Decatur council discusses $70,000 community grants program; no vote taken

City Manager Miss Hahn outlined a proposed community grants program funded with $70,000 in the FY26 budget and displayed evaluation criteria, an application scoring sheet and an expected roughly four-week application window. She said the allocation is intended for public-purpose grants, with applicants required to provide proof of nonprofit status, a project budget and recent audited financials.

"This is a budgeted item. There is $70,000 currently allocated in the FY26 budget for this community contribution funding," Miss Hahn said, noting the criteria will prioritize alignment with city priorities, demonstrated community impact and organizational capacity.

Council members asked whether awards would be one-time seed funding or could recur. Miss Hahn said both options could be built into the application; larger projects, such as new daycares, would likely be handled through development agreements rather than this grant program. Councilwoman Gregory raised concerns about distributing $70,000 while the city faces uncertainty in state revenues and said she would vote against using those dollars without clearer evidence of a return on investment. "For those reasons, I will be voting no," Gregory said.

Council asked staff to follow up individually about specific criteria and to return the item to a future meeting after revisions and further discussion. Miss Hahn said she will consult with council members and bring the item back at the next or subsequent meeting.

No vote was taken on the program during the meeting.