CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the Calendar Year 2025 SECA Grant Fund Program City Obligations allocations in the amount of $1,041,399
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DEPARTMENT: Community Services
SUBMITTED BY: Miranda Barfuss, Community Grants Coordinator
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
A portion of the Special Events and Community Arts (SECA) Grant Fund Program is dedicated to obligations that must be funded in accordance with an ordinance, resolution, intergovernmental agreement, or in support of fund administration. In 2016, City Council assumed review/allocation authority for these items, renamed the category “City Obligations” and expanded it over the years to include the following:
4th of July Fireworks Century Walk Public Art - Capital
Carillon Maintenance Century Walk Public Art - Maintenance
DCM Purchase Reimbursement Grant Management Software
NDP Marketing Naperville Municipal Band
NCTV17 Event Coverage NCTV17 News Coverage
Riverwalk Maintenance Special Events Coordinator
On August 17, 2021, upon approving the Calendar Year (CY) 2022 City Obligations allocations, the City Council expressed concern regarding financial oversight of the recipients and directed staff to develop an application process for City Obligations recipients similar to that of discretionary SECA funding applicants.
As such, staff created a City Obligations Application which requires grantees to explain the community impact of the request and the organization’s SECA award history. The application also requires the submission of the most recently completed agency audit or annual financial statement, a detailed budget worksheet, Federal Form 990 (if required to file), and a Disclosure of Interest.
DISCUSSION:
The table below depicts the requests for CY 2025 with a three-year award history. A description for each request is also included for reference.
CY 2025 SECA Grant Fund Program - City Obligations Allocation
4th of July Fireworks
Historically, the City participated in a three-way financial contribution for the annual fireworks celebration with the event organizer and the Naperville Park District. In 2022, the Park District assumed management of the fireworks contract and costs are shared with the City only.
4th of July Shuttle Buses
In 2020, the fireworks celebration was relocated to Frontier Sports Complex as a stand-alone event. Frontier Sports Complex, Neuqua Valley High School and surrounding properties can accommodate parking for nearly 4,000 vehicles and the shuttles are not currently needed. Staff monitors the parking and traffic each year to evaluate the need for shuttle buses.
DCM Purchase Reimbursement
The City allocated a capital fund payback for the purchase of the property located at 301 N. Washington St. occupied by the DuPage Children’s Museum. The payback was completed in 2024 and no funds are requested for 2025.
Carillon Maintenance
Annual capital repair
Grant Management Software Maintenance
In 2024, annual maintenance costs for grant management software were eliminated by transitioning to an in-house system.
Century Walk Public Art - Capital
Century Walk was established in 1996 to create culturally significant and diverse public art throughout Naperville. Since that time, Century Walk has led a public art initiative in Naperville featuring murals, mosaics, reliefs, mobiles, and sculptures throughout the City. In 2021, the City Council conditionally designated to Century Walk $100,000 annual capital grants for calendar years 2022, 2023 and 2024 to assist Century Walk with financing the establishment of specific local public art projects. CY 2024 was the third and final year of the designated $100,000 capital grants. Under the terms of its agreement with the City, Century Walk is eligible to request a capital grant for CY 2025 but has not done so. Staff has met with Century Walk and it is working on succession planning.
Century Walk Public Art - Maintenance
In 2021, in addition to the capital grants mentioned above, the City Council conditionally designated to Century Walk $50,000 annual maintenance grants for calendar years 2022, 2023 and 2024 to assist Century Walk with maintaining local public art. CY 2024 was the third and final year of the designated $50,000 maintenance grants. Under the terms of its agreement with the City, Century Walk is eligible to request a maintenance grant for CY 2025 but has not done so. Staff has met with Century Walk and it is working on succession planning.
Naperville Public Art - Maintenance
Century Walk, having not submitted a CY 2025 request for a maintenance grant, the City plans to assume maintenance for existing public art pieces on a year-to-year basis. The City retained the services of Century Walk’s curator, Dodie Mondero, to provide an audit of existing pieces, communicate the priorities for maintenance each year, and provide said maintenance. The following projects are scheduled for maintenance in CY 2025:
Naperville Development Partnership
Dine Naperville restaurant marketing program, including production, printing and distribution of the annual Dining Guide and other advertising and marketing activities
Naperville Municipal Band
Annual performances and appearances
NCTV17 Television News & Event Coverage
Combining the previously separated City Obligation amounts for Community Event Coverage and Naperville News streamlines grant tracking for NCTV17 and provides greater flexibility for applying funding to the area of greatest need. The total request has not increased since it began in 2015.
Riverwalk Maintenance
Annual capital repair and replacements
Special Events Coordinator
Salary and benefits for special event coordination
FISCAL IMPACT:
$1,041,399 will be allocated to CY 2025 City Obligations from the SECA Grant Program Fund.