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te Edition

Helping communities find the federal funding they need.

AZ

www.fundbook.orgp.� ~ The Fundbook - AZ | May �011

Is Public Service Still Give-and-Take?

Over the past century, and most significantly over the past few decades, there has been a signifi-cant paradigm shift in employer – employee rela-tions and workplace practices. Sadly so, camarade-rie and a symbiotic existence are now considered rare in the workplace. Some might wonder what happened to employee hard-work, dedication, loyalty, and efficiency. But, given diminishing job security and longevity and good pay, benefits and pensions, is it really a mystery? If you want all that, go work for the government… or maybe not. Several of the state’s public pension systems are the latest casualties of this shift, with the intro-duction of S.B. 1609, which is designed to reform the underfunded plans. Nearly all have assets well below the anticipated future payouts. The most prominent part of the bill is that employees’ con-tributions will significantly increase. Disturbing the balance of give-and-take for the public pen-sion systems are considered fighting terms by em-ployees, retirees and unions, which some lawmak-ers feel a lawsuit by public safety unions or the like is imminent, claiming the changes are uncon-stitutional. Not only this, but will these actions deter qualified candidates from public service and safety positions? With final negotiations made in collaboration with the Governor, the bill was passed by the Senate on a 21-9 vote consistent with party lines and subsequently in the House as well. Surely there is room for systemic improvement and adjustments, however, taxpayers may consid-er their taxes well spent by protecting the people that protect us and ensuring qualified responders answer calls with speedy response times.

Supplementing Public Safety

With budget cuts looming over local govern-ments, now is the time to think about those fed-eral and private funding opportunities that can strengthen and supplement FY12 allocations and help retain staff. The U.S. Department of Justice’s

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program competition will be open May 2, 2011. The turn-around is quick with a May 25, 2011 deadline. However, in recent years, with Arizona falling short of the national average of police officers for every 1,000 residents, the possi-bly $200 million available for the hiring and rehir-ing of additional career law enforcement officers, the payoff of potentially hiring up to 50 officers is worth the work to pump out the application by deadline. To find out more about this grant that provides 100 percent funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for 3 years, please visit http://goo.gl/JLoJ9 or contact the COPS Office Response Center at 1-800-421-6770. Similarly, for local fire departments, feeling the staffing pinch, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) provides funds for fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest or-ganizations to hire qualified firefighters. Funding is specifically dedicated to enabling departments to hire trained front line firefighters to improve response time and operational standards. This annual competition is forecasted and is yet to be announced for FY11. For more information on SAFER grants, please visit http://goo.gl/wKILx or call program staff at 1-866-274-0960.

Growth Equals Growing Fees

It seems like everywhere you turn, you are be-ing assessed a fee: for purchases, for vacations, for housing, for driving and parking and much more. This is something we have become accustomed to as the norm and just have to pay. But are we accustomed to being required to pay fees for rea-sons such as overhauling a glass blowing studio, through Development Impact Fees. Development Impact Fees are charged to new developments in certain areas of Arizona, to help pay for infrastruc-ture and public services that need to be expanded as a direct result of the new development. We all know, though, new developments aren’t growing, even if the community may be. With homebuild-

The View from Arizona State

www.fundbook.org May �011 | The Fundbook - AZ ~ p.�

Meggie Chapman & Associates is committed to providing our clients with the ability to acquire valuable information, assess needs and goals, create and enhance programs, cultivate relation-ships, leverage funding, and evaluate and continuously improve performance through our top-notch grant development firm.

Meggie Chapman & Associates understands that no one entity has the same fundraising or evaluation needs. We strongly believe in providing a full-range of customized and value-added consulting services to each client. Each client, short-term and long-term, is considered our partner. For the past eight years, Meggie Chapman and her team have partnered with educational institutions, govern-ment agencies, non-profit organizations, corporations and small businesses in support of their respective missions.

Meggie Chapman & Associates’ personalized process con-sists of a unique, multi-pronged approach that includes research, design, writing, editing, technical support and evaluation. These established processes and our 21st Century innovation and exten-sive network of highly-qualified consultants enables us to offer effi-cient and affordable services, as well as products that we are proud to stand behind. A pure demonstration of the firm’s efficacy is their success at raising millions in funding and connecting clients with valuable knowledge, resources and partnerships. Our ultimate goal is to assist each client to achieve their goals, further their mission and meet their needs.

To get started on your project today or to learn more about how our firm can tailor services to meet your specific needs, please contact Meggie Chapman at:

Phone 602-672-3064Fax 866-422-6024

info@meggiechapmanandassociates.com

Helping communities

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The FundBook bridges the gap between your needs and those sources of federal funding available to your community. With a list of features that is growing each month, the FundBook can help you…

• Stay Organized – User-friendly features help you sort through the federal funding quagmire and locate quality grants.

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are using the FundBook to navigate an increasing array of federal funding opportunities available to cities and counties each year. De-signed to give local government leaders a commanding view of the fed-eral funding process, each issue promotes and educates a do-it-yourself approach to pursuing assistance in Washington, D.C. and working with the federal agencies. The FundBook is designed to be the most user-friendly federal funding resource for all sizes of local government.

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governments, the FundBook endeavors to provide specific, actionable advice rather than general news and policy information. Drawing upon the grant and appropriations experience of our staff and contributors, we strive to give our readers the tools needed to stay on top of the federal funding process every step of the way.

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ers sitting on properties and residents of new de-velopments upside down and surely strapped, is it really effective to hit them with non-vital Devel-opment Impact Fees.

Three Arizona cities have taken the next step and required Cultural Development Impact Fees, which go to support cultural facilities like museums and art centers. Because the economy is in turmoil and cultural facilities are not a ne-cessity, Cultural Development Impact Fees were challenged in county court, the Arizona Court of Appeals and, finally, the Supreme Court. The challenge was defeated. Concurrently, lawmakers passed S.B. 1525 squashing cities’ power to impose cultural impact fees. Municipalities feared this bill would keep them from charging impact fees alto-gether. This not being the case, rather, the bill has a very specific list for which impact fees may not be assessed, including “arts and cultural facilities,” lakes, museums, golf courses and aquatic centers.

As the new bill is implemented, cultural and arts organizations should consider partnering with grantors and sponsors with likeminded mis-sions to raise program-based, capital and opera-tional funding. For example, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust has provided approximately $240 million in funding for Arizona arts and culture non-profits and programs, including funds to the Phoenix Art Museum, Ballet Arizona and the City of Mesa Arts and Culture Department. The Trust supports both well-established arts and culture or-ganizations and smaller, community-based groups in becoming stronger. For additional information on the Trust, please visit http://goo.gl/y4HmJ or by email at info@pipertrust.org. With the passing of the bill, Arizona cities will need to rewrite their impact-fee ordinances to reflect new restrictions. The Arizona League of Cities and Towns has of-fered to help in this process, a process which may be burdensome on already short-staffed local gov-ernment. To take advantage of this opportunity or to utilize any of the League’s resources, please contact them by telephone at 602-258-5786. §

This article is contributed by Meggie Chapman of Meggie Chapman & Associates. Meggie Chapman is very knowledgable of the grants and funding territory in AZ and works with local governments and non-profits on grants-related services there.