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EDC hears grants update; consultants urge careful sequencing for major federal grants
Summary
Economic development consultants updated the board on multiple federal grant opportunities — including a $200,000 Safe Streets planning application — and recommended prioritizing projects for limited EDA and RAISE submission windows. Staff and consultants proposed outreach and a business workshop to help applicants.
San Juan — Consultants working with the Sawhorn Economic Development Corporation reported progress on several grant opportunities and urged the board to prioritize projects so the city can maximize limited federal funding windows.
John Eckhart of Australian Associates Inc. told the board the team recently submitted a Safe Streets and Roads for All planning grant at the end of September and is preparing budget documents for a future RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) implementation application. "We recently applied for the safe streets and roads for all grants," Eckhart said; he later summarized the planning grant amount as "that's gonna be for 200,000," explaining that an awarded planning grant would enable a later construction round.
Eckhart cautioned the board that EDA funding opportunities may allow only one major application in a 2–4 year window, and recommended that the city identify which project should be prioritized for that single application. "We need to be sure that ... this project is the one that we want to submit for," he said, noting that competing applications could strain limited submission opportunities.
Board members asked for a consolidated list of active grant opportunities. Eckhart said he would send an updated grants list to staff by the end of the week. He also agreed to coordinate with city staff on a proposed workshop to help local businesses prepare competitive applications; the board signaled interest in holding the workshop at a future EDC meeting.
The board additionally discussed a quarterly T‑Mobile funding opportunity, with Eckhart noting the next submission round is due at the end of December and that budget figures are still pending.
No formal votes were taken on grant strategy at the meeting; staff were tasked with continuing coordination with the consultant team and returning with a prioritized plan for upcoming funding opportunities.
