Ventura Delays Changes in Social-Services Funding

Following a parade of impassioned pleas by local nonprofit groups, the Ventura City Council has delayed adopting a new social-services policy that would have emphasized giving start-up money to new agencies rather than funding existing programs.

Instead the City Council on Monday night directed its staff to explore ways in which the city could both promote new groups and provide support for quality programs.

In order to reduce the load on city workers and give nonprofit agencies a fairer shot at showing what they could do, city staff had recommended several changes:

* Moving the selection process for city funding from the spring budget discussions to the fall.

* Granting money on a two-year instead of a one-year cycle.

* Finding ways to provide seed money for projects rather than selecting programs that require ongoing funding.

But local nonprofit agencies--ranging from the Ventura Youth Employment Service to the Boys & Girls Club to Long Term Care Services of Ventura County--turned out to protest the proposed changes.

“Grants give seed money,” said Violet Henry, a program administrator for the senior nutrition program of the county’s social-services agency. “The greatest need is for ongoing funds.”

Representatives of many other agencies--that offer services for youth, senior citizens or those in need of alcohol and drug rehabilitation--stood at the podium and echoed her fears.

But Mayor Jack Tingstrom said that what started as a city grant program was never intended to go on indefinitely.

“It has become an entitlement program,” he said.

Council members agreed that they wanted to encourage seed funding and that the city needs a way to review existing programs instead of simply rubber-stamping money for the same organizations every year.

But Councilman Steve Bennett, arguing that the city should not cut funding to quality programs, said: “I think we can take pride in the fact that Ventura is leading the county in providing social-services funding.”