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Resident urges audit of council grant program after larger nonprofits received increased awards
Summary
A public commenter alleged the city's grant program expanded in 2024 to favor large nonprofits and said some awards exceeded published limits; the vice mayor defended the program and offered documentation; no formal audit motion was filed at the meeting.
During public participation, Risa Paps accused the city’s grant process of favoring large nonprofits after a 2024 expansion and said some organizations received awards she said exceeded the policy maximum. “This grant program was increased from 30,000 to a 100,000 in 2024… the Education Foundation got $15,000 for the Josh Cruz program,” Paps said, asking the council to audit the program and to end the 2027 contract with FC3.
Vice Mayor Pontieri responded that the city had reviewed the grant cycle and that FY24–25 awards of $15,000 were consistent with the then‑current policy. She said the program had been vetted and documentation exists and offered to forward records to Paps. “It says the 2024, 2025 grant cycle, that amount represents 30% of the gross project budget or $15,000, whichever is less,” she told the dais.
Council members said they would look into any missing information and confirmed that grant recipients are required to produce documentation showing how monies were used. No formal motion to audit was recorded during the meeting; the vice mayor said she would provide the records she had requested from FC3 to any resident who asked.
The council did not take immediate action; the exchange ended with an offer to provide public records for review.
