Community Warmth COVID relief spent
By COLLIN GALLANT on March 11, 2022.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant Close to $900,000 provided from city reserves in 2020 to help avoid utility customers clear up overdue bills avoid cutoffs has been spent, councillors heard Thursday. The Community Warmth Program typically pays out about $25,000 per year that it collects in voluntary donations, but was given most of a $1-million portion of a “COVID relief package” as the pandemic began in the spring of 2020. Administrators said Thursday that $137,000 remaining in the fund at Jan. 1 this year has been dispersed to accounts after applications to program administer, the Salvation Army in Medicine Hat. It provides one-time help to clear up amounts owed based on several factors and circumstances. “It’s all been utilized and what we’ll rely on now is the usual donations,” said Egert. During an annual report on the program given to committee two weeks ago, staff stated about $42,000 was collected from Hatters who have signed up to make a monthly donation of $1 or more on bills. That amount included about a number of one-time payments related to customers donating back a special $136 one-time utility credit provided last summer. Staff estimate that $25,000 will be required to meet demand for the program this year, and about 25 new monthly donors would be need to reach that amount. 8-7
