HUNTINGTON BEACH : Council Parcels Out Funds for Charities

The City Council has voted to give $218,850 in federal funds to 16 charitable and humanitarian organizations helping residents of the city.

The council’s final decision came after a brief dispute over differing recommendations from two citizens’ advisory panels. The Human Resources Board had urged the council to award Orange County Legal Aid $34,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, but the Citizens Advisory Board recommended that Legal Aid only get $24,000.

The Citizens Advisory Board urged the council to equally divide the other $10,000 between the Shelter for the Homeless and Interval House.

A representative of Legal Aid told city government that it would have to cut its service to the poor in Huntington Beach if the city reduced its funding.

Councilman Peter M. Green said he believed that the recommendation of the Human Resources Board should be honored because “that board has had the opportunity to interview all the applicants and the Citizens Advisory Board has not.”

By unanimous vote, other council members agreed with Green and accepted the Human Resources Board recommendation to grant $34,000 to Legal Aid. The council subsequently approved a $15,000 allocation to the Shelter for the Homeless and $20,000 for Interval House.

Other grants approved by the council went to: Huntington Beach Community Clinic, $34,000; Episcopal Service Alliance, $9,000; Feedback Foundation, $12,250; Community Service Program, $7,500; Boys and Girls Club of Huntington Valley, $7,600; Salvation Army, $7,500; Huntington Valley Adult Day Care, $5,000; Project Self-Sufficiency, $25,000; Girls and Boys Club, $11,000; Orange County Consolidated Transportation Service Agency, $17,500; Hotline of Southern California, $5,000; Orange Coast Interfaith, $5,000, and Casa Youth Shelter, $3,500.