Christmas came early for the Miracle Theatre’s production of On Golden Pond.
On Monday, city council voted to use its contingency fund to cover between $8,573 and $12,514 of the cost of renting the Prince George Playhouse for the play, which is a fundraiser for the Prince George Community Foundation and Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society.
The play is expected to run five weeks, starting on Feb. 16, with the possibility of being held over for a sixth week if ticket sales warrant it.
“We all just need some good news right now,” Coun. Terri McConnachie said. “The money is there and the timing is right.”
The request doesn’t fall within the normal parameters for city grants, she added.
The funds will come from city council’s contingency fund, which had $35,000 remaining in it. Because the playhouse is a civic facility, the money will simply be moved from one city fund to another.
At city council’s meeting on Dec. 6, Mindy Stroet of the Prince George Community Foundation said the event would normally be held in Art Space above Books & Company, but the venue was unavailable because of COVID-19 restrictions. The foundation and hospice society committed to cover $10,000 of the estimated $18,573 to $22,514 cost of renting the playhouse.
City council voted to postpone making a decision on Dec. 6, to receive a report from city staff and more detailed information from Miracle Theatre.
Coun. Frank Everitt said he supported the funding, because Miracle Theatre is not a for-profit event and a fundraiser for two important local non-profit groups.
“Miracle Theatre is so amazing,” Coun. Murry Krause said. “I want to thank (Miracle Theatre founds Ted Price and Anne Laughlin) for their hard work.”
However, councillors Kyle Sampson and Cori Ramsay raised concerns about the fairness of the process for other groups, given that the city was charging Miracle Theatre and subsidized non-profit rate for the playhouse.
“This is an additional subsidy over the subsidized rate,” Ramsay said.
Ramsay proposed a motion to request a report on the feasibility of offering other groups access to the playhouse at the same rate as Miracle Theatre for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. That motion was defeated.
Both Ramsay and Sampson said they support the Miracle Theatre project, but want to see a fair process for other worthwhile causes and groups seeking funding from the city.
“We’re simply making an off-the-hip decision,” Sampson said. “I’m concerned for the equity of the process for other groups.”
