Title
Approval of 2020 Neighborhood Matching Grant Allocation
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the Neighborhood Matching Grant proposals listed in the attached Grant Review Team Recommendation. Final funding level is contingent upon negotiation of agreements with Recognized Neighborhood Associations to complete each project in 2020.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve funding for six (6) Neighborhood Matching Grants.
Staff Contact:
Lydia Moorehead, Associate Planner, Community Planning & Development, 360.570.3746
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar
Background and Analysis:
The Neighborhood Matching Grant program helps Olympia’s Recognized Neighborhood Associations (RNAs) fund community-driven projects.
The program goal is “to encourage projects that foster civic pride, enhance and beautify neighborhoods, expand citizen involvement, and promote the interests of the Olympia community. To accomplish this goal, the Olympia City Council will make available grant funds to Recognized Neighborhood Associations up to a 50/50 matching basis. The City Council firmly believes that community participation and commitment to accomplish improvements within our City are mutually beneficial to all Olympia residents.”
2020 Application and Review Process
The City Council approved a budget of up to $23,000 to fund the Neighborhood Matching Grant program in 2020. Grant awards can range from $500 to $5000, can cover up to 50 percent of project costs, and must be matched by the RNA with direct financial contribution and/or in-kind labor and materials.
A total of eight (8) applications were received for 2020. They were reviewed by an interdisciplinary team of City staff and Councilmember Clark Gilman. Applications were evaluated against the following program goals:
• Result in a direct and lasting environmental benefit to the neighborhood and/or wider community;
• Enhance and beautify the neighborhood and/or wider community;
• Foster community engagement and enrichment opportunities through the use of neighborhood sweat equity;
• Ready to begin after funding has been approved;
• Likely to be completed by December 31, 2020;
• Easily accomplished with volunteers; and
• Does not require extensive City staff involvement to be completed.
The attached table provides a summary of the applications received and recommended for funding. Two applications are not recommended for funding due to the need for the applicant to work with Thurston County regarding streetlight improvements and another which did not meet the match requirement.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
RNAs continue to show a strong interest in this program. Over the last eight years, the city has funded an average of eight applications per year. The 2020 funding will support a variety of worthy projects including community festivals, neighborhood connection through walking, RNA communications and gatherings, support of existing anti-graffiti programs, and landscape improvements that increase community pride and sense of place. These projects bring residents together and benefit the wider community of Olympia by strengthening the vitality of our neighborhoods. The 2020 proposed projects continue a tradition to provide environmental, aesthetic, and community engagement benefits to City residents and businesses.
Options:
Note: All options would be contingent on negotiation of agreements with recognized neighborhood associations to complete each project in 2020.
1. Approve the Neighborhood Matching Grants as recommended by the Grant Review Team.
2. Approve partial or full funding of a subset of grant requests that the Council finds consistent with the goals of the program.
3. Do not fund some of the applications recommended by the Grant Review Team.
Financial Impact:
The 2020 budget provides up to $23,000 to fund the Neighborhood Matching Grant program. The total recommended grant level for 2020 is $12,185.
This funding will leverage $36,626 in projects and improvements across the City and engage over 1,000 volunteer hours of neighbors working together to make Olympia a better place to live.
The estimated staff time to support each matching grant ranges from 20 to 40 hours, totaling 120-240 staff hours for the six (6) recommended projects.
Funding for this time is included in the City budget.
Attachments:
Grant Review Team Recommendation