CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Receive the report of funding options for the Indian Community Outreach Organization’s 2026 India Day Parade and Celebration and direct staff accordingly
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DEPARTMENT: Community Services
SUBMITTED BY: Jake Fiedler, Special Events Coordinator
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
The SECA Commission awarded zero funding for the Indian Community Outreach Organization’s 2026 India Day Parade and Celebration.
BACKGROUND:
Under the current allocation methodology employed by the SECA Commission, when a majority of commissioners recommend zero funding for an application, no funding is awarded.
During the December 11, 2025 SECA Commission meeting to discuss and finalize allocations for applicants, the commissioners discussed the request at length for the 2026 India Day Parade and Celebration. Following the deliberation, two commissioners amended their initial recommendations which ultimately resulted in six commissioners recommending zero funding for City Services and five commissioners recommending zero funding for Operations. As such, this resulted in no allocation for the 2026 event.
On February 17, 2026, the City Council affirmed the SECA Commission recommendations and approved the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 SECA Grant Fund Program allocations.
DISCUSSION:
After hearing from members of Indian Community Outreach at the April 7, 2026 meeting under Public Forum, the City Council directed staff to return with options to fund the 2026 India Day Parade and Celebration.
Staff from Community Services and the Finance Department discussed options, and given that the 2025 was canceled after funding was approved, believes the most straightforward solution involves authorizing an extension of the CY 2025 SECA Grant Fund Program award and allocate an amount up to the award total of $91,300.
Approving an award up to the 2025 allocation would provide a mechanism to fund the 2026 event, however it falls well short of the organization’s 2026 request of $398,503.
Also, while this approach maintains alignment with the Municipal Code, and functions as a City Council Change Order, it is inconsistent with SECA policy that prohibits extending prior year allocations or expending funds outside of the award year.
Below are three options for City Council consideration.
Option #1 - Fund City Services only - $49,463
Based off the 2026 Special Events application, staff has provided City Services estimates for both the 2026 parade and celebration in the amount of $24,738 and $24,725 respectively, resulting in a total allocation of $49,463.
Funding City Services only is consistent with the original SECA/Food & Beverage Fund vision from 2004 to remove City Services expenses from the General Fund.
Option #2 - Fund City Services and Operations - $83,963
The SECA Commission recommended, and the City Council affirmed, $34,500 for Operations in CY 2025. This option combines the CY 2025 Operations award with the 2026 City Services estimate of $49,463.
Option #3 - Fund $0 for the 2026 event
No change to the 2026 SECA Commission allocation recommendation of zero dollars.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Option dependent.