Sequim Council narrows 2026 municipal‑funding rules; staff to pre‑screen applications

Sequim — The Sequim City Council on Oct. 27 reviewed a new scoring rubric and set several procedural rules for the city’s 2026 municipal funding program, directing staff to finalize application language and return the materials on the consent agenda.

At a work session and continuation later in the meeting, Maren Packer, the city’s executive assistant, outlined a proposed scoring system that breaks applications into five sections (organization, funding, planning, budget and attestations) and assigns up to 100 points — with a 0–5 bonus for alignment with council priorities. Council members debated how to treat incomplete applications, whether to cap request amounts, how to measure “Sequim‑centric” service, and whether to offer one‑ or two‑year awards.

Council consensus and staff direction

Council instructed…