Climate Action steering committee approves nine youth microgrants, directs staff to trim $1,450 from awards

The Climate Action Plan Steering Committee voted on June 9 to approve nine youth microgrant applications from the city’s Bloomberg-funded youth climate action fund and directed staff to cut $1,450.34 across those awards to fit the remaining budget.

The committee approved applications from Karina Dunn; Isabella Britton; Minan (Planting Our Story); Juliana Dunn; Megan ("Meg"); Aspen (last name not specified in the transcript); Naomi (farmer’s market EBT coordinator); Fixa Yang; and the YWCA Coulee Region Youth Action Board (Warner). The motion, made by Andrew Erickson and seconded by Dorothy Leonard, passed on a voice vote with all members saying “aye.” Staff were instructed to make the reduction “in an equitable way based on the scoring in the spreadsheet,” and to remove or rework any clearly ineligible budget items.

Why it matters: The grants fund youth-led climate and sustainability projects, and the committee’s vote distributes the remaining portion of a two-stage Bloomberg award while establishing a staff-directed approach to resolve eligibility questions quickly so funds can be expended on schedule.

Most important details: Committee staff said Bloomberg Philanthropies provided $50,000 last fall and then another $100,000 in the spring for youth microgrants of $1,000–$5,000 aimed at people ages 15–24. As of the meeting, staff reported roughly $46,862 had already been awarded in earlier rounds; administrative uses of the grant and prior awards left approximately $38,698 available for the current round. Members emphasized the short timeline: grant funds must be distributed by the end of the week.

Discussion and eligibility concerns: Committee members and staff repeatedly flagged line items that could be ineligible under the program rules: speaker honoraria, consultant fees, and paying outside professionals (for example, electrician installation for a solar light) were pointed to as problematic. Staff said payments to youth counselors who meet the program’s age requirements (15–25) are acceptable; training costs and materials also may be allowable if youth are meaningfully engaged. Several applicants who spoke at the meeting explained how projects would include youth leadership, protect participants (insurance/liability handled by partnering organizations), or adjust budgets if particular items must be removed.

Motion and outcome: Andrew Erickson moved to approve the nine applications; Dorothy Leonard seconded. The motion directed staff (Louis/Lewis) to reduce total awards by $1,450.34 “in an equitable way based on the scoring metric” and to vet and remove ineligible expenses. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Next steps and caveats: Staff said they would review each award for specific ineligible expenses and rework budgets as needed, and indicated they could approach the La Crosse Community Foundation or the city’s Climate Action Plan budget later if additional funding were required. Staff also noted some applications might be more appropriate for other funders (for example, larger or non‑seasonal projects could be resubmitted to the Community Foundation in the fall).