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Kingman commission backs draft Tourism Initiative Grant, asks staff for clearer criteria before council review
Summary
Economic development staff presented a draft $30,000 Tourism Initiative Grant aimed at nonprofits that operate or support tourism in downtown Kingman. Commissioners asked for clearer eligibility, scoring rubrics and limits on overlap with existing programs, then voted to forward the draft to city council with staff direction to refine criteria.
The Economic Development Advisory Commission on Tuesday voted to forward a draft Tourism Initiative Grant to Kingman City Council after staff answered questions and commissioners requested more implementation detail.
The grant, as presented by Economic Development Project Manager Sylvia Schaefer, would set a $30,000 program budget to support nonprofit-owned or nonprofit-operated tourism assets — for example museums, historic sites and wayfinding — with a 50/50 match requirement. Schaefer said the grant is intended to cover larger building- and infrastructure-type repairs that are beyond the scope of the city’s existing facade improvement program.
Commissioners pressed staff on how the program would be implemented if demand exceeded available funds. Schaefer said the draft contemplates either multiple awards or a single award if one applicant requests the full budget; the final application would use a scored review process rather than simple first-come, first-served allotment. "There will be 1 month where applicants can submit their applications, and then all of the applications are gonna be reviewed together," she said.
Commissioners asked staff to narrow overlap with existing grant programs — for example, the facade improvement and murals grants — and to provide a rubric and application checklist before implementation. Commissioner comments also emphasized the need for the city to retain discretion to prioritize projects that provide clear public benefit. One commissioner said they would need to recuse themselves from a vote if they were a potential applicant.
Staff told the commission the grant is budgeted in the current fiscal year and that taking the draft to council is the next step. The commission approved a motion to send the draft to council with direction to refine eligibility criteria and scoring guidance; the motion passed on an aye vote. The motion and second were made from the dais but were not identified by name in the transcript.
Staff said the program would allow awardees up to one year to complete improvements and request reimbursement, and that notification to nonprofits will use city social media, the Kingman Chamber and Main Street partners, press releases and allied outlets. Schaefer listed example eligible uses in the draft guidance: facade restoration, roof repairs for historically significant buildings, ADA ramps/restrooms, directional signage, historical displays and tourism kiosks.
The commission requested that staff return with the application, checklist and rubric before the program is launched and to remove funding overlap with existing city programs where appropriate.
The commission’s referral sends the draft to City Council for review; final program design, award amounts and administrative rules will be decided by council and by staff during implementation.
