Norfolk is discontinuing a grant program meant to draw tourists to the county with live entertainment.
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The decision, made at a council-in-committee meeting on Tuesday, requires final approval by council on June 18.
Issues with the distribution of grant money through Amplify Norfolk were raised at a meeting in March when Mayor Amy Martin called the program “a terrible use of staff time and resources and energy.”
Amplify Norfolk helped launch two events last year – The Fairgrounds Festival and an expanded Pumpkinfest. It was set up to provide $375,000 in funding — $125,000 a year for three years – to help “de-risk” new or evolving events organized by not-for-profit organizations, which must kick in funding equal to or higher than the grant they receive. The events are meant to grow tourism and economic development in Norfolk in the “shoulder seasons,” not the peak summer season.
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This year, there were 10 applications submitted to receive grant money, which was changed to offer two grants of $40,000 and one of $20,000, and $5,000 to make events more accessible.
Of the 10 applications received, four were identified as eligible by county staff based on grant guidelines. But further review by a selection committee determined not of the applications warranted recommendations for grants.
Coun. Adam Veri, chair of the grant selection committee, said several issues complicated the selection process, among them two committee members declaring conflicts of interest because of their involvement with some of the applicants, leaving them unable to vote. There was also confusion in the public about how to apply for the grant. And, said Veri, some of the applications didn’t meet the criteria to receive the money.
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“I’ve had a lot of people ask me why we’re doing this,” said Coun. Doug Brunton at Tuesday’s meeting where a report on the program was presented by Stephanie Potter, manager of corporate initiatives. “I don’t think it’s our business to be putting money into it.”
Veri said there are other community grants offered through the county that organizations would be eligible to receive to do smaller-scale events.
“We hear every meeting we’re in a (financial) shortfall,” Veri said. “I’d prefer to spend money on some needs and not duplicate a grant program we already have.”
Mayor Martin said she strongly feels the county shouldn’t be offering Amplify Norfolk grants but said she empathizes with groups that prepared an event “based on a commitment we made.”
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“I don’t support being in this (entertainment) industry or having staff work on this. But I do feel we’ve made a commitment to the public and they made investments. They shouldn’t have assumed money was coming their way, but there were a lot of flaws in this program. So, I think one more final round will do good on our word.”
Coun. Tom Masschaele spoke passionately in favor of keeping the program.
“I think we owe it to the community – to all those good hard-working volunteers who spent a lot of time putting together proposals, securing venues and working with community partners to make sure they’d done everything right.”
A motion to discontinue the program was carried with a 4-3 vote. Two councilors were absent for the voting.
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