The Little Five Points Business Association has asked us for $5,000 towards the operating budge of the mini-precinct in Little Five Points. They need about $20,000 per year for rent & utilities. Labor (one police officer) is provided & paid for by the City of Atlanta.
Their funding for 2012 includes $5,000 from the Inman Park Neighborhood Association, $5,000 from the Halloween Festival, and $6,000 in donations from businesses and individuals (numbers taken from the budget they provided in the grant request). Our $5,000 would complete their funding needs for 2012.
More information about this grant can be found in this article written by the Little Five Points Business Association.
When we discussed this grant, the board expressed reservations about the limited contribution from businesses and the hours the precinct is staffed (9-5 on weekdays only). There were also concerns about the size of our expected contribution given that our budget is significantly smaller than IPNA.
We have asked several times what it would take to adjust operating hours to more closely conform to our current crime problem times — evenings and weekends — but have not gotten an answer. To help make a solution to that a priority, a board member proposed a compromise: $2,500 given unconditionally, and $2,500 given on the condition that staffing transitions to at least 20 hours a week between 7pm and 2am.
The board recommendation is to support this grant application with the condition that these requirements are included. We voted on the following proposed motion:
"A motion to give $5,000 to the Little Five Points Business Association for rent and utility expenses related to operating the Mini-Precinct. Half of this money will be given immediately, and half once APD staffs the precinct between 7pm and 2am at least 20 hours per week."
We will take a vote on this grant application at our upcoming membership meeting on Monday, January 16th.
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