Council OKs quest for grants

Money needed for parks and recreation, safety services, say council members

A new consulting group will assist Lorain’s elected leaders and staff to seek money for improvements.

On March 15, Council voted 11-0 to hire Sustainable Strategies DC, known as S2, as a consultant with Toledo-based engineering firm Hull & Associates LLC.

The meeting included relatively little discussion about bringing on expert assistants to examine city needs and match Lorain with state, federal and philanthropic sources to pay for projects.

Council voted to amend the ordinance to cap the consultant expenditure at $72,000 a year, payable in installments of $6,000 a month.

The money will come from the safety-service director’s contractual services account. The city auditor’s office periodically will bill back city departments that work with the companies to apply for grant funding.

Then council voted 11-0 to approve the legislation, ending discussion that has continued from time to time since 2020.

Previous discussion

On March 8, the Council Finance Committee, with all members present, discussed the issue.

The members agreed Lorain could use more money to pay for public improvements and various entities could be sources for that funding.

“Right now any money that we can get in the form of a grant, meaning we don’t have to pay it back, we need to get. Whatever’s out there, we need it, and we can utilize it so whatever there is, we want it here,” said Councilwomanat-Large Mary Springowski.

Accounting questions

But they spent about 45 minutes hammering out the best way to cover the $72,000 fee. They also had questions about how city departments would account for the money if it was awarded.

Auditor Karen Shawver will create a budgetary

line item with $72,000 to cover the cost, said Councilman-at-Large Mitch Fallis, committee chairman. When the consultants bill the city, the auditor’s office would pay for the services, then charge back the appropriate city department budget for the department receiving a grant, he said.

Question of position

Looking at the proposal, a grant writing position for Lorain is important going forward and the priority should be every department and every need, said Councilman-at-Large Tony Dimacchia.

The $72,000 will pay for itself in the long run if Lorain receives grant money to pay for programs that benefit citizens here, he said.

“I just think we need a position in the city of Lorain to cover the city of Lorain and how we pay for that, we figure it out,” Dimacchia said. Grant applications are a long-term issue for Lorain and the city is leaving money on the table by not seeking those contributions, he said.

Highlight parks

Fallis agreed and said he and Ward 6 Councilman

Rey Carrion wanted to highlight parks and recreation as a key recipient for grant money.

The consultants also would be able to pursue grants for any other city departments, Fallis said.

Chief Deputy Auditor Anita Harper suggested zeroing on city needs when leaders meet with the consultants.

She agreed with paying for the services at first from the general fund, then charging back the departments receiving the grant money.

Within City Hall, departments that receive grant funding must coordinate

with the auditor’s office to track the dollars, Harper said.

Local matches

Consultants and staff should pursue those grants to serve the highest needs of the city, Carrion said. He noted many grants require local matches — but communities that cannot provide that matching money must return grants.

Managing the grant will have an internal cost to the city. Carrion agreed Lorain needs a comprehensive grant program, but wanted to make council members aware of the effects of grant awards.