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Council approves $828,900 in operating grants; OSU Extension updates council on programs
Summary
Summit County authorized up to $828,900 in annual operating grants to several nonprofits and state‑mandated entities and heard an OSU Extension presentation highlighting 4‑H, youth programs, partnerships with correctional and homeless‑youth services, and invasive species outreach including spotted lanternfly and tick education.
Summit County’s Finance committee approved a resolution authorizing the executive to execute grant agreements with various Summit County nonprofit organizations and state‑mandated entities for 2026 in an amount not to exceed $828,900, as set forth in Exhibit A.
Phil Montgomery (Executive Department of Finance and Budget) said these operating grants are annual, generally repeat year to year and include seven recipients listed in the packet; he introduced representatives from Summit Soil and Water (Brian Prentice), ArtsNOW (Nicole Mullet) and Ohio State University Extension, which provided an on‑record update.
An OSU Extension representative told the committee their office emphasized agriculture and 4‑H programming over the past two years, provided agri‑science and STEM programs at the juvenile correctional facility, and is developing partnerships with Continuum of Care and Project RISE to support unhoused youth and immigrant and refugee populations. The presenters said some programs serve thousands of third‑ and fifth‑graders through initiatives such as ChickQuest and Rockets Away.
OSU Extension staff also described invasive‑species outreach: they said the spotted lanternfly is likely to spread into Summit County in the next year and that they plan public education about identification and handling. Committee members asked about farmers market programming and SNAP/EFNEP voucher support; presenters said EFNEP will continue to try to distribute certain vouchers and that some SNAP‑related components were eliminated but other outreach will continue. Presenters also noted they provide tick‑identification cards and education.
A motion to approve the annual grants (mover: Ms. Hayam) passed and the committee recorded the motion as carried. The transcript does not include a line‑by‑line list of Exhibit A amounts in the spoken record; the resolution text referenced the $828,900 total.
