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[COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR] RESOLUTION NO. 251061
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Sponsor: Councilmember Darrell Curls
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
RESOLUTION - Directing the City Manager to review current City practices pertaining to grant notifications for neighborhood associations, explore additional means of raising awareness of such grants and grant application trainings, identify potentially reliable funding options for such practices, review current City practices related to grant recipient selection, and report to Council on each of these tasks within 60 days; and to identify and report to Council within 30 days on potentially reliable funding options for the Neighborhood Empowerment Grant program for fiscal year 2026-2027.
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WHEREAS, neighborhood associations and community organizations play an integral role in addressing problems such as public safety, affordable housing, and blight in neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, it is vital that all neighborhood associations and community groups are aware of potential funding opportunities to implement projects and activities that deal with these issues; and
WHEREAS, on October 23, 2025, the Council adopted, via Resolution 250906, the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) standards as City’s guiding principles and approach toward public engagement and directed the City manager to develop a coordinated plan to implement such standards outlined in the Kansas City Public Engagement Plan Recommendations referenced in that Resolution and on file with the City Clerk; and
WHEREAS, the Council believes it is necessary to raise awareness of funding opportunities for neighborhood associations through as many means as possible and to provide training for relevant groups so they can efficiently navigate the grant application process; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the City Manager is hereby directed to review current City practices pertaining to public notifications of grant opportunities for neighborhood associations and community groups and identify additional means of notifying such groups of grant funding and community trainings for grant applications and report to Council on these tasks within 60 days. In reviewing and reporting upon additional means of notification, the City Manager shall:
(a) solicit input from neighborhood associations, community groups, and other relevant stakeholders;
(b) develop a process to provide grant notification and training for new neighborhood associations and community groups upon registration, including instruction on best practices related to neighborhood communication, technology, grant writing, program proposal, budget development, and basic accounting procedures; and
(c) identify potentially reliable funding options for the above; and
(d) conduct all public engagement tasks referenced in this section in conformance with the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) standards adopted by Council in Resolution 250906.
Section 2. That the City Manager is hereby directed to review current City practices pertaining to the selection of grant recipients and report to Council on these tasks within 60 days. The review and report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) evaluation of any barriers to equitable access, including, but not limited to matching fund requirements; and
(b) recommendations for any improvements, if necessary, for grant accountability and oversight.
Section 3. That the City Manager is hereby directed to identify, for fiscal year 2026-2027, potentially reliable funding options for the Neighborhood Empowerment Grant program that are comparable to current allocations under such program and to report to Council within 30 days.
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