The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends the adoption of the recommendation of the Budget Committee embodied in the following transmittal letter (April 1, 1998) from the Budget Committee:

Recommendation:

The Budget Committee on March 31, 1998, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, and Council, that the request from the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts to withdraw funds in the amount of $52,000.00 from the Centre's Capital Improvement Fund be approved.

Background:

The Budget Committee on March 31, 1998, had before it a communication (March 12, 1998) from Mr. David G. Wallett, General Manager, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts requesting the withdrawal of funds in the amount of $52,000.00 from the Centre's own Capital Improvement Fund.

Mr. David G. Wallett, General Manager, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, appeared before the Budget Committee in connection with the foregoing matter.

Prior to 1995, the St. Lawrence Centre's operating budget carried a line item for Property and Technical Improvements. For fiscal 1995, and succeeding years, the Budget Review Committee ruled that purchases and expenses that had come under that line item should more properly be drawn from the Centre's own Capital Improvement Fund. Accordingly, we would like to request that the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts be allowed to withdraw up to Fifty-Two thousand Dollars ($52,000) from the Capital Improvement Fund in fiscal 1998 for items in this category.

The use of these funds will be for the following express purposes:

(1) an amount of up to $7,300.00 to replace the programme sound system in the Jane Mallett Theatre;

(2) an amount of up to $1,000.00 to renovate the Jane Mallett Theatre control booth;

(3) an amount of up to $6,500.00 to replace Stage Lighting fixtures in the Jane Mallett Theatre;

(4) an amount of up to $2,000.00 to replace the Closed Circuit T.V. monitoring system;

(5) an amount of up to $2,500.00 to acquire a remote control for Bluma Appel Theatre lighting;

(6) an amount of up to $3,600.00 to replace one pair of black velour stage curtains;

(7) an amount of up to $2,000.00 to acquire air tools for scenery fit-ups;

(8) an amount of up to $6,000.00 to replace Front of House staff uniforms;

(9) an amount of up to $1,500.00 to replace carpeting in the accounting offices;

(10) an amount of up to $2,600.00 to acquire additional equipment for the hard of hearing system;

(11) an amount of up to $6,000.00 to upgrade LAN (Local Area Network); and

(12) an amount of up to $11,000.00 to acquire a wireless communication system.

The accumulated balance of the Capital Improvement Fund as of December 31, 1997, is $1,312,908, a net increase of $168,983.00 over the past twelve months.

Thank you for your attention.