Community grants and capital improvement projects (CIP) take center stage at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Both are part of the Budget Workshop the city council holds every May. The final budget will be approved next month, at either the June 6 or June 20 meeting.
In the past few years both CIP and community grants have generated some controversy, with some questioning the individual CIP wisdom of using public funds to help defray local nonprofits’ operating costs. Here are links to some articles on the subject from last fall – Opportunity Costs of Community Grants, Council to Reconsider Community Grants, Three Organizations That Receive Grants.
Public funding of the Historical Association/Visitor’s Center, MainStreet and the Chamber of Commerce have been particular targets even as each makes unique contributions to the city.
MainStreet maintains the Orange Avenue Gardens, rooftop lights and monitors code enforcement in the business district. The Chamber of Commerce serves as a resource for the business community and as a conduit between the city and local business. It also organizes popular community events, including the annual Christmas Parade and Merchant Open House. The Coronado Historical Association Visitor’s Center produces community calendars and visitor guides. It is affiliated with the Coronado Historical Association which strives to preserve the city’s history for generations to come.
All three are asking for grants again this year as are 15 other community organizations, including the Community Band, the Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF), SAFE, and the Coronado Floral Association. If approved the city will provide $1,373,825, $26,575 more than it did last year.
The bulk of the increase comes from three new groups: Coronado/San Diego Collaborative for Suicide Prevention ($5,000), Musica Vita ($9,800) and the Coronado Community ChorUS ($6,200).
Most groups are asking for the same amount of money. The Chamber is asking for $2,000 less. For most organizations the money represents a fraction of their operating budget. For example, the $50,000 the CIFF asked for accounts for only 22% of its operating budget. The Visitor Center’s $381,350 is 40% of its budget. These and other organizations raise most of their money from supporters and donors in the community.
For years residents paid scant attention to CIP. That changed last year when the city council approved money to study the feasibility of building a multiuse path at the beach which sparked a firestorm of protests. The beach path study issue led to a campaign that included yard signs, a petition and an overflow crowd at a meeting where the council rescinded its original approval for the study.
There doesn’t appear to be anything as explosive this year; maybe a few items that may raise eyebrows in some quarters. For example, the city is looking to spend $550,000 to install decorative street lights on Third and Fourth Streets to better display the banners honoring military heroes. There’s $560,000 for a wayfinders sign system, $841,500 for bathrooms on South Beach, and $100,000 for pickelball courts.
There are also a number of projects that reflect the city council’s efforts to improve safety along the two state highways that traverse our neighborhoods. These include bulb outs on State Route 75, speed tables on Fourth Street, a traffic single at Fourth and Alameda.
The CIP contains hundreds of projects that range from replacing the carpeting in the public library to renovating the Glorietta Bay Dock C. A list of all the projects and their cost is available at the library or online – click here.
Besides budgetary matters the city council will also:
- Consider the John D. Spreckels Center and Bowling Green Operations Plan. The plan calls for the establishment of a Spreckels Center Advisory Committee (SCAC), waving the city’s alcohol ban for private parties at the facility and hiring staff to run the facility. To bring the highest level of services to the center the city manager has recommended a full-time supervisor who would be paid $115,000, plus benefits; an office specialist would earn $69,000, plus benefits. He also recommends hiring a part-time recreation specialist for $20,000 and a part-time recreation leader at $30,000.
- Conduct public hearings for two measures the council has already considered: A resolution to adopt the TransNet Local Street Improvement Project for the next five years and reauthorization of the Coronado Tourism Improvement District levy for 2016/2017. The levy is the tax paid by guests at the city’s four largest hotels (Hotel del, Loews, Glorietta Bay Inn and the Marriott Resort and Spa).
The meeting begins at 4pm and is held in the City Council Chambers at 1825 Strand Way.
