Additional changes to a major rewrite of the town's community grant program could mean town council won't have the final say on the recipients of the funds.

Instead, their involvement would be at the policy level and during annual budget deliberations.

Chief Administrative Officer Mike Derricott strongly recommended the change, in part, to provide some distancing from political elements.

"It's not that council doesn't have accountability or oversight, it's just where that comes in the process," Derricott told council. "My suggestion is that it comes now at the policy development part of the process, rather than at the end at the decision-making process."

Councillor Alex Reed wholeheartedly agreed with the move.

"I think back to the first year when we actually went through this exercise, it became very apparent, and I may be as guilty as anyone else, that there were some personal agendas there, connections to these organizations," said Reed. "This removes all the bias of that."

Councillor Susan Flowers expressed concern over the move, believing council needs to be accountable for the funds.

"We don't want a staff person having all the pressure of making the decisions about which group receives what and have it all land on their shoulders. We're accountable for the money and we may not question it,  like tonight we approved the FCSS dollars with very few questions, but we know who's getting what, who applied, and some of the details. I think it's important we get that last say for accountability sake."

Councillor Patrick Wilson, who has been pushing for a revision since October 2018, was pleased with what he saw. He had no difficulty in taking the final say out of the hands of council.

Kristie Bell, manager of the Cochrane RancheHouse Event Centre, Community Events and Culture, provided a draft of the policy, now called the Community Investment Grant Program. It replaces the Civic Partnership, Community Grants, and Arts and Culture Endowment Fund.

Clear perimeters are outlined for funding applications for both small-scale events and large-scale festivals. It also outlines what is required to be provided by applicants, with more details sought from those seeking the larger grant. Small-scale events can receive up to $2,500. Large-scale events can receive up to $15,000. Both are offered on a matching basis.

In the past, recipients of large-scale funding, like Cochrane Light-Up and Canada Day, fell outside of the grant program.

The policy would continue to provide community associations up to $500 per annum towards their expenses.

Councillor Tara McFadden successfully sought the support of her fellow councillors in adding social sector organizations to the list of those eligible to apply for funding. She said funding opportunities from other levels of government have been drying up, and it's making it difficult for them to fund events.

A revised policy will be presented for council's consideration at a future meeting.