Grants Manager Tim O’Dell presents to Jamestown City Council (August 21, 2023)
The Jamestown Local Development Corporation does not expect to vote on allocating the $1.5 million in Non-Profit Assistance Grant funds this month.
JLDC Board member and City Council President Tony Dolce said there isn’t a quorum for possible meeting days this week leading up to the August 28 City Council voting session.
He said the need from the organizations that applied is greater than funding available, “And so that’s created a situation where we have to figure out which avenue, which direction, how much does each get, and, again, what is the return on investment. And there’s no doubt if you watched (the presentations) and sat through these, they’re all very good organizations that have needs and there are many more out there but it comes down to how much money we have and how do we split it up.”
City Council heard a presentation from Grants Manager Tim O’Dell on the nine organizations that have applied for funding, including the four scenarios that the JLDC board will consider for how to divide up the money.
Council Member Marie Carrubba asked what would happen if a project that received funding didn’t get it completed due to either lack of needed funds or couldn’t complete construction.
Mayor Eddie Sundquist said the city has options, “As you mentioned Marie, it does have to be spent by 2026, so if it’s not spent by then we would not either issue it or it would indicate a clawback.”
JLDC Board member and Council Member at Large Jeff Russell added that there also is a five-year anti-speculation language for organizations receiving funding.
The grant has been funded with American Rescue Plan monies, which the city must designate for use by 2024 with the monies spent by 2026.
Sundquist said, when it comes to the four scenarios for funding, the fourth keeps the original intent of the grant, “Which was a maximum of $200,000. Though the grant does allow you to go over $200,000, anything over that would require us to do a PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) agreement, so I would urge you all to look at scenario four. Obviously, all the scenarios are there. All the other scenario actually provide organizations with over the $200,000 in some instances.”
Non-Profit Assistance Grant Funding Scenarios
JLDC Board member and Council member at Large Kim Ecklund requested that the Department of Development send out to Council members a short statement for each of the nine applicants stating who would benefit from the funding.
City Council ultimately will be voting on any allocations approved by JLDC that are over $100,000.
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