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Committee flags stipend, budget and CBDO questions in Finger Lakes Reuse grant review
Summary
The IUR NIC asked Finger Lakes Reuse to clarify whether its apprenticeship stipends and revenue sources match the narrative claiming the group will cover 50% of stipends. Staff also noted the organization must demonstrate a CBDO designation by program deadlines before contract execution.
The IUR NIC reviewed an application from Finger Lakes Reuse seeking CDBG support for a job training and placement program serving roughly 10–15 people.
During discussion, members pressed the applicant’s finances and narrative. Mary (committee member) asked whether the program targets "youth" or "adults"; staff member Ana said, "I believe it's 18 to 24, but I can check that with them," and promised to confirm the age range and other inconsistencies in the application.
A major budget question centered on apprenticeship stipends. Reviewers read the application’s narrative line that the applicant "commits in‑kind staff support, overhead costs and 50% of apprenticeship stipends." Committee member Carl flagged that the spreadsheet’s secured amounts and stipend totals do not cleanly match that description and asked staff to verify whether merchandise sales or a private foundation pledge were being counted as secured funding. Staff agreed to request a reconciled Excel workbook and supporting documentation from the applicant.
Committee members also raised a compliance issue: the applicant’s CBDO (Community‑Based Development Organization) designation must be current for the city to execute a contract. Ana said the office normally verifies CBDO status at two points — at the action‑plan stage (staff cited an April 15 applicant check) and again at contract execution — and that staff will confirm the applicant’s status before any award.
Next steps: staff will send Finger Lakes Reuse specific follow‑up questions about age targets, the stipend accounting and the spreadsheets, and verify CBDO status and any pledged revenue referenced in the narrative. The committee did not make a final funding decision during the meeting.
The minutes recorded no formal vote on this application at the session.
