Fiscal Note
Funds are available in the Contingent Reserve for this $61,340 appropriation for the Neighborhood Grant Program administered by the Planning Division. The current balance of the Contingent Reserve is $1,200,000, which would be reduced to $1,138,660 by the adoption of this budget amendment. There is no net impact upon the tax levy.
Title
Amending the 2013 adopted Operating Budget of the Planning Division by appropriating $61,340 from the Contingent Reserve and allocating funding to support Neighborhood Grant Program awards.
Body
Since 1999, the City of Madison has administered a Neighborhood Grant Program, designed to promote strong neighborhoods by providing funding to neighborhood associations and other eligible organizations for community enhancement, neighborhood leadership and capacity building, and neighborhood planning projects.
The program was originally funded as part of the City capital budget, but, effective 2007, the program was moved to the City operating budget, as it was deemed more appropriately funded as an operating budget item rather than as a capital budget item. In 2012, the program was funded at $80,000,and grants were awarded for various community enhancement, leadership and capacity building, and neighborhood planning projects. For 2013, the Program is funded at $30,000, and $50,000 has been allocated in the Planning Division operating budget to “provide for the hire of an additional City Planner 2” to undertake more comprehensive planning efforts.
In 2012, the City Council authorized Neighborhood Grant awards for 10 projects (Legistar #25850, RES-12-00294, adopted 5/1/12), including $24,000 to the Regent Neighborhood Association, Inc. for improvements to Olive Jones Park and $37,340 to the University Hill Farms Association, Inc. to hire a consultant to assist the neighborhood in formulating a development plan over the next several years.
However, because the various neighborhood associations are comprised of citiz...
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