Grant consultant says $4M appropriations earmark for Westside youth facility is no longer available; board approves paying consultant invoices amid procedural争议

Kennedy Shannon, vice president of community programs at iParametrics, told Newton County commissioners on July 15 that a March 2023 congressional set-aside of $4 million for a proposed Westside youth facility is no longer available because the project was not "funding ready" and the congressional office determined environmental review and project authorization were not in place.

Shannon said the application was filed in 2023 by then-Commissioner Saunders but that board-level approval and the required project readiness items were not documented. "There was no site identified. There was no building pending. There was no engineering. There was no budget," Shannon said. iParametrics said it had advised county officials in March that the project lacked readiness; a representative of the congressional office later informed county staff that the funding would be withdrawn for that reason.

Shannon also provided a status update on other grant work: iParametrics reported it had secured about $1.4 million in grants since engagement and cited additional congressional and Senate allocations where Newton County had been recommended, potentially increasing the county's grant wins by another $2 million or more.

A separate issue before the board was unpaid invoices from iParametrics for grant research and grant-search work. iParametrics contended its contract included grant research and that unpaid search invoices (itemized in the consultant's materials) justified payment; Shannon asked the board to approve payment of outstanding invoices so the firm could continue work. Several commissioners questioned whether grant submissions had followed the county's grant policy and procedures and whether consultant work should be paid from the general fund or from program-specific funding. Commissioner Anderson (remarks on the record) said the initial congressional application had not been submitted in compliance with the county's grant policy, which requires departmental coordination, project readiness, and the chairman's signature for county-authorized applications.

After debate, a motion to pay the consultant for unpaid invoices and continue the relationship was made, seconded and approved by the board. The board also recorded disagreement about the early handling of the Westside youth project and emphasized the need to follow the county's grant policy going forward.

Why it matters: consulting firms are often used to identify and apply for competitive federal and state grant funds; payment and contract administration decisions affect county finances and the relationship between elected officials, staff and outside contractors. In this case, commissioners said they want future grant work to follow the county's written grant policy and for staff to ensure projects are funding-ready before submission.