Nine organizations in the city could receive city funds totalling more than $22,000 toward their environmental projects.

Council will vote on the grants this evening.

Mélodie Simard, the city’s manager of planning and sustainability, brought forward the proposed grants at last Monday’s council meeting.

Noting the city provides $25,000 each year for environmental grants with two application periods, she said $22,331 was available for the final application period of 2018.

With a total of more than $38,000 requested though, the city is not proposing to provide full funding for some of the applications, but rather a portion for some.

The largest funding request of $12,853 came from WildWise Yukon, for example, for the design, sign installation, consultation and materials for multiple education projects that would have a total cost of $17,588.

City staff are proposing WildWise receive an environmental grant of $2,028 for one of the projects to install signs on picnic tables at the Robert Service Campground.

Meanwhile, the smallest funding request came from the Valleyview Community Association.

It’s seeking and recommended to get the full $1,000 for a water tank and fittings on its estimated $1,488 project to install a water tank at the community greenhouse to provide water before and after municipal water is available.

Other recommendations would see:

• Fireweed Market, which would receive $1,225 of the $2,127 requested for its estimated $2,415 purchase of a stand-alone electrical panel and extension cord that would offer electricity to more vendors during the Thursday markets during the summer;

• Philippe’s Bike Repair, which would receive $1,500 of the $2,200 requested (representing the full cost) for bike parts and advertising of its Purple Bike program, an affordable used-bike rental program;

• Shannon Powell Consulting would receive the full $2,000 requested for wages for a $2,600 report describing ways of managing the common nighthawk in the city;

• Downtown Urban Gardeners would receive the full $2,793 requested for the first phase of its $17,973 two-phased project to remove low-functioning plots and replace those with 11 beds;

The first phase would see the demolition and disposal of the plots with the city’s funding paying for labour for the demolition;

• Yukon Invasive Species Council would receive $2,900 of the $5,846 it sought for its project – estimated to cost $6,546 - to update, redesign and print a brochure. The city’s portion would fun the design and review, but not the printing;

• Yukon Fish and Game Association would receive the full $2,907 requested for its $5,215 project to replace an interpretive sign and refurbish three existing signs at the Wolf Creek Interpretive Site. The city’s funding would pay for the design work, a sign post and four signs; and

• Whitehorse Community Thrift Store would receive $5,975 of the $6,830 it sought for its $17,735 project to purchase storage carts and a rack as well as sandwich boards for advertising and to hire a consultant to develop a volunteer program. The reduced amount would see the city not fund the sandwich boards.

Answering questions from council, Simard noted it’s possible some projects that were approved for a portion of funding may not go ahead.

She also confirmed that it’s unusual for the city to receive so many environmental grant applications. She did note that after the last round saw just one project proposed, city staff reached out to organizations to ensure they knew about it.

Coun. Samson Hartland was absent from last Monday’s meeting.