Jamestown Local Development Corporation board meeting (August 3, 2023)
The Jamestown Local Development Corporation will consider four scenarios for funding Non-Profit Assistance Grant program applicants.
The Non-Profit Assistance Program was funded with $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act monies. Nine organizations have requested a total of $2,756,457 toward $43,462,532 in project costs.
Grants Manager Tim O’Dell said funding scenario one was 50% rubric based and 50% community based, “And we are defining community-based on what impact it’s going to have on Jamestown citizens and the community itself, such as what groups are being served, what services are they providing, and what the overall impact will be. And for scenario two, it was a 100% community-benefit and does not take the rubric into consideration. And the purpose of this scenario, was to get a majority of the applicants closer to their requested amount in order to create the most efficiencies and get the projects up and running and meeting timelines.”
Non-Profit Assistance Grant Funding Scenarios
O’Dell said funding scenario three is based 100% on the rubric score with a maximum award of $350,000. He said the highest scoring organization would receive 80% of their request with the second highest score receiving 75% of their request. The lowest scoring organization would receive 60% of their requested amount.
The fourth funding scenario would fund all applicants who requested under $200,000 their full amount of funding with those who requested over $200,000 each receiving just $200,000.
JLDC Board member and Council member at large Kim Ecklund requested that the scenarios be sent to City Council members to review. JLDC Board member and Council member at large Jeff Russell also requested that the applications be sent to Council members to review, especially given that any award over $100,000 must be approved by Council.
City Council’s next work session is Monday, August 14 with JLDC anticipated to vote on the program requests at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 16.
The organizations that have requested funding is as follows:
– Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. – $181,393 ($3,776,568 project cost) for the development of an 18-bed homeless shelter for women
– Collaborative Children’s Solutions – $96,850 ($123,000 project cost) to create a youth community program to address trauma, abuse and/or neglect
– Jamestown Center City Development Corporation – $500,000 ($4,805,200 project cost) for interior build-out of TheZone at the Northwest Arena
– Jamestown YMCA – $1 million ($30,747,722 project cost) for the construction of a new YMCA
– National Comedy Center – $200,000 ($400,000 project cost) to replace $2.3 million in lost revenue due to the Pandemic along with costs for implementing safer operating procedures
– Robert H. Jackson Center – $350,000 ($750,000 project cost) to renovate the Cappa Theatre, including audio/visual equipment
– Roger Tory Peterson Institute – $82,500 ($500,000 project cost) to hire a Development Director to expand fundraising
– St. Luke’s Episcopal Church – $200,000 ($2,030,036 project cost) to restore the bell tower and create a year round agricultural program
– YWCA Jamestown – $145,714 ($330,006 project cost) for a female youth leadership program
The JLDC Board approved moving over $75,000 into the Building & Property Infrastructure Improvement (BPII) Grant program.
O’Dell said there was $50,000 in American Rescue Plan funds remaining in the Business Expansion and Building Acquisition Program and $25,625 remaining in the New Business Grant Program that could be transferred to the BPII program, “We are selecting this grant program because it’s significantly more accessible than the other two as the other two had stricter requirements for applicants to pursue. And this one will be very open that’s eligible for most for-profit businesses in Jamestown to apply for and creates a very equal and open grant for funds.”
Mayor Eddie Sundquist said there have been businesses who have come forward looking for building repair assistance who had not previously received funds.
Grant award amounts can cover up to 75% of the total project costs with a 25% match required.
The JLDC board also approved a $1,500 downtown programming fund allocation to Crying Out Loud Productions. Crying Out Loud is holding a panel discussion on September 8, 2023 about a four-part radio documentary on 10,000 Maniacs that will air on WRFA. The panel will feature members of the band and be held in the Reg Lenna’s Media Arts Center. Ticket sales will benefit WRFA.
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