New Castle County subcommittee previews online grant-application portal; members ask for pilots, save button and enforcement checks

Chair Brandon Toole opened the New Castle County technology subcommittee meeting and introduced a live demonstration of a new online council grant application developed with staff and the Office of IT.

Presenter Neli walked members through the form and workflow, showing required fields marked with asterisks, an electronic witness-signature step that must be completed before an application proceeds to a council inbox, and automated emails to applicants and legislative assistants once submissions are completed. "This will eliminate the need for them to print things, sign them, and scan," Neli said, describing the move from paper to fully electronic processing.

The system creates a board-portal view for council use that allows members to select an action (for example, "approved"), add internal notes, and propose alternative award amounts that staff will place on a committee grant matrix. Applicants receive a PDF copy of their completed application and a 120-day automatic reminder to submit receipts required to close the application; staff said the follow-up report cannot be submitted unless receipts are attached.

Council members supported piloting the system with a few districts before full launch. "I think it would be best to pilot it out with a couple of council members and just make sure we have everything functioning the way it should be," one member said. Chair Toole and Councilman Carter agreed to coordinate pilot runs with staff.

Members raised specific usability and oversight requests. Councilman Smiley stressed that legislative assistants and council staff should check whether applicants have outstanding follow-up reports before advancing an application through the workflow, arguing the online system makes that vetting step "even more important than ever." Neli said staff can view and manually advance previous applications in the system and that IT is exploring whether to block new submissions for applicants with unresolved obligations.

Council President Monique Williams Johns and Councilwoman Durham asked for a save button and a clear checklist of required documents (for example, nondiscrimination policy or vendor number) so applicants know what they must have before starting. Neli confirmed staff have a save feature for follow-up reports and will work with IT to add similar functionality to the main application and consider an instructions/checklist page.

Staff also said denial emails will direct applicants to contact the council office for clarification, and that legislative assistants will be copied on review emails so they can help process requests. The committee did not vote on policy changes at the meeting; members agreed to run pilots, return with IT on checklist and save-button implementation, and continue troubleshooting display and audio issues by testing the form on members' devices.

The subcommittee approved the minutes and later adjourned by voice vote.