DATE:
June 17, 2025
TO:
Mayor and Council Members
FROM:
Rachel Molina, City Manager
BY:
Nathan R. Freeman, Director of Development Services
Eydee Jimenez, Economic Development Supervisor
SUBJECT:
2025-2026 Community Assistance Program – Grant Awards
RECOMMENDED ACTION
It is recommended that the City Council, after reviewing the Hesperia City Council Advisory Committee (CCAC) Community Assistance Program (CAP) applicant rankings (Exhibit A), adopt Resolution No. 2025-017 to approve Program Year (FY 2025–26) CAP funding for each applicant.
BACKGROUND
To be eligible for CAP, applicants must be tax-exempt nonprofit organizations serving Hesperia residents, with at least 75 percent of their unduplicated service goal delivered between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Applicants must also demonstrate the capacity to collect and submit client intake forms. Required documentation includes:
Articles of Incorporation and bylaws.
IRS nonprofit determination letter.
Organizational chart for FY 2025–26.
Current list of board of directors for FY 2025–26.
On January 14, 2025, staff published the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for CAP, promoting it via the City’s website, official social media channels, the Hesperia Branch Library, and City Hall. The City received 16 applications by the February 13, 2025, deadline.
On March 6, 2025, staff presented these applications to the CCAC for review and scoring. The CCAC noted that the original application lacked clarity and detail, which hindered effective evaluation, and requested a larger applicant pool.
In response, staff revised the application to improve response quality and clarify requirements:
Section B – Program/Project Description: Increased minimum word count from 25 to 100 to elicit more detailed responses.
Section D – Other Funding Sources: Applicants must specify intended uses of “Other” funding and list all current external funding sources.
Section F – Required Documents: Clarified that submission of both Articles of Incorporation and bylaws is mandatory.
The revised NOFA reopened on March 31, 2025, with a deadline of April 28, 2025. To support applicants, Economic Development division staff hosted a CAP Application Workshop (offered in-person and virtually) on April 9, 2025.
The City received 20 applications during the second round, meeting the CCAC’s request for a larger pool. Resolution No. 2024-037 originally established CAP guidelines to fund ten applicants, each to receive $5,000, for a total of $50,000. However, the CCAC’s May 13, 2025, ranking (Exhibit A) recommends funding twelve applicants. In cases of tied scores, organizations were ranked alphabetically by name. This recommendation exceeds the adopted guidelines by two grantees.
Scoring Methodology:
The CCAC evaluated a total of eighteen (18) eligible applications during its May 13, 2025, special hearing. Each committee member independently ranked the applications in order of preference, assigning a score from one (1) to eighteen (18), with one (1) indicating the highest preference. The individual rankings from each committee member were then compiled and summed to calculate a cumulative score for each applicant. Applications with lower cumulative scores reflect higher overall preference by the committee. In the event of a tie score, organizations were ranked alphabetically by name.
The final rankings are shown in Exhibit A and form the basis of the CCAC's recommendation to fund the top twelve applicants.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
The CCAC took the following under consideration when making their recommendations:
Eligibility.
Community need.
Financial need of the program/project.
Financial capacity to administer the program.
Funding the applicants receive from other sources.
City Council must reconcile the discrepancy between the CCAC’s recommendation for twelve grantees and the adopted guideline of ten grantees. Options include:
Amend Resolution No. 2024-037 to allocate $50,000 among twelve grantees.
Limit awards to the top ten ranked applicants, at $5,000 per grantee.
The City Council retains the discretion to modify or disregard CCAC recommendations in making final award determinations.
CITY GOAL SUPPORTED BY THIS ITEM
Future Development - Facilitate balanced growth to ensure cohesive community development and pursue economic development.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this program in the amount of $50,000 will be included in the FY 2025–26 Budget within account 100.01.100.0000.8000.
ALTERNATIVE(S)
Provide alternative direction to staff.
ATTACHMENT(S)
Resolution No. 2025-017
Exhibit A: CCAC Ranking Recommendations
Application Notebooks (Binders provided under separate cover) Page PAGE 2 of NUMPAGES 2
Staff Report to the Mayor and Council Members
Community Assistance Program – Grant Awards
June 17, 2025
City of Hesperia
STAFF REPORT