04/13/2021 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final April 13, 2021 Commissioner Moss expressed disappointment that nonprofit organizations were not included in the distribution of funds. She proposed $1,000,000 be made available to qualified 501(c)(3) groups to assist with operating costs, and suggested using the Small Business Assistance Program criteria as a model. The Commissioner reported that the Regional Director of the Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College (FSBDC at IRSC), Tom Kindred, would process the applications for free. Lengthy discussion ensued on the topic of nonprofit funding as each Commissioner offered their input on subjects including the criteria for distributing funds, inclusion of the County's municipalities, and the role of outside consultants. Chairman Flescher expressed concern with putting staff in a position of playing favorites by having to decide which of the County's almost 700 registered nonprofits would receive funding. County Administrator Jason Brown concurred with the need to specify an impartial manner to process applications because nonprofits could not be filtered in the same way as small businesses. Commissioner Earman voiced unease that some worthy nonprofit 501(c)(4) entities, like the Firefighter's Fair, would be excluded under the current criteria. He too was unconvinced that Commissioner Moss' proposal contained an objective method to choose among the hundreds of organizations. Vice Chairman O'Bryan proposed vetting and verifying applicants by selecting only those which had done business with the County or the United Way in the last ten (10) years. He also supported limiting grants to those entities headquartered in the unincorporated County since the municipalities would receive their own ARP funds to distribute. Commissioner Adams opened her comments by advocating for additional mental health and substance abuse funding to help manage the aftereffects of the pandemic. Regarding nonprofits, she favored focusing on those who had not yet received assistance, and listed additional documentation, such as financial statements and future plans, that should be required. Commissioner Moss agreed on the need for more defined criteria, noted that religious organizations would be ineligible, suggested awarding grants in the amount of $5,000, and also mentioned incorporating criteria parameters from Mr. Kindred of the FSBDC. The Commissioners and staff were not in favor of having an outside entity like the FSBDC decide County policy, and were wary of the offer for free application processing. Indian River County Florida Page 9