Weatherford mayor urges clearer rules for outside-agency grants; council asks staff to draft amendments

The Weatherford mayor led a work-session discussion on May 1 about the city’s outside-agency grant policies, asking staff to draft formal amendments and asking legal counsel to advise whether Downtown Weatherford Inc. qualifies for hotel-motel (tourism) funds.

Don Brooks, the city’s chief financial officer, told the council that outside funding is meant "to supplement or offset a specific public service provided by the city," and that grants are awarded at "the city’s council discretion." Brooks summarized the city’s existing requirements for applicants: they must be 501(c)(3) organizations with a headquarters or branch in Weatherford, directly serve Weatherford residents, have operated at least three consecutive years prior to the grant period, have no outstanding legal actions, demonstrate financial solvency if the grant is denied, match funds dollar-for-dollar, not subgrant those dollars, not use the money for overhead, and spend awarded funds within one year.…