Lee on grocery site submission portal and nonprofit capital delays

Earlier you mentioned the grocery store site submission form is open for applications.

So how are you planning on incentivizing the private owners to possibly use their sites or their, you know, if they have properties or if they have land, how would you incentivize them to apply?

Yeah, so we are getting the word out there, so please help us get the word out there.

We are doing a big marketing campaign.

So we've had quite a lot of, we can see how many people have gone on and looked at it.

And so it just opened.

So we're still gathering information, but that's how we're getting the word out, just by marketing and also direct emails, because we know a lot of these property owners and brokers,

to ensure that the word is getting out there.

Perfect.

And just my last question, because I'd be remiss coming from the nonprofit sector without bringing up the capital projects that run through EDC from the nonprofit perspective.

Because I think we got awarded city funds in...

I say we because I still feel like I'm part of the nonprofit community, but got awarded funding in 2018, and they literally, I think, just got their CP like a month ago, right?

And so when I think about the fact that these organizations...

Need the space and the renovation and the funding to provide services to the community, not for a for-profit benefit or reason.

Plus, you know, I think with costs, like if we're talking about savings and just costs, the fact that all that time has passed, you know, the costs have gone up, the funding hasn't, right?

And so what ends up happening is the scope of work has to continually decrease.

And it just, you know, is a drain on the nonprofit organizations where they have to take out high interest loans.

So the total cost of the projects end up costing the city more.

And so I'm just wondering from your perspective.

I get that there's regulations and that there's processes that need to happen and checks and balances with OMB.

But back then when I was still at my organization, I have to say EDC was great in the sense that the staffers we were working with at EDC felt really bad for us because a lot of it was not on us.

We were submitting all the paperwork.

It's just that the process itself is so cumbersome a lot of times.

And so I'm just wondering from your perspective if there are ways that we can look at perhaps

not foregoing regulation, but also streamlining some of it so that it doesn't take as long for these groups to get their funding.

So I just wanted to get your thoughts on that.

Yeah, that's through our funding agreements, which is a fantastic group, and they work really closely, as you said, with the nonprofits and applicants.

And I think...

You know, people really, nonprofits want to go through EDC because we take that very tailored approach and we try to move things on very quickly.

There's very strict rules with these grants.

It's on a reimbursement basis.

There's so much paperwork, as you can imagine, and it has to go through OMB and OMB Council.

So there is a lot of process.

But yes, you know, we recognize that it can be a hardship for nonprofits.

I mean, EDC has a lot of capital projects that we do on behalf of our assets as well as DOT parks and libraries.

And so we're not in a not dissimilar situation.

And so we really work hard to building a very close relationship with OMB so we can move these.

CPs as much as we, as fast as we possibly can, but as you can imagine, it is a process with limited staff on their side.

So, but we will continue to look at that and try to make sure that we understand the burden it has on nonprofits.

Yeah, and if there's any sort of

task force or group internally that can look at this periodically, I think that would be great because it's just,

I just, I cannot tell you how badly I feel because these organizations are just trying to do good work on the ground and then they get stuck with all this paperwork and then can't do things.

So I ended up having to be a professional fundraiser or event planner because I had so many

you know, like I had, you know, and it's like, okay, we just did a capital campaign and then we're doing another one and the community's like, didn't we just submit, you know, didn't we just give you guys donations for a capital campaign?

I'm like, yeah, but you know, there's all these extra costs.

And so would love to have that feedback.

Yeah, we'd be happy to work on that.

Okay, perfect.

And I think, does anyone have any other questions?

Yeah.

Do you have more?

Oh, okay.

Well, if you think of more, we can always submit after and then ask for follow-up.

So, and I think with that, we are done with, what are we on, day four of hearings?

So I can gavel out, but thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.