Alpine City Council workshop tentatively sets grant ranges for three nonprofits pending budget

The Alpine City Council convened a workshop to begin evaluating applications for the city's Community Services Grant Program and to provide direction on potential funding ranges for three nonprofit applicants.

"We are here, the city council workshop, to begin the scoring of applications for the community services grant program and provide direction for funding allocations," the council chair said at the start of the meeting. City staff reviewed the program's purpose, noting it is a competitive, one-time program funded from the general fund to support organizations that deliver measurable benefits to Alpine residents, including services for the elderly, basic needs, education and domestic-violence support.

City staff said the city received three eligible applications: the Children's Advocacy Center of the Big Bend (requesting $5,000 for forensic interviews, family advocacy and coordinated services); Sunshine House Incorporated (requesting $19,000 for Meals on Wheels and senior center operations, serving roughly 300 local seniors); and the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend (requesting $15,000 for crisis intervention, shelter and victim advocacy).

The council reviewed each application against the adopted rubric, discussing capacity, professional and financial competence, longevity and mission fit. For the Children's Advocacy Center, council members noted its stated capacity of about 75'100 Alpine residents annually and awarded high marks for mission fit and demonstrated service. The Family Crisis Center was discussed at length for its broad service numbers (staff cited roughly 10,000 services and extensive outreach in recent years), solid balance sheet figures presented in its packet, and diverse revenue streams. Sunshine House's application showed a large senior caseload and several regional foundation supporters, but councilors noted some financial documents were not scanned into the packet and asked staff to verify missing attachments.

"The program is funded through the general fund as is intended to support initiatives that address key focus areas," the city manager told the council while reviewing eligibility and timelines for the 2026 cycle. Staff also introduced contracted CPA Leanne Byatt to assist in reviewing financial statements and confirmed the city had contacted additional accounting support to meet deadlines.

With budget uncertainty in mind, council members discussed providing tentative ranges rather than guaranteed awards so the nonprofits can begin planning. After discussion, councilors agreed on the following tentative guidance, explicitly conditioned on the city's 2026'27 budget: Children's Advocacy Center — $5,000 (the amount requested); Family Crisis Center — roughly $10,000'$15,000 (pending budget availability); Sunshine House — roughly $10,000'$15,000 (staff noted Sunshine House receives additional foundation and regional funding and suggested reducing its requested $19,000). Councilors emphasized these are tentative allocations for planning purposes only and that final awards will be set after the council adopts its budget in September.

Council members also reviewed historical context: under prior administrations the library and other organizations were part of earlier distributions; staff confirmed no final awards had been made yet under the current administration.

The chair closed the workshop after confirming staff would record the tentative ranges and follow up with missing documentation and budget guidance. "And with that, we are adjourned," the chair said.

What happens next: staff will verify any missing attachments, the CPA will assist with financial reviews, and the council will finalize grant awards only after the city's budget is adopted.