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Committee approves emergency waiver so some Cultural Council grantees can apply for capital grants
Summary
Rules Committee granted an emergency waiver removing two organizations from the Cultural Council's noncompliance list so they could apply for FY24-25 capital grants; the committee voted 7-0 after staff explained the noncompliance centered on separate-bank-account and late-audit rules.
The Rules Committee on Jan. 21 granted an emergency waiver that will allow two Cultural Council-funded entities to apply for the Cultural Council’s FY24-25 capital grants despite being on a noncompliance list.
Council Member Peluso introduced the bill as an emergency, telling the committee the organizations would otherwise be unable to submit grant applications before the Cultural Council’s Feb. 7 deadline. OGC staff explained the organizations were placed on the noncompliance list because they had not followed code provisions that require Cultural Service grants to be held in separate bank accounts; one organization, the Jacksonville Symphony Association, was also late in filing an audit required within 120 days of fiscal year end.
“Understood,” OGC explained to the committee, adding that the Symphony had recently submitted a draft audit and was working through the compliance steps. Cultural Council grant staff told the panel they had revised their capital grant distribution to a reimbursement model and planned additional outreach and compliance training to reduce similar incidents.
Council members debated the circumstances but expressed support for ensuring grant recipients could apply. The emergency was approved by voice vote and the bill passed by a 7-0 vote. Council staff said the only formal remediation available to reverse noncompliance for commingled funds is a council action to remove the organization from the list; staff added that the Cultural Council monitor and the grant program’s recent resumption of capital grants contributed to the timing of the issue.
The emergency vote enables the two organizations to proceed with grant applications for the current cycle; the underlying council action to forgive the noncompliance will move forward at full council.
