OREM — A handful of Orem cultural arts and recreation organizations have a lot to look forward to come July 1 when they'll be able to cash in on the $2 million dollars allocated to them by the City Council Tuesday night.

"Can you believe it? We're finally at a point where you say this is where some of these dollars are going to go," said Orem City Mayor Jerry Washburn. "I think it's huge. It's been a year and a half since the voters authorized this, so now we're at this really momentous point."

The council distributed the eagerly anticipated CARE — Cultural Arts and Recreation Enrichment — grants to the delight of residents who applauded the council's motion.

The funds were made available through a sales tax increase of 1/10 of one percent that was approved by voters in November 2005.

With that approval, the city enacted the tax the following April and projected about $1.8 million in sales tax revenues each year.

The cultural arts recipients were SCERA Theater — $569,000; Hale Center Theater — $395,645; Timpanogos Storytelling Festival — $125,000; Utah Storytelling Guild — $3,850 and $6,580; Synergy/Dance Company (UVSC Foundation) — $4,875; and the Utah Regional Ballet — $45,000. The council also earmarked $375,000 for future property acquisition.

The Orem Historic Preservation Advisory Commission was given $13,700 to put a statue in a public park, which counts as a public facility, and the City Council awarded $500,000 to its recreation program.

Other contingency and administration costs bring the total to $2.15 million — which includes $350,000 in leftover funds from fiscal year 2006.

"It was so exciting to see the variety of projects in the community, to see the people that have the passion for cultural arts and recreation," Councilwoman Karen McCandless said. "It's really neat to see what's out there. I think, too, that through the process, I learned how important cultural arts and recreation are in our community. It helps make a community healthy and whole."

Of the 28 applicants, many failed to meet the required nonprofit status, or requested money for private facilities or city-owned programs, which are not eligible.

Per state statute, only nonprofit, 501(c)(3) cultural arts groups and publicly owned facilities were eligible for funds after completing a rigorous application process of filling out application packets and supplying financial records, the organization's goals, management outlines and plans for the requested funds.

The applications were due by April 2, after which the City Council reviewed each application and listened to brief presentations by each applicant.

The fund recipients must enter into agreements with the city, and the funds will be available July 1. Each allocation is for this fiscal year only, and another application process will take place for next year.

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