Ulrich: Cancel Old Grants, Track New Ones

A resolution to cancel 125 dormant grants is just a start, Chief Financial Officer Al Steinberg told the City Council Monday, as there are many more to be cleared up.

The grants are no longer viable and the money cannot be be spent or reimbursed to the city, so they need to be cleared from financial records.

"This is really the beginning of financial housekeeping, if you will," Steinberg said.

Steinberg explained after Councilman William Reid questioned the item, saying, "This is the first I'm hearing that we have dormant grants."

Reid said the problem should have come out in city audits. (It was a finding at least in a 2011 audit report posted on the city web site and all council members had to sign a Corrective Action Plan.)

Ulrich, who was appointed by new Mayor Adrian O. Mapp in January, said the council approved two resolutions last year on dormant grants, but they were done incorrectly and had to be rescinded. He said of Monday's resolution, "This isn't half the grants you have."

Cities seek grants to augment property tax revenues and the League of Municipalities advises having a "strategic master plan" for grant management, as noted in this article.

Ulrich suggested Monday that the city consider naming an individual to be responsible for grants.

In 2010, a part-time employee who was responsible for more than $5.6 million in grants for tree planting, brownfield remediation and other programs was laid off, over protests from Shade Tree Commission members. In another past situation, a division head could not provide information on use of Urban Enterprise Zone grants to the council for several months. Grants have also been quickly spent just before they run out, as in the Tepper's basement fit-out.

--Bernice