HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3C: Approval of Neighborhood Matching Grants
ECC
UGENE ITY OUNCIL
AIS
GENDA TEM UMMARY
Approval of FY10 Neighborhood Matching Grant Proposals
Meeting Date: April 12, 2010 Agenda Item Number: 3C
Department: City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Cindy Clarke
www.eugene-or.gov/neighborhoods Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5272
ISSUE STATEMENT
The City Council is asked to approve the FY10 Neighborhood Matching Grant proposals recommended
for funding by the Department Advisory Committee.
BACKGROUND
On June 12, 2000, the City Council adopted Resolution 4632, approving and adopting standards and
guidelines for operation of a Neighborhood Matching Grants program.
Between FY00 and FY03, 47 grant applications were approved by the council. After a three-year hiatus,
funding was reinstated in FY07 for $50,000 per year, funding an additional 30 projects. Since FY 2000,
more than $400,000 in matching grants has funded 77 community projects spread among 19
neighborhood associations.
For FY10, the Department Advisory Committee held two meetings in February and March in which
public comment was received and applicants were provided an opportunity to respond to questions about
their proposals. Nine proposals were reviewed and ranked by the committee. The 9 proposals identified
in the attachment, totaling $50,000 in grant requests, are recommended for funding in the current cycle.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
Implementing a neighborhood matching grant program was a high-priority action item identified in the
Neighborhood Empowerment Initiative. The program also promotes the Council Vision and Values,
adopted in May 2009, with individual projects supporting a safe community, sustainable development,
accessible and thriving culture and recreation, effective and accountable municipal government, and fair,
stable and adequate financial resources.
In addition, staff conducted a back-end review of the recommended projects using a triple bottom line
(TBL) framework. This framework provides another way of assessing alignment with the Council
Vision. While proposals were not evaluated during initial ranking, this TBL exercise proved useful in
bringing to light issues not previously considered related to the potential impacts on human rights and
social equity, environmental health, and economic prosperity and fiscal stewardship of matching grant
projects.
Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100412\S1004123C.doc
In general, it was easy to identify how the proposals would provide multiple benefits. Some proposals
were clearly stronger than others, and nearly all could have improved their triple bottom line score with
fairly simple adjustments that would not have jeopardized project viability. For example, the Camas
Ridge Outdoor Learning Area and Butterfly Sanctuary provides clear benefits to youth (social equity),
promotes outdoor activity and appreciation of nature (environmental health), and will be partially funded
by volunteer resources and a partnership with another agency (economic prosperity). The TBL
framework also highlighted opportunities for increased accessibility.
In addition, a number of proposals include physical improvements that could negatively impact
economic prosperity through added costs to our community’s infrastructure. This requires a balancing
of the cost savings leveraged up front through the program’s match requirement with longer-term
maintenance costs associated with meeting community expectations that a facility will be maintained in
perpetuity once it is built.
Staff will review existing grant criteria with the department advisory committee and consider how the
review process can even more effectively promote a balance among human rights and social equity,
environmental health, and economic prosperity and fiscal stewardship.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
The City Council may approve, amend, or deny the grants recommended for funding by the department
advisory committee.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends the City Council approve all of the grants recommended for funding by
the department advisory committee.
SUGGESTED MOTION
Move to direct the City Manager to fund the FY10 Neighborhood Matching Grant proposals as
recommended by the department advisory committee.
ATTACHMENTS
A.Neighborhood Matching Grants 2010 – Department Advisory Recommendations
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Cindy Clarke, Neighborhood Services Program Coordinator
Telephone: 541-682-5272
Staff E-Mail: cindy.j.clarke@ci.eugene.or.us
Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100412\S1004123C.doc