Staff Report
PREPARED BY: ARN ANDREWS and RYAN BAKER
TOWN COMMISSION LIAISONS
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 04/03/2018
ITEM NO: 09
DATE: MARCH 29, 2018
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
FROM: LAUREL PREVETTI, TOWN MANAGER
SUBJECT: APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2018/19 COMMUNITY GRANTS FUNDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the Fiscal Year 2018/19 Community Grants funding recommendations.
BACKGROUND:
The Town of Los Gatos offers two Community Grant programs: the Arts, Cultural, and
Educational Program (Arts Program) and the Human Services Program. The Town distributed a
total of $119,800 for Community Grants during Fiscal Year (FY) 2017/18 consisting of $100,000
for Human Services Programs and $19,800 for Arts Programs. For FY 2018/19, the Town
accepted applications from January 26, 2018 through March 5, 2018. All previous grant
applicants were notified, and the availability of applications was advertised on What's New, the
Town's website, and all forms of the Town's Social Media.
The new Special Event Grants are being administered independently of the Town’s ongoing
Community Grants Programs. The results of the Special Event Grants process will be included
with the proposed Operating Budget for FY 2018/19.
DISCUSSION:
For FY 2018/19, the Town received five applications for the Arts, Cultural, and Educational
Program and nine applications for the Human Services Program (see Attachment 1 for
summaries of the applications). The total amount requested by all fourteen applicants is
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SUBJECT: APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2018/19 COMMUNITY GRANTS FUNDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
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DISCUSSION (cont’d):
$196,603, versus the $119,800 allocated last year. For FY 2018/2019, the combined grant
funding recommendations from the Community and Senior Services Commission and the Arts
and Culture Commission total $113,000. Following are summaries of the grant program
deliberations and recommendations approved by the Community and Senior Services
Commission and the Arts and Culture Commission.
Arts, Cultural, and Educational Grant Program
Following the Town’s practice, the Arts and Culture Commission Grant Evaluation
Subcommittee met on March 13, 2018 and reviewed all the Arts, Cultural, and Educational
applications and made their allocation recommendations as noted in Attachment 2.
The Arts and Culture Commission considered the Evaluation Subcommittee’s recommendations
at its meeting on March 21, 2018. A public hearing was held at that meeting and all five
applicants spoke to the Commission. The Commission Chair had previously identified she had a
conflict of interest and was absent from the meeting. The remaining Commissioners discussed
the Evaluation Subcommittee recommendations but ultimately voted to present a different
recommendation to Town Council. Attachment 2 contains both the original recommendation
of the Evaluation Subcommittee, as well as the Arts and Culture Commission’s final
recommendations for FY 2018/19 to the Town Council.
The Commission's recommendations are based on maintaining financial support to a variety of
organizations and programs which it believes make a positive impact in Los Gatos. The
recommendation includes continued funding of three programs from previous years: The Arts
Docents of Los Gatos’ Educational Arts program, the Los Gatos Community Concert
Association’s Live Concert Series, and the Los Gatos Museum Association’s (NUMU) Museum
Explorer program. Recommended funding for two new programs include: The Los Gatos
Museum Association’s (NUMU) Video Histories project to be produced in partnership with
KCAT, and the Veterans Memorial & Support Foundation of Los Gatos Veterans’ Day
Celebration.
FY 2017/18
Awards
FY 2018/19
Requests
FY 2018/19
ACC
Subcommittee
Recommendation
FY 2018/19
ACC Final
Recommendation
TOTAL $19,800 $30,000 $18,500 $20,000
In addition to the recommended funding allocations, the Subcommittee recommended and the
Arts and Culture Commission approved that a Subcommittee should begin work to streamline
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SUBJECT: APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2018/19 COMMUNITY GRANTS FUNDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
MARCH 29, 2018
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DISCUSSION (cont’d):
the grant application process and instructions, set clearer guidelines for grant eligibility, and
create a more transparent rubric for ranking applications for future fiscal years.
Human Services Grant Program
Due to vacancies on the Community and Senior Services Commission, the Human Services grant
evaluation process was conducted by a committee of the whole at a Study Session held on
March 16, 2018. During the Study Session, the Commissioners reviewed all the applications
and made its preliminary allocation recommendations (see Attachment 3).
The Community and Senior Services Commission met again on March 27, 2018 to receive public
testimony and pose questions emanating from the Study Session. A public hearing was held
and eight out of the nine applicants spoke to the Commission. Counseling and Support Services
for Youth (CASSY) provided prior notice of their inability to attend. All four Commissioners
were present to hear presentations and ask follow-up questions from the applicants. The
Commission carefully considered the applications of the agencies, their past performance, their
benefit to the Los Gatos community, and the funding available.
The organizations that are recommended to continue to receive grants are West Valley
Community Services, Live Oak Senior Nutrition and Service Center , Next Door Solutions to
Domestic Violence, Live Oak Adult Day Services, Counseling and Support Services for Youth, Los
Gatos Saratoga Recreation 55+ Senior Program, and Los Gatos Saratoga Recreation Clubhouse
Scholarship Program. The Los Gatos Saratoga Recreation Summer Enrichment School
Scholarship program is a new program recommended to receive grant funding in FY 2018/19.
FY 2017/18
Awards
FY 2018/19
Requests
FY 2018/19
CSSC Preliminary
Recommendation
FY 2018/19
CSSC Final
Recommendation
TOTAL $100,000 $166,603 $93,000 $93,000
CONCLUSION:
The Council is being asked to consider the Commissions’ funding recommendations and
approve the Community Grants for FY 2018/2019. This action will be reflected in the Proposed
FY 2018/19 Operating Budget.
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SUBJECT: APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2018/19 COMMUNITY GRANTS FUNDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
MARCH 29, 2018
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FISCAL IMPACT:
The combined grant funding recommendations from the Community and Senior Services
Commission and the Arts and Culture Commission total $113,000 for FY 2018/2019.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachments:
1. FY 2018/19 Grant Application Summaries
2. Arts and Culture Commission Evaluation Subcommittee and Final Recommendations for the
Art, Cultural, and Educational Program
3. Community and Senior Services Commission Preliminary and Final Recommendations for
the Human Services Program