Title
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE JOB CREATION GRANT PROGRAM.
Brief Description: The proposed amendments to the Job Creation Grant Program will align the program guidelines with the way we deploy the program in practice post-pandemic. The proposal also includes an increased year of eligibility for including certain defined, environmentally sustainable components to their projects to align with the goals outlined by the Environmental Awareness Committee.
Body
Legislative History
05-39, An Ordinance adopting a Job Creation Grant Program, passed May 4, 2005.
13-122, An Ordinance Amending the Job Creation Grant Program, passed October 2, 2013.
Purpose & Explanation
The proposed amendments to the Job Creation Grant Program are as follows:
- Remove the requirement to create a certain number of new jobs in the community as that has become more difficult to substantiate with the prevalence of hybrid and remote work arrangements. The proposal is to base the program strictly on the dollars of new payroll added to the community as part of a project.
- Increase the minimum threshold of new payroll to be eligible for a grant be increased from $250,000 to $2,000,000 to align more closely with how grants have been awarded in practice. The length of grant eligibility by payroll dollars has also been updated for this change.
- Introduce an additional year of grant eligibility for projects that have a defined, environmentally sustainable component to align with goals outlined by the Environmental Awareness Committee.
- Decrease the administrative fee from $500 to $100.
- Update the “Economic Development Director” to “Economic Development Manager” throughout.
Other minor edits for clarity were made throughout the document.
Legal Authority for Proposed Legislation
Pursuant to Charter Section 6.04, Contracts & Purchasing:
Competitively bid and advertised for two consecutive weeks; bid tab attached: [Yes/No/NA])
Joint or Cooperative Purchase Program
Professional Services
X Other [provide explanation]
Fiscal Impact
Currently Budgeted (Account #, $)
Supplemental Appropriation Required (Account #, $)
X Appropriation Not Required
Does this legislation require use of an emergency clause?
Yes [if so, explain why]
X No
Recommendation
Suggested Action
Staff recommends that Council approve the amendment to the Job Creation Grant Program.
Submitted by,
Thomas J. Sheridan, City Manager
Greg Hannan, Community Development Director
Katie Behnke, Economic Development Manager