Kalamazoo County commissioners approve package of community grants, authorize administrator to sign agreements

The Kalamazoo County Board on Nov. 5 approved a package of community grants that blends funding for local governments and nonprofit organizations and authorized the county administrator to execute the grant agreements.

Vice Chair Taylor moved the recommendation to award funds to a group of recipients and Vice Chair Pro Tem Hepler supported the motion. The board’s discussion focused on balancing municipal requests (Schoolcraft, Parchment, Texas Township) and smaller grassroots organizations that commissioners said deliver frontline services. Commissioners debated moving funding from a Guardian Finance & Advocacy Services request to Mothers of Hope and reducing the City of Parchment award to allow partial funding for Texas Township.

The final allocation list approved in principle and authorized for contract execution included (amounts as discussed during drafting and to be reflected in the grant agreements): WMED (Kalamazoo excerpt), Oshtemo Charter Township, Village of Schoolcraft, City of Parchment (reduced to $50,000 from its original request), Charlie’s Place (approved at $50,000 pending confirmation of reduced-award viability), First Day Shoe Fund, Mothers of Hope (administrator reported the final Mothers of Hope allocation would be $29,974), Senior Services of Southwest Michigan (d/b/a Milestone Senior Services), CARES, Local Journalism Foundation of Kalamazoo County, Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, and Texas Charter Township (partial award for trailway/engagement request).

Commissioners required reporting and accountability conditions: standard grants will be reimbursement-based but may include an upfront disbursement clause on a case-by-case basis to address equity and capacity concerns; grantees must submit a final report within a year of funds disbursement and administrators may require interim documentation to ensure timely expenditure. Administrator remarks during the meeting noted slight spreadsheet differences but confirmed the final distribution and that the administrator is authorized to sign the resulting agreements on behalf of the county.

Motion and support for the package were recorded on the Nov. 5 agenda; the board approved the motion by voice vote. Commissioners asked administration to confirm final dollar figures in each agreement before funds are disbursed and to include clear reporting and reversion language if funds are not expended within the contract window.