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Fiscal committee approves land‑bank transfer, grant awards and budget amendments
Summary
The fiscal committee approved a three‑party land bank agreement, accepted grants including $50,000 for GR Outside, approved reimbursements to the community media center, and passed a fiscal year 2025 budget amendment covering multiple departmental appropriations.
The Grand Rapids fiscal committee on Jan. 28 approved several routine but consequential financial items, including a three‑party agreement to convey real properties from the state land bank authority to the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority, multiple grant acceptances and a broad budget ordinance amendment for fiscal year 2025.
Committee members voted to: approve an agreement with the State Land Bank Authority to convey a portfolio of properties and terminate the prior land‑banking agreement; accept a $50,000 grant from the Children and Nature Network for GR Outside to build capacity between Parks & Recreation and Grand Rapids Public Schools; accept PEG (Public Educational & Governmental) reimbursements of $187,651.28 to the Grand Rapids Community Media Center for equipment used in community training; and pass Budget Ordinance 2024‑23 Amendment Number 6, which appropriates multiple grant and bond proceeds across city funds.
Budget amendment number 6 carried several line items discussed in detail by staff: election reimbursement of roughly $89,000 to the clerk's department; a roughly $40,000 Office of Highway Safety Planning police grant; a $235,000 energy efficiency and conservation block grant for the Office of Sustainability; an additional $102,607 for the 61st District Court Eviction Diversion Initiative; smaller ARPA clean‑up appropriations; police training funding of $265,000; a $550,000 grant for civilian violence prevention that funds a full‑time administrative services officer 2 position and programming; parks capital appropriations totaling about $821,000 for multiple park improvement projects; a $671,000 appropriation for communities & children programs; preliminary engineering funds for a fire department training facility (just over $1 million); appropriation of approximately $1 million for the Scribner project; and appropriations for recent bond proceeds and debt service payments including $24.4 million into the amphitheater garage fund and $4.1 million into capital reserves. Staff said other funds (refuse, major streets and motor equipment) will contribute to debt service; the contingent balance remains unchanged at $1.5 million.
The committee also approved the bid list for Jan. 28, accepted the comptroller's warrant report showing cash payments of approximately $28,950,106.87 for the period Dec. 31, 2024–Jan. 13, 2025, and reviewed the small claims report (8 claims totaling just under $39,000). The treasurer reported a portfolio balance of $747 million earning 3.32% and brief economic commentary about expected federal interest rate stability.
All motions were approved by voice vote as recorded in the committee minutes.
Votes at a glance - Agreement with State Land Bank Authority to convey properties to Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority: approved (voice vote; mover/support not specified in transcript). - Acceptance of $50,000 Children and Nature Network grant for GR Outside: approved (voice vote). - PEG reimbursements to Grand Rapids Community Media Center, $187,651.28: approved (voice vote). - Budget ordinance amendment FY2025, Amendment #6 (multiple appropriations described above): approved (voice vote). - Bid list resolution for Jan. 28, 2025: approved (voice vote). - Comptroller's warrant report acceptance (Dec. 31, 2024–Jan. 13, 2025; $28,950,106.87): accepted (voice vote).
The committee adjourned at 8:42 a.m.
