.
Council has the right to change policy, Mema said, but also noted it’s setting a precedent for council to change policies to fit whatever it wants to do and that the question then is why council needs policies.
“I totally respect and hear that, but things evolve and opportunities arise; sometimes you have no choice,” said Yoachim, adding that it’s a positive change because it benefits the city, merchants, hotels, restaurants and those in the industry.
Mayor Bill McKay said the city is about to go into a process with economic development to determine areas of focus and he believes council should wait to determine what those areas are going to be. He also pointed out that hotels contributed to Victoria’s film commission. If there are 8,000 rooms that are going to come to the hoteliers, they could chip in $4 a room night and there’s $32,000, he said.
“They see the logic in contributing to their film board down in Victoria. I don’t know why our hoteliers don’t. I can’t vote in favour of it,” he said.
Where the money will come from still has to be decided, according to Mema.
-files from Rachel Stern