Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council extends Townsend grant-writing contract as members press for clearer accounting
Summary
Malibu extended a grant-writing contract with Townsend Public Affairs at existing terms after staff said Townsend helped secure $460,000 and has $2.4 million pending; several council members asked for an accounting of award usage and more aggressive pursuit of grant volume.
Malibu — The City Council on Aug. 25 approved an extension of its agreement with Townsend Public Affairs, the city’s grant-writing consultant, keeping the same monthly and annual terms proposed when the contract first began in 2023.
Staff told the council that Townsend was selected after a competitive RFP and had produced 14 proposals during the initial contract term. City staff reported Townsend’s assistance led to $460,000 in awarded grants and approximately $2.4 million still pending at the time of the meeting; Townsend’s grants director, Alex Gibbs, confirmed they wrote and submitted competitive applications and helped coordinate follow-up materials.
Some councilmembers said they supported another year but asked for more aggressive outreach and better reporting on how awarded funds were spent. “There’s not very many grants being requested,” one councilmember said, urging a higher application volume to match the city’s recovery needs. Townsend and staff said they would provide a breakdown of how previous awards were used and commit to more regular reporting.
The motion to extend the contract passed without recorded opposition. Staff said they will continue to present any awarded grants and proposed use of funds to the council for final acceptance and appropriation.
Next steps: staff will provide a detailed accounting of the $460,000 award and periodic updates on pending grant outcomes; council retained final authority to accept and appropriate awarded funds.
