City Council

AD HOC REPORT Review Process to Apply for Grant Funds Tuesday, February 27, 2024 Chair Gartner called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Present were Committee Members Ryan Hawley and Irving Fox. From the City were Robin Edwards, Assistant Corporation Counsel; Dan Garrick, Director of Finance; John Kleinhans, Assistant Finance Director; Francesca Capodilupo, Mayor’s Office; and Taylor O’Brien, Mayor’s Office. Ex Officio Members present were: Duane Perkins, Mike Coelho, Diane LaPine, Ben Chianese, and Frank Salvatore. Also present were Kara Prunty, Health & Human Services Director; Alessandra Casiello, Danbury Public Library; and Greg Williams. Ms. Capodilupo explained the need to allow department heads to apply for grants without prior council approval due to short application deadlines. The goal is to streamline and formalize the grant application process. The resolution has a two-year term, which allows the City to make necessary modifications at the end of the two years. Member Fox spoke in opposition of the proposed resolution. He expressed concern over removing the City Council’s authority to oversees the allocation of funds, such as ARPA funds. He identified 29 grants in the last calendar year that would apply to this resolution. He suggested removing language regarding “the acceptance of funds” from the proposed resolution. Furthermore, the $40,000 identified as missed opportunities is not a valid reason to change the existing process. Mr. Kleinhans stated that the allocation of ARPA funds was approved by City Council; he estimated that over the last decade the City has missed out on millions of dollars in State and Federal funding due to time constraints between Council meetings. Ms. Capodilupo confirmed for Member Fox that donations and grants will continue to be reported to the City Council, most likely via Department Reports. Member Fox discussed how Department Reports identify completed items, items that the Council can no longer act on. Mr. Kleinhans clarified the opportunities for public comment on grant applications with Member Hawley. Currently, municipalities in Connecticut use one of three methods for acting on grant opportunities; the legislative body approves grant applications and the acceptance of funds, the legislative body approves funds when awarded, or designated individuals can apply for and accept grant funds. He noted an instance when the City missed four rounds of funding opportunities a state grant due to delayed Council approval of the application; this became the catalyst for the creation of a Grant Compliance Coordinator position. Ms. Capodilupo stated that grant applications are reported in the Department Reports, and that those reports should be presented to the Council before funds are awarded. Mr. Chianese spoke on the legislature’s fiduciary responsibility of City funds. He noted the need for department heads’ to be more aware of grant opportunities and timelines, and discussed grant requests that lacked Council support. Ms. Casiello spoke on inter-department communication delays resulting in missed grant opportunities. Chair Gartner discussed the steps involved in reviewing grant applications that encumber the process. Mr. Chianese disagreed with the Chair and explained that there are City obligations regarding grant funding. Ms. Prunty stated staff have put in a tremendous amount of work and time on past applications before the City Council is even presented with the request to apply. Furthermore, she noted that the City can utilize multiple funding sources for situations considered to have an obligation from the City. Mr. Salvatore spoke in support of the new process. He suggested staff be proactive in planning for funding needs once grants run out. He requested that the Grant Compliance Coordinator provide a monthly report to City Council identifying all grant submissions and awarded funding. Ms. Prunty confirmed grant funded positions are evaluated frequently to determine if the position is needed or should be eliminated. Ms. Casiello reiterated inter-department challenges. Furthermore, she explained how grant funding benefits the City’s budget. The goal is to streamline the process to allow the City to achieve more grant funding to support City operations. Mr. Duane Perkins spoke in opposition of the proposed resolution. He believes the resolution removes City Council oversight of grant funds. Ms. Edwards confirmed all applications will be presented to City Council in some form, and therefore it could be rescinded by Council. Mr. Garrick suggested changing “notification” to “ratification” (paragraph 5), which allows the application process to move forward; however, requires City Council approval at some point. Mr. Buzaid suggested implementing a maximum grant amount that would require City Council approval. Chair Gartner suggested changing “notification” to “acceptance”. Mr. Coelho expressed his concern that the process would impede the legislature’s check and balance of City funds. He suggested scheduling a special City Council meeting to remedy the matter when needed. Furthermore, he expressed the importance of public transparency. Member Fox suggested removing the words “receive funding” (paragraph 3), which allows staff to apply for funding; however, requires City Council approval to accept the funds if awarded. He noted only one or two grant applications are considered by City Council monthly. Ms. Edwards identified the suggested changes to the resolution, as requiring City Council acceptance of the application and of the funds if awarded, at the next scheduled City Council meeting. Mr. Garrick stated that the City needs to have authority to accept an awarded grant as soon as the City is notified of the award. Member Hawley suggested establishing this new process for grants up to $50,000. Furthermore, additional changes should be made during the Charter Revision process. Mr. Chianese suggested that the Library, and authorities with boards process their own grants. Member Fox requested that the allocation of large grants, such as the ARPA and CBDG, require City Council approval. A motion made by Committee Member Fox, seconded by Committee Member Hawley, to recommend that the Council adopt the resolution with the addition of the federal grant exclusion specified, and authorize the Mayor and his designee to apply for and process grants without city council approval, where no local match funding or in kind is required, and to report such activity to the next City Council agenda for acceptance. Motion carried unanimously. A motion made by Committee Member Fox, and seconded by Committee Member Hawley, to adjourn. The motion carries unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:56 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andrea Gartner, Chair Ryan Hawley Irving Fox