FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT/Creativity pays off
When Boynton Beach, Fla., officials needed funding for an $8.1 million project to collect and treat stormwater runoff from the downtown area, they had little success in raising the money needed for the project. After exhausting the search for stormwater grants, the city decided to find alternative funding and contracted with a consultant to identify different types of grants to fund the stormwater project.
The project was designed to include a three-acre wet-detention pond that would collect runoff for treatment before releasing it to Lake Worth Lagoon. As a result, Boynton Beach was able to pursue grant opportunities that were not directly related to stormwater issues, including some parks and recreation and environmental funding.
Because the project would enrich the Lake Worth Lagoon ecosystem, the city was awarded $550,000 from the Lake Worth Lagoon Partnership Grant Program. The funding helped defray the cost of the wet-detention pond and, further, helped build a park for city residents. The city constructed a pond for the park, which was filled with treated water from the stormwater facility. With the addition of gazebos and picnic tables, the pond has become a central recreational area for the shared space.
The park was an added benefit that was not conceived in the original stormwater plans, but including it in the grants helped the city secure funding for its project. Building a new recreational area helped satisfy park interests in the community and made the city’s grant application more competitive. By demonstrating that its project would achieve two goals, Boynton Beach was able to fund both projects with grant dollars.
In another example of creative thinking, Temple, Texas, received homeland security funding to promote the quality of its drinking water to residents. Located in the heart of Texas, Temple wanted to convince its residents that its local water was just as good as other bottled water. By purchasing recyclable plastic bottles, filling them with municipal water and distributing them at city events, the city hoped to encourage residents to drink more local water and take pride in their community.
The city wanted to fund the entire cost of the project, which totaled $75,000, with grant awards but discovered that the availability of grant funding specifically for purchasing plastic bottles was nonexistent. So Temple looked at the indirect benefits of the program — such as recycling awareness, senior and child health, and disaster preparedness — and pursued grants in those areas.
Funding for the project was found from a homeland security grant. What do water bottles have to do with homeland security?
Within the requirements of the grant guidelines, Temple was able to stockpile a portion of water bottles to be used in case of an emergency and to address disaster preparedness. Because of creative thinking, the city was able to meet the goals of the project with funds from a grant it had not originally considered.
By examining every angle of a proposed project, local governments, like Boynton Beach and Temple, can make their grant applications more competitive. They can increase the range of opportunities that can be used to fund a complex project.
The author is vice president for Pasadena, Calif.-based eCivis.