Funds Sought - Grant money being divided
Kentucky Post
"Funds sought to beef up patrols"
Grant money being divided
By Jeanne Houck
Published: March 23, 2005
Click here for a photocopy of this article retyped below.
Covington's Citizens Participation Committee tonight will recommend that the city commission allocate $99,000 in federal funds to employ police officers to beef up patrols in the city's low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The recommended police allocation is the largest dollar-wise the committee will make when it recommends division of some $346,280 in Community Development Block Grant funds among 12 agencies.
But the recommendation comes with a note of criticism for the police department..
In a memo to the city commission dated last Friday, the citizens committee said it slashed the police department's request for $198,000 in half in part because money is short and in part because the committee ranked the police department application lowest among all applications based on factors that include the value and presentation of the request:
"This low score was due to a poorly worded and incomplete application; their representative being unable to answer questions during their presentation to the (citizens committee); the lack of noticeable improvement in crime or safety in neighborhoods receiving extra police patrols from the current police department (community development block) grant," the committee said in its memo.
Police Chief Tom Schonecker, who is serving as acting city manager as Covington searches for a successor to Greg Jarvis, did not want to discuss the criticism.
"That's their opinion. It's up to the city commission to make a decision," Schonecker said Monday.
The Covington City Commission meets at 7 tonight at city hall at Madison Avenue and Seventh Street.
The citizens committee has 13 members appointed by the mayor and city commissioners and is a requirement of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which awards block grant funds.
In a memo with its funding recommendations, the citizens committee said it focused on youth, art and crime prevention requests.
In addition to the police funding recommendation, the citizens committee will recommend these agencies get funds:
• Covington Neighborhood, Parks and Recreation Department, $60,000 for after-school and summer enrichment programs for youths.
• Senior Services of Northern Kentucky, 50,000 for meals.
• Children's Home of Northern Kentucky, $27,000 to teach coping skills to children with behavioral problems.
• Covington Community Center, $22,000 for arts and programs to develop leadership skills.
• ART Machine Inc., $22,000 to create a children's art museum at 812 Russell St.
• Girl Scout Council of Licking Valley, $17,907 for in-school, after-school and summer in scouting events for Covington public schoolchildren.
• Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, $15,000 for temporary housing for homeless women and children.
• Women's Crisis Center, $10,000 for victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual abuse.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, $10,000 for daily programs and weekly field trips.
• Housing Authority of Covington, $7,900 for after-school programs at public housing sites.
• The Jane Roberta Summers Foundation, $5,473 to replace the roof before the foundation renovates 13-15 East Ninth Street.