Title
Amendment to the FY 2015-2016 Funding Recommendations for the Community Grant Program (B)
The City Commission is requested to consider approval of an amendment to the City’s FY 2015-2016 Community Grant Program funding allocation.
Explanation
In FY 2010-2011, the City Commission approved the Community Grant Program (CGP). The purpose of the CGP is to provide small subsidies to non-profit organizations performing community services that advance City goals, and to support activities that serve a public purpose and improve the quality of life for Gainesville residents. Since the inception of the CGP, the City Commission has approved an annual allocation of $125,000. The maximum annual grant award is $3,000 per eligible non-profit organization.
For FY 2015-2016, as required by the CGP guidelines, the City’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) reviewed the agency applications and made funding recommendations at its May 18, 2015 public meeting. The City Commission approved the AHAC’s funding recommendations on June 18, 2015.
For the past several years, the City has coordinated with the United Way of North Central Florida to utilize a web-based application system for the CGP. This system allows agencies to apply for funding utilizing an online application system. The system compiles a list of completed applications, and generates a list of all agencies that applied for CGP funding. Staff was recently advised of a technical glitch in that system, when an agency inquired about the status of their application. As such, staff reexamined the web-based system to confirm if the agency had submitted an application for CGP funding. During the reexamination of the web-based application system, staff learned that the system notified an applicant, the 4Ws Network, that the agency had completed their application requesting $3,000.00; however, the system did not generate a completed application for 4Ws Network. For that reason, the 4Ws Network application was not included in the list of agencies that the AHAC recommended for CGP funding.
Therefore, staff explored several alternatives to resolve the error in the web-based system. One option included a review of the status of the currently funded agencies. Staff noted that one of the agencies, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, recently ceased operations. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact that agency, along with supporting documentation, staff determined that this agency was no longer eligible for their FY 2015-2016 CGP funding award in the amount of $2,565.00. As a result, the City could award those funds to another agency.
On February 17, 2016, the AHAC revisited its CGP funding recommendation, considering the new information, particularly the glitch in the online application system. At that meeting, the AHAC changed its funding recommendation to fund the 4Ws Network, rather than Big Brothers Big Sisters in the amount of $2,565.00. Per the AHAC funding recommendations, $2,565 is the average grant amount awarded to a majority of the agencies in FY 2015-2016 in efforts to allocate an equal share to all of agencies that applied for CGP funding.
Fiscal Note
None. The City Commission allocated $125,000 for the FY 2015-2016 Community Grant Program, with $112,500 available for program awards and a 10% set aside for program administration. The proposed amendment deletes funding for Big Brothers & Big Sisters for $2,565.00, and adds funding for the 4Ws Network for $2,565.00. The total number of agencies funded and the total amount of funds allocated do not change.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) consider approval of the AHAC’s revised funding recommendations for the FY 2015-2016 Community Grant Program; and 2) authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute the funding agreements and other related documents with the approved organizations to disburse the grant funds, subject to approval by the City Attorney as to form and legality.
Alternative Recommendation
The City Commission does not consider approval of the AHAC’s revised funding recommendations for the FY 2015-2016 Community Grant Program.