High River council is changing the way submissions are made for smaller funding requests.

Right now an individual has to appear at a public meeting before council with a formal presentation.

Mayor Craig Snodgrass doesn't like that.

"You know we had a young man that was going to Cuba for a baseball tournament, so when they come in with a one off like that we don't need to put people through that," he says. "It's an intimidating thing for people to sit in a formal council meeting, as light as I try to keep those meetings, it's still intimidating when you're in front of a bench like that."

He's seen one young girl from the high school who was almost in tears and he admits council feels uncomfortable at the same time.

He says most of the requests are smaller ones for small events.

Requests will now go to the Community Vitality Fund to be vetted and three times a year they'll bring them to council for approval.