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She said that they have a grant researcher that comes in every other week to update the files and she will have him send me those updates. Ms. Stafford reported that most cities are using TIF for most economic redevelopment projects because, at this point, it is easier to use. Grants are becoming scarce and those that are still available are very competitive. Jill Bishop, Economic Development Specialist for the City of New Brighton, said basically the same thing. She indicated that grants are very competitive, especially since many communities from Greater Minnesota are competing with Metro area cities for the same money. She said that a city may have needs but unless they have a qualifying project, it is very difficult to win grants. Ms. Bishop indicated that New Brighton uses TIF for the majority of their projects and usually only applies for grants when they can fill any gaps in funding or can help alleviate a problem with a particular site, e.g. brownfields. Ms. Bishop also indicated that New Brighton is rarely awarded a grant. Ms. Bishop and other city staff have reported that once a grant is awarded,the work only just begins. She reported that often the grants require a 50% matching from cities; that there are "soft costs" associated with administering the grants; there is an investment of staff time to prepare oversight reports to the granting authority;that grants never cover the whole project so there is more time spent in obtaining other funds to fill in; and if the grant is for additional personnel,what happens when the grants expire? The city is then put in a position of having to either fire the extra personnel or use city funds to retain the employees. Another aspect of winning grant funding, especially for the Livable Communities funding, the local government becomes a partner in the planning and loses some autonomy and control in the planning and decision making process associated with the proposed project. • The attached is information on the various redevelopment grants available to cities. Many have a matching requirement and the economic development grants are usually income sensitive to the population they are intended to serve. The City has applied for grants for various projects and equipment. The most recent grant application that was submitted to CTV was for$2,600 for audio equipment in the Great Hall. We received the check last week and it will only slightly offset the total cost of this system. Staff and Council worked together on securing grants and other funding from the Federal government, the State and Ramsey and Hennepin counties for the City's multimillion-dollar flood mitigation project. The City also receives recycling grants available through both Hennepin and Ramsey counties that offsets the costs of the City's recycling programs and recycling efforts. There are also grants that were applied for and that we did not get. On December 15, 1997 I submitted an application to the Department of Natural Resources for a grant that would have provided needed funds for the redevelopment of Central Park. Our application was not approved and the City did not receive a grant for this project. And mostly, as the letter from Hennepin County indicates, the City of St. Anthony is just not eligible for grants.