Local schools and governments eager to see their collaboration efforts funded will soon have state officials show them the money.
Six “regional information sessions” for the Local Government Innovation Fund are scheduled in January with the one for this area planned for Jan. 17 at Cuyahoga Community College’s Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights.
The $45 million fund has two parts: $9 million in grants to finance “feasibility studies, planning and management,” and $36 million for loans that can be used for actual operations, including equipment costs.
Applications are being taken now and the money will be doled out starting in July. The Controlling Board will make the final decisions, but who will do the detailed work of studying the applications has not been determined.
Controlling Board President Randy Cole said academics at state universities might be asked to “score” the applications.
The fund is part of Gov. John Kasich’s plan to encourage governments, including schools, to streamline and collaborate to save costs.
In addition to saving money, Cole said successful applications will:
• Represent a local commitment to the project, including at least 10 percent of the cost. The local match can be services and other “in-kind” contributions and money from philanthropic operations.
• Show creativity in finding new ways to improve government. Applications will be public record, allowing all governments in the state to see how the improvements are found.
• Demonstrate the practicality of the idea. “We want to make sure, when we award those funds, that it’s going to come to fruition, that the project is going to happen,” Cole said. “What we don’t want to do is fund studies that wind up on shelves.”
Loan money that is paid back will be recycled for more loans. The fund would end in 2015 if it is not renewed and Cole said it will be reviewed before that.
“It’s kind of an experimentation period. It’s an incentive,” he said. “Some projects that can be replicated around the state will get that extra incentive to move forward.”
Grants and awards to single governments cannot exceed $100,000. For each additional government in a collaboration, another $100,000 is possible, up to $500,000. However, Cole said he hopes it also finances some smaller cost-saving operations, too.
For example, he heard of a plan downstate for three counties to consolidate their fuel operations, giving drivers swipe cards and the ability to drive to the closest pumps, even if they are in another county. He said that plan might cost only “tens of thousands of dollars.”
“I definitely think that smaller governments have more to gain in some cases,” he said. “When we did the shared-services survey this fall, we found a lot of interest from smaller governments.” He said he still sees opportunities for combinations between larger governments and some suburbs where both can benefit.
Cole said initial response has been good.
“I think that there already seems to be a lot of interest,” he said. “I personally have gotten phone calls, emails from people who are asking if a project is in line with the goals of the fund.”
Dave Scott can be reached at 330-996-3577 or davescott@thebeaconjournal.com.
