Council divvies federal funds

The Costa Mesa City Council voted unanimously to approve the allocation of more than $200,000 in federal funds to various local groups, despite a few comments from audience and council members desiring alterations Tuesday.

Recommendations on which organizations to fund and how much money to give were made by the Redevelopment and Residential Rehabilitation committee prior to the meeting, and included grants to a few new applicants and cuts to others that received funding last year.

The 19 organizations that applied asked for more than $400,000, but only $202,342 were at the committee’s disposal.

“We recognize that all programs and all people that come are excellent programs. That’s what makes the decision of allocating half the required amount so difficult,” said Bob Norling, a member of the committee.

He noted that the committee decided to cut about $5,000 from senior programs this year, but the cuts represented a relatively modest amount compared with the cuts to other types of programs.

Councilwoman Wendy Leece, who has questioned the senior center management and inspected its facilities recently, said her scrutiny of senior programs was especially careful because of her status as senior center liaison, but she didn’t intend to cut any additional funding for the center.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley took issue with the fact that the audience was not presented with a summary of the programs that applied or the reasons for the funding allotted at the meeting.

She recommended a slide show with information about the organizations be presented in front of the council.

“Aside from members of the committee and the council, no one from the audience knows what organizations we’re funding,” Foley said.

Councilman Allan Mansoor disagreed that such a presentation was necessary, replying that Redevelopment and Residential Rehabilitation committee meetings were public and that anyone interested is welcome to attend.

He appealed to community members to get involved in the process early, so their opinions could be heard.

Save our Youth, a Westside after-school program, was denied funding, despite protests from Councilwomen Linda Dixon and Foley.

Dixon recommended $10,000 of the $25,000 allotment for Colette’s Children’s Home be given to Save our Youth instead, but nothing came of it.

Mike Linares, Community Development Block Grant coordinator with the city manager’s office, said the committee decided not to fund Save our Youth because the health program they applied for was not consistent with their previously stated mission of gang prevention.

Foley said the connection was clear because teaching kids how to live in a healthy manner helps keep them off the streets.

“[Children] are not eating properly because of fast food and not exercising because of computers,” Dixon said, citing that the president had made youth health programs a priority and the city should do the same.

By press deadline, the committee had not yet voted on the remaining $1.1 million of grant funds, which are used for longer-term city projects.

FEDERAL FUNDS AWARDED

The Costa Mesa City Council allocated these funds to the following local organizations:

 Youth Employment Services — $20,000

 Colette’s Children’s Home — $25,000

 Costa Mesa Senior Corporation Social Services — $20,000

 Women Helping Women — $15,000

 Community Senior Serv — $22,500

 Mercy House (Transitional) — $15,000

 Costa Mesa Senior Lunch Box — $12,000

 Project Independence — $12,842

 Mika — $5,000

 Alzheimers Family Service Center — $10,000

 Mercy House (Prevention) — $0

 Wilson Street Learning Center — $5,000

 Costa Mesa Senior Corporation Preventive Health — $10,000

 Healthy Smiles — $0

 Elwyn — $15,000

 Council on Aging — $5,000

 Human Options — $10,000

 Save our Youth — $0

 Saint Vincent de Paul — $0

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