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Calimesa staff seeks council direction to formalize community partnerships funding process
Summary
City staff summarized the existing community partnership payments, outlined options to create an application-based allocation process for local nonprofits, and said staff will return with a formal program and recommended budget timing.
City staff asked the Calimesa City Council for direction on whether to formalize the city’s community partnerships funding program and how to manage discretionary payments to local nonprofits.
City Manager Will (referred to in the staff report) reviewed historical allocations, telling the council the city has carried forward recurring payments to local organizations and that the total budgeted amount has grown in recent years. He said the fiscal-year-2015/16 total was $8,540 and the current budget baseline is $16,240; a one-time additional allocation to the Calimesa Cultural Performing Arts group brought total discretionary community payments this year to just over $20,000.
Will recommended the council consider a transparent application-and-review process to allocate funds, with staff performing an initial eligibility screen (IRS nonprofit status and Secretary of State filings) before presenting qualified requests to the council or a finance-committee review panel. "It does give other nonprofits a chance to get involved," he said, and it would provide clearer documentation of proposed uses for the funds.
Councilmembers expressed support for a formal process. Suggestions included: requiring applicants to state how requested funds align with the city’s goals, returning post-award reports summarizing outcomes and expenditures, and setting an annual dollar amount during the budget cycle before opening an application period. Several councilmembers expressed interest in reserving funds for small, city-based nonprofits or programs that provide direct services to Calimesa residents.
Staff said establishing a formal policy will take time and recommended carrying the current approach through the upcoming budget while working with the finance committee to develop a program for the following fiscal year. Staff also noted Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds could be a potential source for some activities but cautioned that CDBG subrecipient reporting creates additional monitoring obligations.
Councilmembers asked staff to bring a formal proposal and timeline back in late summer for council adoption and to consider the previously raised request from PASSCOM (a community emergency-communications/assistance group) for funding in the budget discussion.
No formal motion was taken; council consensus favored moving forward with a formal application and review process and returning with policy details and any recommended dollar amounts during the budget process.
