Kalamazoo County commissioners agreed November 4 to form an ad hoc committee to score community grant applications and recommend which to fund.
At its Committee of the Whole meeting, held at the Road Commission building while the county board chambers are under repair, the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners discussed how it will review the applications it received for this budget cycle. Applications were due October 30. The county received 55 applications: 47 from nonprofit organizations, seven from other governmental agencies and one from another type of entity. Board Chair Jen Strebs said the requests are well beyond the resources available to allocate.
How applications will be scored
County leadership developed a scoring matrix to help commissioners rank applications. Criteria include community input, evidence of impact, the number of people an application would serve, feasibility, alignment with the county’s strategic initiatives, and whether it targets high-need populations.
Four commissioners volunteered to serve on the ad hoc committee. The committee will score the applications and bring a recommendation to the full board, which makes the final decision. There is no set number of committee meetings, and the committee decides when its work is done.
Timeline
County administration said grant recipients typically have the following year to spend the funds. Staff want the review completed before the end of the year so contracts can be issued and organizations have most of next year to use the money.
Public comment
Two speakers addressed the board in support of specific applications. A representative of Discover Kalamazoo spoke in support of the Kalamazoo Watershed Council’s application for accessible river access and a coordinated water trail with consistent signage along the Kalamazoo River. She said the river runs through five of the county’s nine districts and that the project has support from local partners.
A representative of a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities find paid employment spoke in support of its application. The organization proposes a pilot zero-waste facility in partnership with an indoor sports facility, using the funding to buy equipment and start the program.
Public comment is offered at county board meetings. The full November 4 meeting is available to watch on Public Media Network.
