Council to Decide on Grant Spending

A decision on how to spend about $1.3 million in federal grant money is expected on Monday, a week after the City Council balked at last-minute changes in spending recommendations.

During a public hearing earlier this week, some council members expressed concern about a last-minute recommendation by the Citizens Advisory Board to award $100,000 to the Huntington Beach Community Clinic and to eliminate grant funding for the city gym and pool, both built in 1931, which are undergoing a $2-million restoration. The city staff will explore whether that project qualifies for a federal loan.

Councilman Ralph H. Bauer said that the citizens board has met for nearly a year deliberating recommendations and that “a change at the eleventh hour is not the way to run the operation. . . . I think it’s unconscionable the way it was made.”

Councilman Tom Harman also criticized the procedure and said he was upset he did not receive notice before the meeting about the proposed change.

As a result, the Citizens Advisory Board will hold a special meeting tonight at 7 in the council chambers to finalize its recommendations for consideration by the City Council next Monday.

The city staff projects a total budget plan of about $1.6 million in federal Community Development Block Grant money for 1996-97. The council last Monday awarded $314,510 of that to 17 city and community programs.

The allocations include $62,500 to Project Self-Sufficiency, which helps single mothers get education and job skills to get off welfare; $40,500 to Oak View Community Center for operating costs and equipment, and $10,545 each for two part-time caseworkers for the Seniors’ Outreach Center.

Mayor Dave Sullivan said the city programs “were worthy and served a number of people, and were threatened with being discontinued if we didn’t come up with a source of funds.”