Garden City authorizes $200,000 second AFAC round, asks for a scoring rubric
Summary
The City Commission authorized staff to open an additional round of Alcohol Fund Advisory Committee (AFAC) grants and set the total to $200,000, and commissioners directed staff to adopt a clearer scoring rubric for applications and feedback.
The Garden City Commission voted to authorize an additional round of AFAC (Alcohol Fund Advisory Committee) grant funding in 2025 and set the amount at $200,000.
City staff told commissioners there is currently $393,000 in the special alcohol fund and recommended keeping at least $140,000 in reserve for future flexibility. The AFAC program distributes state alcohol-tax-funded dollars for prevention, intervention, education and treatment. Staff described two grant tracks: one pool dedicated to requests of $6,000 or less and a larger pool for requests greater than $6,000.
Commissioners stressed the need for a transparent evaluation matrix so applicants receive clear feedback on why proposals were funded or denied. Several commissioners supported assigning point values to the evaluation questions and said a scoring rubric should be returned for review. One commissioner suggested $150,000 as a starting amount; the commission approved $200,000 by motion and second.
Staff said the city would release the application only after the commission finalized evaluation criteria and that awarded funds would be drawn from an estimated $253,000 available for awards if the commission chose to reserve $140,000 in the fund balance.
Why it matters: AFAC grants finance local prevention and treatment programs that the city says are a significant part of the Humane Society and social-service ecosystem. Commissioners sought clearer scoring and public feedback so applicants understand award decisions.
The vote to authorize release of the additional AFAC round passed by voice vote.
