Golden Triangle Planning and Development District pitched its services to Columbus City Council during Thursday’s work session, offering to draw up a free assessment of the city’s needs.
GTPDD Executive Director Rudy Johnson told the council his organization had extensive experience in the grant-writing arena and were ready to put it at the city’s disposal.
“(My grant-writing staff) has 109 years of grant-writing experience,” Johnson said. “Since 2009 we have had a $1.2 billion impact in our seven counties. I think in Lowndes County we’ve brought in $125 million worth of grants.”
Johnson said his team could help the city with a needs assessment at no cost.
“We would see where y’all are and what kinds of projects you’re looking for,” Johnson said. “We’d just like to write the grants and help y’all any way we can.”
GTPDD would not charge the city to write grants, Johnson said, and would only be paid administrative commission from funds received.
For example if you had (a Community Development Block Grant) and a consultant came in to help you, they would charge you for writing the grant,” Johnson said. “We don’t charge you to write the grant. Most of the time it’s a $5,000 to $10,000 fee, and if (the grant) gets funded we get paid from the administrative fees (included with the grant).”
Johnson also said GTPDD could handle administering grants once they have been awarded.
“Any time you deal with federal dollars you have to deal with federal rules,” Johnson said. “As far as I know we’ve never had a finding (when dealing with federal money). We cross every T and dot every I. We make sure we follow the rules because (grant writers George Crawford and Phylis Benson) don’t look good in stripes.”
Gaskin told Johnson he would be in touch to set up the needs assessment.
After the meeting, Gaskin told The Dispatch he thought GTPDD could work in synergy with a planned grant writer position in City Hall.
The Fiscal Year 2024 budget included a $50,000-per-year grant writer position. The city is currently advertising for candidates.
“We are trying to make sure that we are not missing out on any opportunities for potential grant funding within the city,” Gaskin said. “… The more hands you have on deck to make sure you’re putting the best process forward, the better. It’s a resource that’s there, so why wouldn’t we use it?”
‘Baffled’
At least one councilman found the situation confusing, however.
“I’m a little baffled,” Vice Mayor and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens told The Dispatch Thursday afternoon. “We’ve got ads out now that we’re hiring a grant writer, and now we’ve got (Johnson) coming up here about doing the same thing. I’m trying to see where we’re at.”
Mickens said he wants to sit down with Gaskin and the other members of the council to talk about the issue in more depth.
“We just need to sit down and see what direction we’re going to go in,” Mickens said. “Would we choose both? How would we pay them both? Does the PDD handle it all themselves? Do we need a grant writer?”
Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard said he wants to proceed with hiring a grant writer.
“I would rather put (the grant writer position) out and advertise and see what we get instead of just going with what pops out in front of us,” Beard told The Dispatch Thursday afternoon. “I’d like to go down this road and see how that pans out before we make any decision about (using GTPDD).”
Money for the amphitheater
Mickens said he hopes any grant writer, no matter who it ended up being, would go after funds to complete the Terry Brown Amphitheater.
The city asked the legislature for $5 million in 2015 to build the Terry Brown Amphitheater, but was only awarded $3.2 million. The project has not seen much improvement since 2016, and was flooded by the adjacent Tombigbee River in 2019 and 2020.
Remaining work includes installing hardback seating, adding restrooms and concessions as well as turnstiles and ticket booths. The city also would like to fence the venue and add landscaping and parking.
The city unsuccessfully asked the legislature for funding in this year’s session.
“Me and the mayor don’t agree on a whole lot, but we agree on this,” Mickens said. “I would like to see the amphitheater complete. We need to find some grants out there for that. … The number one thing for me is finishing that amphitheater.”
Beard agreed.
“We need some kind of tourism grant to get the amphitheater complete,” Beard said. “… We also have a growing homelessness issue in Columbus, and I’d like (the grant writer) to see if there are any grants for homeless shelters or warming shelters.”
The Dispatch was unable to reach Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Stewart and Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco by press time.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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