Portland review committee removes one applicant for missing tax-exempt paperwork, flags performance and scoring questions across CDBG proposals

Portland — City staff told the CDBG social-services review committee that one applicant, Maine Soccer Development, was removed from the current review queue because it could not be established as an eligible nonprofit for CDBG funds, and the panel discussed updated performance metrics and scoring clarifications for multiple applicants.

The committee spent the meeting reviewing social-service applications for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. Rowan, a city staff member, told the group that Maine Soccer Development “was taken off your queue for applications to review” because staff could not establish the organization’s tax-exempt nonprofit status, and staff will work with the group ahead of the next funding round. Rowan also noted the “new applicant set aside” mechanism and how staff will handle changes to applicant performance after scoring.

Why it matters: The committee’s scoring will feed a ranked list the city council uses to allocate CDBG social-service funds. Staff and committee members repeatedly raised questions about how to apply scoring guidance — especially the sustainability criterion — and how to document low-to-moderate-income service delivery when programs serve mixed populations.

Most significant discussion points

• Eligibility and documentation: Rowan said the Maine Soccer Development application was removed because the organization “didn't have the proper nonprofit, tax exempt status that we needed.” Staff said they will assist the applicant with documentation for the next round.

• Greater Portland Family Promise: Rowan reported that the applicant submitted an update to its performance metrics describing budget hardships that have…