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Council approves revised community grants, restores funding for local symphony and veterans group
Summary
The council approved a revised community grants package after finance subcommittee review; the package stays near the $30,000 target with modest increases that add funding back for New West Symphony and Americans Supporting Americans and passed on a 5-0 roll call.
The Agoura Hills City Council approved a revised package of community grant awards during its June 10, 2026 budget workshop, directing staff to implement the finance subcommittee's recommendations with modest increases to two previously reduced awards.
Assistant City Manager Romero Adva told the council the city received about $100,000 in requests but had roughly $30,000 budgeted for grants. "We got a total of $100,000 worth of requests and the committee and also the council obviously has the unenviable position of trying to make that all fit into a $30,000 budget," Adva said, describing the committee's matrix and recommended allocations.
Council Member Sylvester explained the committee's methodology of holding consistent allocations for elementary schools, increasing amounts for middle and high schools and reallocating modestly to allow a small award to a new Agora High School football club. Several council members expressed concern about cutting prior recipients entirely and recommended restoring modest sums. Mayor Wolf and others proposed putting an asterisk next to New West Symphony and exploring whether a $500–$1,000 reinstatement was feasible.
After discussing options, the council settled on raising Americans Supporting Americans (a veterans support group) by $250 and restoring funds to New West Symphony to reach a combined increase that reduced the draft surplus to an estimated $4,165. Council Member Sylvester moved to accept the revised community grant amounts; City Council member Chris Hanstead seconded the motion. The city clerk called the roll and the motion passed 5-0 (Anderson, Anstead, Sylvester, Mayor Pro Tim Klein Lopez and Mayor Wolf voted yes).
Staff said the direction will be incorporated into the budget documents and that final adoption of the budget (including these grant adjustments) may return to the council at the June 24 meeting. The workshop record shows no public commenters were present for the grants discussion.
