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Carmel council splits $30,000 equally among 19 nonprofit grant applicants; $6,000 held in reserve
Summary
The City Council approved distributing $30,000 in discretionary grants evenly to 19 applicant groups — $1,500 each — and keeping $6,000 in reserve, after discussion about specific applicants and categories.
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. — The Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council voted 4-1 on May 5 to distribute $30,000 in fiscal-year 2025–26 discretionary grant funds evenly among 19 qualified nonprofit and school applicants, awarding each applicant $1,500 and holding $6,000 of the council’s $36,000 preliminary allocation in reserve for midyear requests.
The vote followed a staff presentation summarizing the grant process and the city’s recommendation. Nova, a city staff member who oversaw the application review, told the council that the city received nearly twice the typical number of applications this year and that most applicants requested the maximum $3,000. Staff recommended allocating $36,000 from the draft fiscal 2025–26 budget but initially distributing $30,000 and holding $6,000 for off-cycle requests.
Council members questioned particular applicants and the distribution method during a council discussion that followed the staff presentation. Several council members said they favored an even split across applicants; one council member urged withholding funding for one applicant who the council believes owes inspection fees. Public commenters, including Tim Toomey of the Carmel Residents Association, urged the council to fund the association and clarified that the group is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, not a partisan political committee.
After discussion, a council member moved to distribute the $30,000 equally, and a subsequent amendment specified $1,500 per applicant. The roll-call vote recorded Council member Barron opposing; Council member Booter, Mayor Pro Tem Delves, Council member Jermoff and Mayor Byrne voting in favor. The motion carried 4–1.
The council’s action distributes the $30,000 now and leaves $6,000 available in the city’s budget for grant requests later in the fiscal year. Nova said all 19 applicants were determined eligible under the council’s 2017 discretionary grant policy; eligibility requires applicants to be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or Carmel schools that provide services to Carmel residents and have no outstanding debt to the city.
The awards include youth and education programs (Carmel High sober grad night, mock trial, Interact Club, Carmel Little League, Carmel Youth Center, and Pacific Repertory Theatre school programs), community safety and emergency services organizations (CERT, Carmel Cares, SPCA Wildlife Rescue), housing and social services (Community Human Services, Food Bank for Monterey County), community engagement groups (Carmel Women’s Club, Carmel Residents Association), arts groups (Monterey Symphony, Carmel Dance Festival, Monterey Peninsula Ballet Theater, New Carmel Theatre), and veterans and seniors groups (American Legion, Carmel Patriots) as listed in staff materials.
Council members said they appreciated the volume of applications and the work of staff in processing them; the council also directed staff to place the formal resolution reflecting this distribution in the meeting minutes and budget materials.
The council’s approval does not change the draft budget; the budget and the council’s full discretionary grant policy remain subject to adoption in the regular budget process.
