SWAMPSCOTT — The Select Board voted unanimously to change the minimum amount for grant applications required for its approval from $5,000 to anything exceeding $50,000 at Wednesday night’s meeting.
During the Board’s April 5 meeting, member MaryEllen Fletcher brought the existing policy to her peers’ attention, and said she did not believe they had been following it. Thus, Chair David Grishman placed the agenda item for Wednesday’s meeting to discuss the policy’s future.
Grishman’s initial stance was that he felt it was unnecessary for the Select Board to be involved in the grant application process at all.
“I’m just worried that the policy is overly onerous to the point where we’re trying to control the day-to-day operations of the town,” Grishman said.
Fletcher, in response, emphasized that she feels the policy should be implemented in some capacity to promote clarity in the community.
“By following this policy, I think it’s going to give us more transparency,” Fletcher said. “If it looks like it’s hindering the staff or the Town Administrator after 12 months, we should revisit it.”
Earlier in the meeting, Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald recommended that the Board change the policy from $5,000 to $500,000. Board member Doug Thompson was the catalyst for the eventual compromise of more than $50,000 that was eventually reached.
“I can see that $5,000 feels pretty small, and I can see that $500,000 feels really big,” Thompson said. “And so I think there’s something between there… I tend to believe that this could be something that would show up on our consent agenda, basically.”
The amount was decided on in part by statistics provided by Director of Finance and Administration Amy Sarro. Sarro obtained a list of 30 grants applied for by Director of Community and Economic Development Marzie Galazka throughout the past five years. In response to a question from the Board’s Vice Chair Katie Phelan, Sarro revealed that 15 exceeded $50,000. Therefore, the Board felt the number it decided on was fair. Board member Peter Spellios clarified that the policy change is ultimately a Select Board decision, as opposed to the Finance Committee.
