Community Event and Neighborhood Grant Distribution Subcommittee

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Community Event and Neighborhood Grant Distribution Subcommittee Wednesday, September 20, 2017 9:00 AM Council Conference Room, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 CALL TO ORDER Subcommittee Chair Smith called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. in the Council Conference Room. ROLL CALL Present: 3 - Member Larry Klein Chair Nancy Smith Member Russ Melton CONSENT CALENDAR 1 17-0924 Approve the Minutes of the April 28, 2017 Community Event and Neighborhood Grant Distribution Meeting. Member Melton moved, and Member Klein seconded, approval of the consent calendar as presented. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 3 - Member Klein Chair Smith Member Melton No: 0 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None. PUBLIC HEARING/GENERAL BUSINESS 2 17-0827 Review the Community Events and Neighborhood Grant Program Eligibility Guidelines Director Bojorquez provided the staff report including a memorandum from the Office of the City Attorney summarizing key legal parameters related to the City's Neighborhood Grant program. Director Bojorquez noted that three items were identified for re-evaluation during the Subcommittee's FY 2017/18 grant application City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Community Event and Meeting Minutes - Final September 20, 2017 Neighborhood Grant Distribution Subcommittee review meeting: 1) eligibility of homeowner associations; 2) applications for projects across multiple neighborhoods; and 3) funding of projects advocating for a particular policy position. Upon completion of the staff report, the Subcommittee reviewed the Community Events Grant Program Guidelines & Eligibility Criteria. The Subcommittee deliberated on whether the guideline that events draw a crowd of at least 500 people might be prohibitive and a reason why all applications had come from a single entity. MOTION: Member Klein moved, and Member Melton seconded, approval of the Community Events Grant Program guidelines and eligibility criteria as presented. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 3 - Member Klein Chair Smith Member Melton No: 0 After reviewing the memorandum from the City Attorney, the Subcommittee discussed whether inclusion of the language related to "providing a valid public purpose" into Community Events Grant Program Guidelines & Eligibility Criteria would help clarify the types of projects for which organizations could apply for funding. MOTION: Chair Smith moved, and Member Klein seconded, to amend the "who is eligible to apply" section of the guidelines and eligibility criteria to include the following guidelines: It is not the nature of the organization applying for or receiving the grant, but whether the organization will use those grant funds for a valid public purpose. Some factors that may demonstrate the public purpose of a funded program or service include: - Whether the proposed project/service compliments or enhances a service that the City also provides - When there is an identifiable secondary, or indirect, benefit to the City - When the organization provides a service the City could provide, but chooses not City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Community Event and Meeting Minutes - Final September 20, 2017 Neighborhood Grant Distribution Subcommittee to The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 3 - Member Klein Chair Smith Member Melton No: 0 Discussion ensued regarding the Neighborhood Grant Program Guidelines & Eligibility Criteria. The Subcommittee discussed the question of homeowner association eligibility. MOTION: Member Klein moved, and Member Melton seconded, to amend the "who is eligible to apply" section of the guidelines and eligibility criteria to include "homeowner associations". The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 3 - Member Klein Chair Smith Member Melton No: 0 The Subcommittee discussed identifying projects and/or events that are not eligible for Neighborhood Grant Program funds. Chair Smith recommended that the reference of projects that work in other cities be removed as it was not relevant to the City's program. MOTION: Chair Smith moved, and Member Melton seconded, to amend the guidelines and eligibility criteria to: 1) add a "projects and/or events that are not eligible" section and 2) include items identified in the memorandum from the Office of the City Attorney regarding Neighborhood Grants. Items identified to be included in this section are as follows: - Activities that are political in nature, including but not limited to, the support of a proposed initiative, ballot measure or candidate - Payment of outstanding debts City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Community Event and Meeting Minutes - Final September 20, 2017 Neighborhood Grant Distribution Subcommittee - Services which are primarily commercial, religious or political in nature - Permanent improvement to any non-City owned structure or property - In most cases, operating expenses such as ongoing salaries, utilities and rent expenses Yes: 3 - Member Klein Chair Smith Member Melton No: 0 The Subcommittee reviewed whether applications which propose to serve multiple neighborhoods should be eligible for funding. Member Klein indicated that since the purpose of the grants was to encourage neighbors to work together, associations should be encouraged to learn and work with each other. MOTION: Member Klein moved, and Member Melton seconded, to amend the "who is eligible to apply" section of the guidelines and eligibility criteria to include "or groups". The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 3 - Member Klein Chair Smith Member Melton No: 0 The Subcommittee discussed the award of Neighborhood Grant funds for projects which propose to advocate for a policy position. MOTION: Member Melton moved, and Member Klein seconded to amend a guideline in the "projects and/or events that are not eligible" section to include "policy position" as follows: - Activities that are political in nature, including but not limited to, the support of a proposed initiative, ballot measure, policy position or candidate AMENDMENT: Chair Smith offered a friendly amendment to include "or opposition" as follows: City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Community Event and Meeting Minutes - Final September 20, 2017 Neighborhood Grant Distribution Subcommittee - Activities that are political in nature, including but not limited to, the support or opposition of a proposed initiative, ballot measure, policy position or candidate Member Melton accepted the friendly amendment. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 3 - Member Klein Chair Smith Member Melton No: 0 The Subcommittee discussed the odd dollar amount allocated for the Community Events Grant Program and the Neighborhood Grant Program and how it impacted the awards process. MOTION: Member Klein moved, and Member Melton seconded, that future budgets for the Community Events Grant and the Neighborhood Grant Programs be allotted in increments of $250. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 3 - Member Klein Chair Smith Member Melton No: 0 INFORMATION ONLY None. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:25 a.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 5