Madison City PACE panel recommends funding for 1030 Park Ave. and 204 East St.; partial award for 611 W. Second

MADISON CITY — The Madison City PACE Review Committee on May 13 recommended that the Board of Public Works fully fund a dilapidated-structure grant for 1030 Park Avenue and fully fund a rehabilitation grant for 204 East Street, and partially fund repairs at 611 West Second Street, after scoring applicant proposals and applying a minimum qualifying threshold.

Jim Bartlett, a member of the PACE Review Committee, told applicants at the start of the meeting that the city administers three grant types — rehabilitation, dilapidated structure and unsafe-structure grants — and explained the committee’s scoring and funding rules. “36 is the minimum qualifying score for any, for any application that we get,” Bartlett said. He and two other committee members each filled out a score sheet for every represented application; the three scores were averaged to produce the application’s final score.

The committee heard presentations from applicants for multiple addresses across Madison and then received staff totals for the scores. The staff member reported the committee’s recorded scores for represented applications, including 1030 Park Avenue at 40.5, 204 East Street at 43.3 and 611 West Second Street at 38.67. Bartlett told the room the committee had $9,039 available in that rehabilitation/dilapidated funding bucket for this round.

Because the city separates a small, higher-need “target area” from the balance of the city and the balance-of-city bucket had limited dollars remaining, the committee applied the preannounced rule that when a bucket runs low the highest-scoring applications are funded first rather than using submission order. Bartlett also reminded applicants that the committee makes a recommendation and that the Board of Public Works is the final approver.

After the scores and available funds were read, committee member Champ Clawson moved that the committee recommend fully funding 1030 Park Avenue (dilapidated), fully funding 204 East Street (rehabilitation) and partially funding 611 West Second Street (rehabilitation). Laura Lawson seconded the motion. All three committee members — Jim Bartlett, Champ Clawson and Laura Lawson — voted “aye,” and the motion passed.

The committee noted several applications did not meet the minimum score and therefore were not recommended for funding; those included 414 East Third, 613 West Second, 209 West Main, 757 Jefferson and applications that were not represented at the meeting. Committee members said recommendations would be forwarded to the Board of Public Works, which is scheduled to meet next Monday; applicants will be notified after that meeting if the Board approves the recommendations.

The committee also discussed a large requested amount reported for 204 East Street during the meeting: the staff read that application’s requested amount as $707,500, which the committee observed far exceeded the $9,039 remaining in the local funding bucket for this round. The committee’s action was framed as a recommendation for how to allocate the available dollars among qualifying applicants; final funding and any adjustments are subject to the Board of Public Works’ review and approval.

The meeting closed after the committee completed scoring and moved to adjourn. Applicants and the public were reminded that new PACE applications will be accepted beginning in December for funding effective January 1.