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Consultant Sonia Hall pitches Granite Solutions as Selma—s grant-writing partner; council asks for formal procurement steps
Summary
Sonia Hall of Granite Solutions presented a proposal for grant-writing, project development and grant administration services. Council discussed fees, past city grant awards and the need to follow the city's procurement rules for qualification-based services before contracting.
Sonia Hall, owner of Granite Solutions, presented a grant-writing and project-development proposal to the Selma City Council on July 1 and described recent award experience and services she would offer.
Hall said she has written more than 500 successful grants totaling more than $580 million during her career and outlined a service model that includes funding research, project development, community outreach, grant writing and administration. She listed prior successes including multiple city awards (for one city, $17 million in one year) and identified upcoming grant opportunities such as the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) program—she said CalVIP awards range from about $1 million to $5 million and that Selma had appeared on an eligibility list.
Councilors asked about fee options: Hall offered a $4,000 monthly retainer or a $1,000 monthly retainer plus a commission (she said a ceiling would be negotiated). Staff and the city attorney noted the city—s purchasing policy requires an RFP for qualification-based services when annual payments exceed thresholds and recommended a formal procurement step so the council can compare proposals. Several council members expressed interest in pursuing a competitive solicitation but asked staff to return with options and any existing budget for grant-writing services.
