Carbondale council approves $500,000 DCEO violence-prevention grant after debate over community role

The Carbondale City Council voted 5-1 to approve a resolution authorizing submission of a $500,000 Illinois DCEO grant application for community development, violence prevention and related administrative costs.

Councilmembers debated how the money would be used and whether it should fund city employees or community organizations. The council vote followed questions from Councilmember Molly Maxwell about funding already available from other grants for victim-advocate and mental-health positions and public comment urging community-led violence-prevention activities.

City staff reported the grant, if awarded, must be used for eligible expenses incurred between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, and is intended to cover operational and program expenses, including salary and equipment, for city programs such as the director of violence prevention, mental-health advocates, a victim advocate and the animal control officer.

"We're not totally using anything. We're using a collection of all those available grant funds to fund those positions," Molly Maxwell, senior planner, said in response to questions about other funding sources. Staff said the grant manager recommended focusing on city-operational expenses because the funding period already began and the city learned of the opportunity late.

Councilmember Lowes cast the lone "no" vote; Mayor Harvey and Councilmembers Maxwell, Roy Sanders, Doherty and Killman voted "yes." Council discussion included both concerns that the narrow timeline limited immediate community contracting and assertions that the funds would support existing city services and could be used to fill gaps identified in recent community-grant reviews.

Staff provided an estimate that roughly $115,000 of the award could be used for salaries (estimate excludes benefits). City staff also said they can pursue community partnerships but that reporting requirements and the short timeline complicate immediate subcontracting. Staff named Carbondale United and the Survivor Empowerment Center as organizations already categorized under domestic-violence programming in the city's grant review process and suggested the new funds could supplement gaps for those groups within the June 30 timeline.

The council moved and seconded the resolution and adopted it after a roll-call vote. The resolution directs staff to submit the grant application; any awarded funds will be subject to applicable reporting and use restrictions and will require final appropriation if granted.