City changes funding process

After complaints about the way Costa Mesa officials doled out federal funds for community organizations, city leaders reformed the process last year, and while it has quelled most of the opposition, some questions have been raised as it appears a long-standing after-school program will get shut out of funding.

The Residential Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Committee, which is responsible for recommending the allocation of more than $200,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds for Costa Mesa social programs, released its list for the upcoming year. Some new programs have been recommended for funding for the first time, while others such as Save Our Youth that were awarded funds in the past were left out.

The City Council will discuss and vote on the recommendations at its May 6 meeting.

Under the new system, each member of the six-person evaluation team scores each organization from zero to 100. Subjectivity is limited because many of the criteria are numerical and indisputable.

“Each score is broken down into 20 sub-categories. It’s the most objective standard that I’ve ever seen,” said Keith Scheinberg, a member of the evaluation team who has served on other similar committees.

Evaluators are mandated to give points to organizations if they meet certain qualifications, Scheinberg said. For instance, an organization that serves primarily Costa Mesa residents must be given a set number of points for it. Before, committee members gave scores based on feelings about each organization overall.

The last year the city used its old system, Save our Youth, a large after-school program for Westside children, received a 100 score from one evaluator, zero from another and scores in the 50s and 60s by the rest. Save our Youth received $5,786 that year. This year, Save our Youth’s ratings were all within a 20-point range, which Trevor Murphy, the organization’s executive director, considers a vast improvement in fairness, but he’s bothered his organization was not recommended for any funding this year.

He thinks his organization is at a disadvantage because it’s much harder for him to statistically prove his program achieves its mission of keeping kids off the streets and encouraging them to achieve in the classroom.

“The new criteria has definitely helped those who have an easy way of objectively showing the value of their programs, but it’s very difficult to show evidence of youth violence prevention,” Murphy said.

Save our Youth, a large center connected to Rea Elementary School, was filled with students doing homework, shooting pool, lifting weights and rehearsing music when a reporter visited Thursday. The organization has a total operating budget of $350,000 per year, which is funded almost exclusively by private donors, so the denial of city money will not seriously affect the program. This year Save Our Youth asked for money for a health and fitness program that addresses child obesity.

The committee decided the program was “not consistent with the Save our Youth mission.” Scheinberg said there is still subjectivity in deciding which organizations to fund. A program’s funding might depend heavily on how much difference the committee thinks the city’s money would make in the lives of the people the program aims to help.

The Wilson Street Learning Center, a tutoring center run by the Harbor Christian Fellowship applying for funding for the first time, was recommended to receive $5,000.

“I was really excited about the money,” said Gina Gartner, the center’s director.

Her program is also on Costa Mesa’s Westside, and serves a majority Latino population. Nearby Youth Employment Services, which was recommended for $20,000 hosts a similar demographic, and its director, Kathy Du Vernet, thinks the system for deciding funding has become much more objective and just.

“I’ve been very impressed with how that progressed over the years to what seems like a very fair process,” Du Vernet said.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley said she will advocate for Save our Youth at the May 6 meeting.

“I plan on raising the issue and asking the council to consider granting [Save our Youth] some funding. The students who participate in SOY help the city in so many ways by volunteering, so it seems like the right thing to do to reciprocate,” Foley said.

Councilwoman Wendy Leece said she hadn’t had a chance to look over the recommendations yet, and attempts to contact council members Linda Dixon, Allan Mansoor and Mayor Eric Bever were unsuccessful Monday.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.