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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Resolution 24-028, Community Event and Street Closure Grant Program Policy RESOLUTION NO. 24-028 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA AMENDING THE COMMUNITY EVENT AND STREET CLOSURE GRANT PROGRAM POLICY WHEREAS, the City Council implemented the Community Event and Street Closure Grant Program in Fiscal Year 2013/14 to assist local volunteers and organizations build a stronger sense of community in Saratoga through events; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted the Community Event Grant Program Policy on April 17, 2019, and further amended the policy on July 1, 2020,to establish criteria and eligibility requirements for the program as well as describe operations of the program; and WHEREAS, at the February 15, 2023, meeting, staff was directed to return to the City Council with revisions to the policy to provide the City Council with additional data about the events supported through the Community Event and Street Closure Grant Program; and WHEREAS, in addition to the changes requested to the policy requested by the City Council, staff has also proposed changes to better reflect the administration to the program; and WHEREAS, at the March 18, 2024, Joint Session meeting regarding commission workplans,the City Council directed that the Community Event Grant Program be removed from the Library and Public Art Commission Work Plan and voted that the City Council would review Competitive grant applications and select grantees for funding. NOW,THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,that the City Council of the City of Saratoga hereby amends the Community Event Grant Program Policy and declares that this resolution and attached policy shall replace and supersede all prior resolutions, policies, and understandings related to the Community Event & Street Closure Grant Program Policy. Resolution 24-028 Page 2 The above and foregoing resolution was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Saratoga City Council held on the 1" day of May 2024 by the following vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS FITZSIMMONS, PAGE, WALIA, VICE MAYOR AFTAB, MAYOR ZHAO NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE Yan Zhao, Mayor City of Saratoga ATTEST: Britt Avrit, City Clerk City of Saratoga Resolution 24-028 Page 3 of SARq CITY OF SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL POLICY 1956 Cq�1FORN�P POLICY TITLE: Community Event and Street Closure Grant Program POLICY NUMBER: CCP-003 POLICY EFFECTIVE DATE: 05-01-2024 LAST PRIOR REVISION: 06-21-2023 I. PURPOSE This policy outlines the criteria Council applies to determine secured and unsecured funding allocations for the Community Event Grant Program. The objective is to provide guidelines to administer a program that is in line with Council direction and is helpful to event organizers wishing to request community grant funding. This policy is effective with the Community Event Grant process beginning in December 2019. II. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA The criteria for receiving Community Event Grant funding is listed below: a. Event is a volunteer-led event held in Saratoga. b. Event is free and open to everyone. c. The event concentrates on Saratoga's character, diversity or history. d. The event celebrates the community as a whole and is not limited to a small group such as reunions. III. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS The Community Event Program requirements are listed below: a. Community Event funding applications are to include an itemized list of expenses identifying specific expenses desired for grant funding. The application must be completed, signed, and submitted during the annual application process. Off-cycle requests are not allowed. b. Event organizers are to obtain a minimum of$1 million liability insurance coverage for the event. Events organized by individuals or an informal group of individuals, that are not a part of or related to any non-profit corporation or other legal business entity, may request City Council approval for event insurance to be provided by the City's insurance program. Events approved to receive event insurance through the City's insurance program include: Saratoga's Independence Day Celebration, Saratoga Village Development Council events, and Bollywood in the Park. c. Unsecured event funding requests are limited to a maximum of$2,000. Resolution 24-028,Page 4 City Council Policy No. 003 Page 2 d. Events run by organizations receiving Secured Community Event Grant Funding are not eligible to apply for discretionary funding. IV. ANNUAL APPLICATION PROCESS The application process begins in December for the following Fiscal Year. The timeline is outlined below: a. January - Existing and prospective Secured Funding Program recipients submit Secured Funding Interest Form &Agreement for events to be held in the next fiscal year. b. February - Council reviews the program schedule, policy, prior year allocations, receives Secured Funding Interest Form &Agreement from existing and prospective Secured Funding Program recipients, and provides direction on Secured Funding recipients and their allocation amounts, and the total funding allocation for the Competitive Program for the upcoming fiscal year. c. March - Competitive Program application cycle is opened and announced to the community. d. April -Applications are reviewed by staff and compiled for Council review. e. May- City Council determines the unsecured funding distribution for events based on funding availability and need. V. COMMUNITY EVENT GRANT PROGRAMS a. Secured Funding Program 1. The City Council may provide Community Event and Street Closure Grant Program Secured Funding to a specific event or to an event organizer to be used asset forth in the Secured Funding Interest Form &Agreement. 2. All events funded by the Secured Funding Program must demonstrate that they meet the Eligibility Criteria. 3. Secured Funding Program recipients are exempt from the competitive application process. Secured Funding Program recipients and allocation amounts are decided at the discretion of the City Council. 4. Event organizers are required to provide a completed Secured Funding Interest Form & Agreement to be considered by the City Council for Community Event Grant Program Secured Funding Program allocations. The Secured Funding Interest Form &Agreement will be used to confirm the event(s) will be held in the upcoming fiscal year, meet Eligibility Criteria, the desired grant amount, estimated attendance, estimated total event cost, anticipated event funding sources, and expected outreach and marketing plans. Completed Secured Funding Interest Form Agreements will be provided to the City Council for consideration when determining Secured Funding Program allocations. Resolution 24-028,Page 5 City Council Policy No. 003 Page 3 b. Competitive Funding Program 1. The City Council may allocate funding for the Community Event and Street Closure Grant Program Competitive Funding. If funding is allocated for the Competitive Program,the opening of the application period will be announced to past applicants and to the broader community. 2. The maximum grant amount per event under the Competitive Program is $2,000. 3. Recipients of Secured Community Event Grant Funding may not apply for the Competitive Program. 4. Applications must be fully completed and submitted before the application deadline to be considered. 5. Applications that do not meet Eligibility Criteria will not be considered. 6. Off-cycle applications will not beaccepted. 7. Applications will be used to confirm that the event will be held in the upcoming fiscal year, meets Eligibility Criteria, the desired grant amount, estimated attendance, estimated total event cost, anticipated event funding sources, applicant's past experience organizing events, and expected outreach and marketing plans. 8. City Council will review and determine the unsecured funding distribution for events based on funding availability and need. VI. ELIGIBLE EXPENSES &GRANT PAYMENT 1. Grant funding may be used for permit fees, facility or park rentals, street closure as described below, event materials, supplies, vendors, and contract services. 2. Grant funding may not be used by the grant recipient to pay staff or volunteers for time spent on event organization or coordination. 3. Grant payments are issued on a reimbursement basis following the event. 4. A Grant Reimbursement Request Form must be submitted to receive grant payment. The Reimbursement Request Form must include an itemized list and proof of payment for event expenses to be funded by the grant, total event costs, and estimated event attendance. Optionally, event photos may be submitted. 5. Only one Grant Reimbursement Request Form may be submitted for grants issued for a single event. Forgrants issued to event organizers to be used for a variety of events that meet Eligibility Criteria, a Grant Reimbursement Request Form may be submitted after each event. Resolution 24-028,Page 6 City Council Policy No. 003 Page 4 6. In addition to the above list of Eligible Expenses & Grant Payment requirements, grant funding designated for street closures may only be used for Big Basin way road closure costs and must be used for permit fees, signage and barricades, notifications, City staff, and law enforcement officer costs associated with a road closure before it may used for other road closure expenses. 7. A Grant Reimbursement Request Form must be submitted within the same fiscal year as the event to be eligible for reimbursement. For events held in June, a Grant Reimbursement Request may be submitted up to 7 days after the end of the fiscal year. 1774650.1