Fiscal Note
The proposed ordinance amendment is primarily related to committee approval, eligibility, and grant award schedules of the Emerging Opportunities Program and does not include any changes to the program’s funding structure. No additional City appropriation is required.
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Amending Sections 3.12(11) and 33.18(1) of the Madison General Ordinances to make the Community Development Division Conference Committee the final decision-maker for grants awarded under the Emerging Opportunities Program and making related housekeeping changes.
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DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS: This ordinance amendment would make the Community Development Division Conference Committee the final body to approve awards under the Emerging Opportunities program. Currently, the Conference Committee makes recommendations to the Common Council and final awards must be approved through a full Council resolution process. This amendment also clarifies that individuals and unincorporated groups who are residents of the City are eligible for EOP funds as long as they have a fiscal agent, codifying current practice. This amendment also changes the number of times per year for soliciting proposals from two to one, but allows for awards at other times of year if funds are available.
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The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:
1. Subsection (11) entitled “Emerging Opportunities Program” of Section 3.12 entitled “Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development” of the Madison General Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
“(11) Emerging Opportunities Program. The Community Development Division (CDD), in concert with the Community Development Block Grant and Community Services Committees, and with the final approval of the Common Council Community Development Division Conference Committee established in Sec. 33.18 will allocates City resources to a resident, groups of residents, and/or community organizations for projects and activities that serve prioritized issues or populations. Such allocations are generally made through structured and regularly scheduled funding processes. Emerging needs or unanticipated opportunities routinely occur throughout the calendar year that cannot be properly addressed by these funding processes. This program is created and maintained so that the City can respond to such developments in a more timely manner and seize these opportunities as they are presented and most viable. It is also intended to offer opportunities for new and nascent organizations to receive financial support provided they can demonstrate broad engagement in the development of projects or activities they propose to undertake.
(a) Eligibility.
1. Applicants. Eligibility is limited to a resident or unincorporated group of residents that can secure a fiscal agent acceptable to the City, and non-profit organizations and agencies that have obtained tax exempt status under 26 USC §501(c)(3) and groups that can secure, as fiscal agents, organizations that have obtained such status.
2. Projects/Activities. Grants shall be awarded under this program only to support projects or activities that are not eligible for other City funding and/or that are of such immediate need or of such a short-term opportunity that they could not reasonably be supported within the normal structures of other City funding processes.
(b) Uses. Funding may will be used to support such uses as childcare, early childhood education, tuition assistance, housing, neighborhood revitalization, or other projects and activities that focus on a geographic area within the City, or specific populations and/or community-defined needs, uses, or activities that can reasonably be expected to enhance the quality of life in the City by responding to identified emerging needs and unanticipated opportunities. In awarding grants, the City may identify specific uses for which program dollars are to be used, which may include expenses, related to such things as staffing, stipends, staffing, program operations, equipment and supplies.
(c) Process. The Emerging Opportunities Program grant process shall be administered by the Community Development Division. The Division shall solicit proposals twice once per calendar year,. in March and September, but may deviate from this schedule with the consent of the Council. Prior to each funding cycle, The Division may also consider a proposal outside of this yearly funding cycle, if funds are available, in response to an emerging or unanticipated need under circumstances that cannot be properly addressed within the regular funding cycle, and present the same to the Conference Committee for consideration outside of the annual process. tThe Division shall establish program guidelines, award criteria and an application form and identify appropriate supporting documentation requirements.“
2. Subsection (1) entitled “Purpose and Intent” of Section 33.18 entitled “Community Development Division Conference Committee” of the Madison General Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
“(1) Purpose & Intent. The Community Development Division (CDD), the Community Development Block Grant Committee (CDBG) and the Community Services Committee (CSC) each exercise an important and ongoing role in allocating City resources, through established and regularly scheduled City funding processes, that seek to address and fund social services and community needs through investments in programs that serve prioritized issues or populations. Within these funding processes, the roles of the CDBG and CSC frequently intersect. In addition, emerging or unanticipated needs or opportunities sometimes arise under circumstances that cannot be properly addressed within established funding cycles. To meet these various needs, this Committee is created and charged with coordinating final decisions that are required under CDD's established funding processes; reviewing applications for Emerging Opportunities Program funds submitted pursuant to Sec. 3.12(11) and making recommendations to the Mayor and Common Council; the final funding and award decision for funds awarded under that program; and facilitating discussions or decisions around other issues that affect both the CDBG and CSC.”