CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the Calendar Year 2026 SECA Grant Fund Program City Obligations allocations in the amount of $1,309,198
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DEPARTMENT: Community Services
SUBMITTED BY: Miranda Barfuss, Community Grants Manager
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 2026 with a three-year award history. A description of each request is also included for reference.
CY 2026 SECA Grant Fund Program - City Obligations Allocation
|
Organization |
CY 22 |
CY 23 |
CY 24 |
CY 25 |
CY 26 |
|
4th of July Fireworks - City Contribution |
20,000 |
40,000 |
40,000 |
40,000 |
64,097 |
|
4th of July Shuttle Buses |
30,000 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
DCM Purchase Reimbursement |
150,000 |
150,000 |
150,000 |
- |
- |
|
Carillon Maintenance |
110,023 |
111,673 |
114,748 |
154,255 |
157,753 |
|
Grant Management Software Maintenance |
6,775 |
7,000 |
- |
- |
- |
|
Century Walk Public Art - Capital |
100,000 |
100,000 |
100,000 |
- |
- |
|
Century Walk Public Art - Maintenance |
50,000 |
50,000 |
50,000 |
- |
- |
|
Naperville Public Art - Maintenance |
- |
- |
- |
75,000 |
75,000 |
|
Naperville Development Partnership |
175,000 |
175,000 |
185,000 |
185,000 |
185,000 |
|
Naperville Municipal Band |
151,451 |
149,766 |
145,359 |
157,143 |
165,402 |
|
NCTV17 - Community Event Coverage |
24,000 |
24,000 |
24,000 |
- |
- |
|
NCTV17 - Naperville News |
36,000 |
36,000 |
36,000 |
- |
- |
|
NCTV17 - Television News & Event Coverage |
- |
- |
- |
60,000 |
61,800 |
|
NCTV17 - Annual Contribution |
|
- |
- |
- |
200,000 |
|
Riverwalk Maintenance |
183,334 |
186,085 |
272,817 |
277,065 |
308,621 |
|
Special Events Coordinator |
87,134 |
89,748 |
90,492 |
92,936 |
91,525 |
|
Total City Obligations |
1,123,717 |
1,119,272 |
1,208,416 |
1,041,399 |
1,309,198 |
4th of July Fireworks
In 2022, the Park District assumed management of the fireworks contract and shared costs with the City in the amount of $40,000. The City Services (Police, Fire, DPW) costs for the fireworks were previously submitted as a grant request and funded at some level through SECA discretionary funding. If the funds granted did not cover the actual City Services costs, however, the SECA fund covered the remaining cost. To eliminate the redundant need for the SECA Commission to allocate funding for the fireworks City Services costs, the 2026 City Services costs are now included in the City Obligation request. The 2026 City Services estimate for the fireworks is $24,097 ($2,191 DPW, $1,196 Fire, $20,710 Police) and is combined with the $40,000 fireworks cost share for a combined total of $64,097.
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 [Expired]
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.
Carillon Maintenance
Annual capital repair
Grant Management Software Maintenance [Eliminated]
In 2024, annual maintenance costs for grant management software were eliminated by transitioning to an in-house system.
Century Walk Public Art - Capital [Expired]
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.
Century Walk Public Art - Maintenance [Expired]
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.
Naperville Public Art - Maintenance
In CY 2025, the City assumed 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 list of projects for maintenance may change if unexpected maintenance issues arise throughout the year. Maintenance costs will not exceed the approved $75,000 amount. According to the audit schedule, the following projects are programmed for maintenance in CY 2026:
|
Public Art Piece |
Maintenance Cost |
|
|
A City in Transit |
$10,600 |
* |
|
A Lifetime Together |
$3,400 |
* |
|
Dick Tracy |
$6,300 |
|
|
Growth & Change |
$12,500 |
|
|
Lean On Us |
$600 |
* |
|
Naperville (map) |
$8,200 |
|
|
QR Code for 54 Public Arts |
$700 |
|
|
Reading Children |
$2,800 |
|
|
Spirit of the American Doughboy |
$3,800 |
|
|
Spirit of the American Navy |
$3,800 |
|
|
The Way We Were |
$13,500 |
|
|
Veteran's Valor |
$8,800 |
|
|
Total |
$75,000 |
|
|
*located on private property |
|
|
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.
NCTV17 - Annual Contribution [New]
At the October 28, 2025 City Council Budget Workshop, Council indicated support for adding a $200,000 annual obligation to support NCTV17 operations. Support was reaffirmed at the November 10, 2025 City Council Budget Workshop.
Riverwalk Maintenance
Annual capital repair and replacements
Special Events Coordinator
Salary and benefits for special event coordination
FISCAL IMPACT:
$1,309,198 will be allocated to CY 2026 City Obligations from the SECA Grant Program Fund.