Committee moves to form ad hoc DRI steering group, taps grant writer to compile application

Unidentified Speaker 2, committee member, said the group should begin preparing to apply for a Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant and proposed forming an ad hoc supervisory committee that would include people from the Chamber of Commerce and volunteers from this committee to help assemble an application.

The committee agreed that Elaine, identified in the discussion as the contract grant writer, would gather the pieces needed for an application and that the ad hoc committee would act as a steering group to implement projects if the grant is awarded. "She's the grama," Speaker 1 said when describing Elaine's role in pulling pieces together for grant submissions; Speaker 2 added, "We want her to have enough information to start the ball rolling."

Members discussed the reality that these grant programs can favor applicants who apply multiple times and that local capacity — daily staff time and follow-through — can affect competitiveness. Speaker 2 said state programs have been scaled to include towns the size of Grand Island and that the town should be prepared to "play" in the competition, noting local partners such as the Chamber would handle some outreach to businesses.

The committee asked members to discuss among themselves and nominate volunteers for the ad hoc group. Speaker 1 asked Dave to confirm Roger's intent to continue on the committee and to report back to Rhonda so the town can finalize reappointments.

Next steps included confirming volunteer names for the ad hoc DRI committee, directing Elaine to continue compiling grant materials, and planning outreach with the Chamber after its leadership transition. No formal vote was recorded in the transcript.