City staff told commissioners on Jan. 13 that the city applied for 16 grants in 2024 and received roughly $563,449 in awards, but that the city’s full-time grants specialist is leaving for another agency. Staff said the vacancy exposed a question the commission will have to decide: recruit an experienced full-time grant professional at higher city pay or contract grant-writing and grant-administration services.

Economic development briefed the commission that a portion of the city’s recent capital projects and departmental work were supported by grants, and staff described a mix of recurring public-safety, parks and capital grants that have been pursued. The city's grants coordinator (named in the meeting as Nadine) has handled a range of applications, reporting and post-award compliance tasks; staff described the role as including both grant-seeking and grant administration responsibilities.

Staff described three procurement options: (1) hire an experienced in-house grant writer/administrator at market salary; (2) retain an outside firm on a retainer to find and write grants; or (3) use a hybrid approach (outsource writing, keep administration in-house). During discussion staff noted some vendors charge a large contingency fee or percentage of awards while others propose flat retainers; staff also warned that some consultants ask to be paid on success and that contingency arrangements can be expensive or misaligned with the city's interests.

Commissioners and staff discussed interim coverage for the administrative work and asked for a written plan that lays out the likely costs and benefits of hiring versus outsourcing. Staff said there are vendors that will administer grants after award and that some state programs allow limited administrative cost recovery tied to specific awards. The city also has a continuing-services procurement process that could be reopened to search for firms to provide grant-writing and administration services.

No formal action was taken. The commission asked staff to return with: (a) a costed comparison of an in-house grant writer/administrator salary and benefits versus retainer fees and contingency models for outside firms; (b) options for interim administrative coverage until a decision is made; and (c) a short list of external vendors that can provide grants administration and writing for the city to interview.