Title
FY 2015-2016 Funding Recommendations for the Community Grant Program (B)
The City Commission is requested to consider approval of the City's State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) funding recommendations for allocating the FY 2015-2016 Community Grant Program funds.
Explanation
The City Commission approved the Community Grant Program (CGP) in FY2010-2011. The purpose of the CGP is to provide small amounts of funding to non-profit organizations performing community services that advance City goals to support activities that serve a public purpose and improve the quality of life for Gainesville residents. The City Commission has indicated a desire to allocate $125,000 per year for the CGP, with 10% set aside for program administration. The maximum annual grant award is $3,000 per eligible non-profit organization.
The City Commission developed and adopted CGP guidelines describing eligible organizations, reimbursable activities, and program requirements and procedures. The Commission expressed a desire to keep the CGP application process simple for both the applicants and staff. The Commission also indicated that it would like to fund as many eligible programs as possible within the approved program budget.
As required by the CGP guidelines, the City's AHAC reviewed the agency applications and made funding recommendations at its May 18, 2015 public meeting. The total allocation available to fund agency programs and services is anticipated to be $112,500. The City received forty-seven (47) agency funding requests for FY 2015-2016. Of those, forty-six (46) agencies were eligible to receive funding. Those agencies funding requests totaled $131,578, which exceeded the anticipated funding by $19,078.
As a result, the AHAC recognized that they must recommend that some or all agencies receive less than they requested. The AHAC determined that most of the applicant agencies met the program's funding and application criteria and that the values of those programs are similar. Rather than trying to establish and agree on differences in the value of the agencies' programs, and quantify those differences in terms of dollars, the AHAC desired to reduce their recommendations by an equal proportion, to fund all qualified agencies. The AHAC funding recommendations for each agency for the FY 2015-2016 Community Grant Program are attached for reference (Attachment A).
Fiscal Note
The City Commission is expected to allocate $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.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) consider approval of the AHAC's 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.