Pensacola CRA pledges matching funds for John A. Gibson School state grant application
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Summary
The CRA approved using Community Redevelopment funds as a 50% local match for a Florida Department of State grant for the John A. Gibson School; staff said certification of matching funds is required before the city can submit the application.
The Pensacola Community Redevelopment Agency voted 6–0 to provide Community Redevelopment (CRA) funds to serve as a 50% local match for a Florida Department of State grant opportunity for the John A. Gibson School project.
Agency staff told the board the Department of State grant has a maximum award of $1 million but requires a 50% local match that must be certified at the time of application. Staff recommended using money from existing Westside CRA line items — specifically the Westside Infrastructure Improvement and Complete Streets/Legion Field categories — because, as presented, those accounts currently showed available balances and there was not time to process a budget amendment before the grant application deadline.
Board members asked whether the CRA had unallocated reserve funds available; staff responded that, as the budget stood, there were no unallocated funds in the Westside CRA fund and that the recommended match would come from reallocation of identified line items. The motion to approve the resolution authorized the expenditure of CRA funds as matching funds and referenced the Westside redevelopment plan and Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes.
The resolution passed without public comment and staff said they would proceed to certify the match and submit the grant application.
