Council weighs delegate‑agency funding amid tight budget; staff proposes partial short‑term awards and funding for Big Mama Safe House and others

Council members pressed staff on how delegate‑agency and nonprofit contracts would be treated while the city addresses a budget shortfall.

City staff summarized a multi‑part approach discussed at the meeting: use a reserve to provide short‑term (four‑month) funding to certain agencies this fiscal year, provide an eight‑month contract for For Her and the domestic‑violence/crisis center amounts discussed earlier, and add one‑time or ongoing support for new or expanded providers. Staff identified specific proposals discussed by council members and budget staff: approximately $91,000 for For Her (four months), $56,000 for a crisis center (four months), a $50,000 addition for American Gateways, and a proposed new allocation of approximately $144,000 for Big Mama Safe House. Staff said the Big Mama funding would be additional and not drawn from the same short‑term reserve.

Several council members urged that some delegate‑agency monies be viewed as essential to core city services — for example, providers who deliver services tied to homelessness or violence prevention — and asked staff to identify which contracts are discretionary versus tied directly to core services. Staff said their analysis shows roughly 20% of delegate‑agency funds are discretionary. Council members asked staff to return with a full list and a proposal for a comprehensive October review of delegate‑agency funding so the council could make sustainability decisions for FY27.

Council members also raised the idea of temporarily shifting funds between the community safety reserve and near‑term priorities such as streetlights or program support for phase‑3 elements of the city’s violent‑crime reduction plan. Staff said they would reflect the day’s discussion in follow‑up memos to the council and that they would incorporate agreed short‑term contract lengths and dollar amounts into the final budget materials.