City, Festivals Kelowna expected to sign renewed deal for events

Photo: Castanet/file

It appears Festivals Kelowna will continue to produce and manage a number of free community events in the city for at least the next three years.

All they need now is the blessing of city council.

The city and Festivals Kelowna have come together on a new three-year service agreement to replace the one that expired at the end of last year. It's an agreement city staff say is in the "best interests" of both parties.

Under the terms of the agreement, Festivals Kelowna would continue to produce and run six programs presently under its umbrella, including Canada Day, Pianos in the Park, Parks Alive, Kelowna Buskers, Arts on the Avenue and New York New Years.

Other programs could be added.

The city will pay Festivals Kelowna $256,000 annually, with yearly adjustments by the consumer price index annual average.

The agreement would run from January 1 of this year through the end of 2025. The city would also have the ability to renew the contract for two additional one year terms.

"In addition to the terms and program deliverables, the new agreement reflects a number of measures to ensure the city maintains best-practice standards in its contractual relationships, as managed by the city’s partnership office," the report states.

These include:

• Annual financial reporting (independently reviewed financial statements, operating budgets, etc.)
• Annual governance and organizational reporting requirements (society directors, organizational chart, community objectives, good-standing certificate, etc.)
• Reporting and evaluation of annual programs (attendance, feedback, community impact, etc.)

"The proposed service agreement will renew the terms and deliverables between the city and Festivals Kelowna for the next three, or more, years, and support the continued provision of free cultural events, live entertainment and arts-based activities for the benefit of Kelowna residents," the report concludes.