Council considers outside agency funding

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BROOKINGS – The Brookings City Council looked over the outside agency funding recommendations for 2021 during its study session Tuesday. 

The topic is scheduled to be on the agenda for next week’s regular meeting for possible action, according to Mayor Keith Corbett.

City Manager Paul Briseno explained the city approved a new process for 2021 to work through the Brookings Area United Way to make recommendations to the council for outside agency funding. Applications were taken and organizations made requests for the amount of money they would like to receive from the city.

Under council’s direction, in cooperation with a team of volunteers with experience in social service needs, a list was compiled for the recommendations. The amount requested for 2021 was $295,000; the recommendation amount to be funded is $266,500.

The largest funding recommendation is to Brookings Area Transit Authority for $115,000; the lowest is $1,000 to the Helpline Center. Some agencies were not funded at the amount requested: The Brookings Activity Center requested $5,000 and was recommended at zero dollars; others receiving less than requested were East Central CASA, Brookings County Youth Mentoring, Brookings Behavioral Health & Wellness, and Brookings Backpack Project.

Heidi Gullickson, executive director of Brookings Area United Way, explained who applied and for how much, and the dollars to be allocated. 

“This funding source wasn’t quite the right situation” for the Brookings Activity Center, she said. “Great program, and we fund them through United Way funds; this just wasn’t the right avenue for what they were looking for, so (we’re) working with them on some other places to try to fund their shortfall, as well.”

Councilor Nick Wendell asked Briseno what was the source for the additional $41,000 that the council committed to the agency funding for 2021.

Approximately $35,000 wasn’t needed to help fund BATA, Briseno said.

“BATA was able to augment those funds from the federal government, so they gave those funds back,” Briseno said.

Since the Community Band didn’t have any events in 2020 due to COVID, about $6,000 was available, he added.

Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.