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St. Paul council lays groundwork for centralized grants office, moves ordinance to second reading
Summary
Council received a detailed staff report on a proposed ordinance to codify an Office of Financial Services grants division, which would centralize grant prospecting, application review and management. The ordinance was laid over for second reading and public hearing Feb. 12.
The St. Paul City Council on Feb. 5 received a detailed briefing on an ordinance that would add a grants division to the Office of Financial Services and codify citywide grant policies, procedures and technical assistance.
City Grants Director Lindsay Docker told the council the proposed ordinance (Ordinance 25-19) would establish an OFS grants division to provide prospecting, application support, grant-management technical assistance, trainings and a citywide grants manual. “There is a massive influx of federal funding and more oversight,” Docker said, describing the office as a response to both increased funding opportunities and evolving compliance expectations.
The proposal codifies work the team has already been doing since 2023, Docker said. She outlined a timeline that included a 2022 needs assessment, ARP-era centralized support and the mayor’s budget-funded creation of three full-time positions. The team currently includes Docker as grants director, a grants administrator (Maya Wahlberg) and a grant specialist (Caroline Swinford). The office has begun implementing an “intent to apply” review, prospect lists for departments, trainings on federal regulations and hands-on help to raise application scores for competitive federal grants.
Why it matters: Docker said centralization aims to reduce audit risk, provide a single source for grant policies and make it easier for departments — and the council — to find and pursue funding. She said the office will not change the council’s authority to approve applications, and that there are no immediate budget implications from coding the office into administrative code.
Council members asked how the office would interact with council offices, whether private and philanthropic grants would be included and how the office would help departments identify funding. Docker said the office will support council members and departments, include private funders in prospecting and expects to return with an implementation plan and a recommended grant-management software for future budget consideration.
The council laid the ordinance over to Feb. 12 for second reading and public hearing.
