Elmhurst approves $150,000 Explore Elmhurst community grants; one alderman votes present over university conflict

The Elmhurst City Council on March 3 voted to approve the distribution of $150,000 in Explore Elmhurst community grants, with the council recording 12 ayes, zero nays, one “present” and one member absent.

The grant awards, recommended by the council’s Public Affairs and Safety Committee, will be funded from the city’s hotel-motel tax. Chair Alderman Michael Brennan moved to place the committee report before the council; the motion was seconded by Alderman Argini and carried.

The grants program received 14 applications and the award sheet shows the $150,000 total is being allocated across the approved recipients. The council and staff emphasized two program changes adopted this year: applicants must submit expenses and request reimbursement rather than receiving funds up front, and a numeric scoring matrix will be used to standardize awards.

Alderman Jacob Hill said he pulled the item only to record a non-vote: “I’m only pulling this item to vote present because one of the recipients is Elmhurst University, my employer.” His vote was recorded as present; the council’s roll call afterwards produced 12 ayes, zero nays, one present and one absent.

Other council members questioned procedural details. Alderman Nardini said the matrix was intended to make distribution “far less… emotional” and to apply consistent criteria across applicants. Alderman Bridal described the reimbursement and matrix changes as improvements meant to set clearer expectations for applicants and to “take some of the emotion out of these decisions.”

Alderman Irby raised a timing concern about the requirement that applicants submit last-year financial statements by an early-February deadline. He said that timing prevented at least one organization, the Elmhurst American Legion, from applying: “I can promise you that the Elmhurst American Legion did not apply due to the timing of the financials not being ready in time to make the deadline,” he said.

Council members asked staff and the Public Affairs and Safety Committee to review the application timeline and clarify exceptions for organizations without prior-year financials. Committee staff also noted exceptions can be made for brand-new applicants that lack prior-year statements.

With the vote, the council authorized the city attorney to prepare necessary documents to implement the awards. Council discussion did not alter award amounts or list of recipients on the report; those details were described in the committee report presented at the meeting.