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Council agrees to seek $100,000 funding agreement for Eau Gallie Main Street; staff to find extra $50,000
Summary
After a presentation from EGAD Main Street, council directed staff to return a funding agreement totaling $100,000 for Eau Gallie Area Main Street, with the expectation staff will identify $50,000 of additional funding from other budget sources.
Melbourne City Council on March xx directed staff to prepare a funding agreement that would increase annual support for Eau Gallie Area Main Street (EGAD) from $50,000 to $100,000 for the current grant year, following a presentation and discussion about the program’s recent growth and sustainability plan.
Cathy Lai, EGAD director, told the council the organization has increased private investment, volunteer hours and in-kind marketing support and asked for a temporary increase so EGAD can “find more money” by funding expanded marketing and events that aim to qualify the organization for larger grants. Lai said the organization’s goal is to reduce public funding dependency to 30% over time.
Staff’s Grants and Aid Committee recommended maintaining $50,000, citing limited general city funds and the need to allocate scarce resources to programs that serve the most residents. After council discussion, including remarks about EGAD’s recent successes and the city’s broader downtown investments, councilmembers voted to direct staff to draft the higher funding agreement and return it for execution, with the understanding staff will seek the additional $50,000 from within the city budget or other non-contingent sources rather than the contingency reserve.
No formal appropriation was made at the meeting; the action provided direction to staff to prepare and return the funding agreement at the $100,000 level. Council members stressed the one-time nature of the requested increase and asked EGAD to pursue private funding and grant options for future years.
The motion passed on a voice vote. Staff said the $50,000 previously budgeted for EGAD remains available and that the additional $50,000 would be found through internal budget adjustments if council ultimately finalizes the funding.
