Supervisors discuss FY26 community-services funding criteria; staff to refine application language

Black Hawk County supervisors reviewed a proposed evaluation form and scoring rubric for FY26 community-services funding at the April 29 meeting and asked staff to tighten application language to require project-specific goals, budgets and evidence of impact.

County staff said previous applicants sometimes treated county funding as donations rather than contracts for services; supervisors and staff recommended requiring applicants to present defined project goals, measurable outcomes, detailed budgets and, where applicable, recent audited financial statements. The proposed rubric includes categories such as project impact, needs assessment, financial realism and clear deliverables; supervisors discussed weighting and practical challenges in comparing diverse proposals (e.g., economic development versus immigrant-serving programs).

Process details: staff proposed posting clearer instructions and required attachments on the county website, setting a modest cap guidance for applicants to temper unrealistic asks, and using the rubric to screen and prioritize applicants. Supervisors asked staff to finalize front-end language and bring the final application back for approval before opening the process; staff said they would deliver revised wording within weeks so the application could open in May.

Ending: Board members emphasized balancing accountability with flexibility for grassroots organizations that rely on county funding and asked staff to require specificity that reduces later contract amendments and staff time.