Council discusses formalizing grant-writing program and possible city grant writer

Encinitas council members asked staff to develop a more formal grant-writing program, including benchmarking best practices from other cities and exploring whether the city should hire a dedicated grant writer.

Council members referenced the city of Davis as an example where a grant writer had successfully procured large federal awards; one council member said Davis had secured a $20 million federal pavement grant and described how that city used a mix of in-house coordination and external consultants to win large awards. Council members suggested creating a grant-search and application process informed by peer benchmarking.

A specific recommendation from council was for staff to return with a proposed grant-writing process that outlines roles, timelines and potential funding opportunities and to consider the fiscal impact of hiring a grant writer. Several council members said they expected a grant coordinator to reduce staff time spent on grant pursuits and to improve success rates for state and federal funding.

Deputy City Manager Sapau confirmed coalitions and regional partnerships are already being pursued on some grants and that staff could scope a centralized grant function. "We have a coalition in San Diego that we're one of 10 cities, and that should lead to a $20,000 grant in the next year," a council member noted in the discussion as an example of ongoing opportunities.

Why it matters: Council members tied the recommendation to near-term capital needs — from street maintenance to shoreline projects and public-safety infrastructure — and said a focused grant program could reduce local spending pressure by leveraging external funds.

Next steps: staff to develop a grant-writing process based on best practices, identify potential funding sources, and return with options for a centralized grant position or a contracted model for council consideration prior to the budget workshop.