REPORT TO SUBCOMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Consideration of Fiscal Year 2019/20 Neighborhood Grant Program Applications
Report
BACKGROUND
Each year, the City Council allocates funding to support neighborhood groups through the Neighborhood Grant Program (NGP) based on funding recommendations from the Community Event and Neighborhood Grant Distribution Subcommittee (Subcommittee).
The Subcommittee consists of three members of the City Council charged with conducting an annual grant review process that includes: 1) A review of the application process; 2) recommendation of any changes as appropriate to the full City Council for approval; 3) review of grant application submittals; and 4) presentation of recommended funding levels to the full City Council for final approval.
The Subcommittee met on February 19, 2019 to review and accept the grant application materials for FY 2019/20. Staff opened the application period for a total of eight weeks from February 25 through April 19, 2019.
The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the grant applications received and to seek direction from the Subcommittee on the recommended funding for each application. The Subcommittee is scheduled to present its recommendations to the full City Council on June 25, 2019.
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 7.2.1, Community Engagement - Goals and Policies
Goal B: Achieve a community in which all community members can be actively involved in shaping the quality of life and participate in local community and government activities.
Goal C: Create a strong, positive community identity, rich in cultural diversity.
Council Policy 7.2.18, Special Events
D. Community Event Program
The City may fund community events through this program.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
DISCUSSION
FY 2018/19 Allocations
In FY 2018/19, the City Council approved ten Neighborhood Grants for a total of $6,500.
FY 2019/20 Allocated Budget
The Subcommittee’s recommendations for grant distribution are based on budgeted amounts of $6,500 in Neighborhood Grants.
At the March 7, 2019 Study/Budget Issues Workshop, Mayor Klein made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Larsson, to refer Budget Issue No. 3 (Increase Community and Neighborhood Grant Funding) to the budget process with a 50% increase in funding. Councilmember Melton offered a friendly amendment to direct staff to refer the budget issue doubling the amount as originally proposed with direction to staff to provide options ranging from a 50% to a 100% increase. The motion to refer Budget Study Issue No. 3 as amended carried on a 7-0 vote. The three options outlined in Budget Supplement No. 12 are also outlined below as funding scenarios for the Subcommittee to consider.
At the FY 2019/20 annual budget workshop on May 23, 2019, staff will be presenting two options to increase the available funding per Council’s direction: 1) a 50% increase that would result in a total of $9,750 in available funding; and 2) a doubling of the current level of funding that would result in a total of $13,000.
As the Subcommittee is meeting in advance of that workshop to establish funding recommendations, the Subcommittee is requested to consider its grant recommendations within the context of the existing available budget of $6,500, a second scenario that assumes a funding availability of $9,750, and a third scenario that assumes a funding availability of $13,000. In this way, once action on the budget issue has been taken, the process for final approval of grant recommendations can move forward to the full Council on June 25,2019.
Neighborhood Grant Program
As of the application deadline, twelve NGP applications were received for a combined funding request of $10,260 as follows:
|
Neighborhood Group Requested |
Event/Project |
Amount |
|
Bidwellers *Submitted after 5 p.m. deadline. |
Cultural Integration & Health Consciousness |
$1,000 |
|
Cherry Chase Neighborhood Association |
Community Connection through Neighborhood Events |
$1,000 |
|
Cherryhill Neighborhood Association |
Cherryhill Vitality Program |
$1,000 |
|
Cumberland South Neighborhood Association |
14th Annual 4th of July Parade & Potluck |
$850 |
|
Cumberland West Neighborhood Association |
Ice Cream Social Block Party |
$590 |
|
Hazelheads Group |
Annual Summer Block Party |
$895 |
|
Plaza del Rey Residents Association |
Plaza del Rey Neighborhood Watch |
$1,000 |
|
SNAIL |
2019 National Night Out |
$1,000 |
|
SunnyArts Neighborhood Association |
“Cohesion, Charitability and Life the Way It Ought to Be!” |
$1,000 |
|
Traditions of Sunnyvale |
Cultural Potluck and Community Outreach |
$700 |
|
Valley Forge Neighborhood Group |
Valley Forge Block Party |
$575 |
|
Wrightmont Corners |
National Night Out & Halloween Street Fun |
$650 |
Enclosed is a summary of the applications received for FY 2019/20 with historical data on past allocations (Attachment 1). Copies of the individual grant applications are also provided as Attachments 2-13 (NGP). For privacy reasons, personal information for individuals submitting applications on page one of the NGP applications has been redacted. Similarly, page five of the NGP applications, which includes personal contact information for the project team members, has also been removed from each application.
Funding Scenario 1: Make recommendations based on the existing available budget of $6,500.*
|
Total Amount Requested |
$10,260 |
|
Total NGP Budgeted Amount |
$6,500 |
|
Variance Between Requested/Budgeted |
($3,760) |
*The total amount requested exceeds the budgeted amount.
Funding Scenario 2: Make recommendations based on proposed budget supplement with funding availability of $9,750.**
|
|
|
|
Total Amount Requested |
$10,260 |
|
Scenario 2 Funding Amount |
$9,750 |
|
Variance Between Requested/Proposed Funding Amount |
($510) |
**The total amount requested exceeds the budgeted amount
Funding Scenario 3: Make recommendations based on proposed budget supplement with funding availability of $13,000.***
|
|
|
|
Total Amount Requested |
$10,260 |
|
Scenario 3 Funding Amount |
$13,000 |
|
Variance Between Requested/Proposed Funding Amount |
$2,740 |
***The total amount requested exceeds the budgeted amount
FISCAL IMPACT
If the Subcommittee chooses to make recommendations based on Funding Scenario 2 or Scenario 3; funding of those recommendations will be contingent on approval of the proposed budget supplement, and the approval of the FY 2019/20 Recommended Budget.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the Subcommittee agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board, on the City’s website, and the availability of the agenda and report in the Office of the City Clerk.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Review the FY 2019/20 grant applications for the Neighborhood Grant Program and develop funding recommendations to be submitted to the full City Council for final action.
2. Take other action as determined by the Subcommittee.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff makes no recommendation.
Staff
Prepared by: Jennifer Acuña, Administrative Analyst
Reviewed by: Cynthia E. Bojorquez, Director of Library and Community Services
Reviewed by: Jaqui Guzmán, Deputy City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Grant Funding Worksheet
2. Bidwellers Group - Cultural Integration & Health Consciousness
3. Cherry Chase Neighborhood Association - Community Connection Through Neighborhood Events
4. Cherryhill Neighborhood Association - Cherryhill Vitality Program
5. Cumberland South Neighborhood Association - 14th Annual 4 of July Parade & Potluck
6. Cumberland West Neighborhood Association - Ice Cream Social Block Party
7. Hazelheads Group - Annual Summer Block Party
8. Plaza del Rey Residents Association - Plaza del Rey Neighborhood Watch
9. SNAIL - 2019 National Night Out
10. SunnyArts Neighborhood Association - “Cohesion, Charitability and Life the Way it Ought to Be!”
11. Traditions of Sunnyvale - Cultural Potluck and Community Outreach
12. Valley Forge Neighborhood Group - Valley Forge Block Party
13. Wrightmont Corners - National Night Out & Halloween Street Fun