The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About03/03/2026 - Meeting Minutes www.SLC.gov 451 S State Street www.SLCMayor.com 0 Salt Lake City,UT 84111 SLC FOOD MICROGRANT • COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026 The following members of the SLC Food Microgrant Selection Committee were present: In-Person Maria Schwarz, Chair Maria Romero Electronic Marifer Rivera Leesie Clegg, Vice Chair, Secretary James Hunter Karina Villalba The following members were absent: Josh Rebollo Also Present: Monica O'Malley, Salt Lake City staff Minutes by Leesie Clegg, Salt Lake City Sustainability Department Meeting Time: 2:38 p.m. I Time Commenced: 3:46 p.m. 1. Welcome & Roll Call Chair Schwarz thanked the committee for lending time to this process. After Chair Schwarz gave a brief overview of the meeting agenda, each committee member introduced themselves, their connection to the SLC Food Microgrant program and shared their favorite food in Salt Lake City. 2. Open & Public Meetings Act (OPMA) Training Chair Schwarz explained why the Committee must comply with OPMA. The Committee watched the OPMA training video. www.SLC.gov 451 S State Street www.SLCMayor.com 0 Salt Lake City,UT 84111 3. Committee by-laws review & adoption The Committee reviewed the draft Selection Committee By Laws. Chair Schwarz shared that she would have reduced hours in March (2026), therefore it was possible Vice Chair Clegg would need to step in as Chair and Ms. O'Malley would support Secretary duties. With a motion from Committee Member Hunter and a second from Committee Member Romero, the voting members present unanimously adopted the By Laws, appointing Maria Schwarz as Committee Chair and Leesie Clegg as Committee Vice Chair and Secretary. 4. Overview of SLC Food Microgrant Program Chair Schwarz gave an overview of the SLC Food Microgrant Program, including the Program purpose, history, and logistics. 1. Purpose Chair Schwarz explained that nearly 1-in-4 Salt Lake City residents struggle to buy food, and more than 1-in-3 residents are not able to access the types of food they prefer to eat. Coupling this with the rise in grocery prices and other food system challenges, there is a need to provide greater access to food resources and opportunities in Salt Lake City. Therefore, the purpose of the Program is to increase access to healthy, affordable, culturally relevant food and build an inclusive community around healthy food choices, so individuals living in Salt Lake City have many opportunities to shape, participate in, and enjoy a sustainable, accessible, and resilient local food environment. 2. History Chair Schwarz noted that this will be the fourth year of the program. She explained the role of the SLC Resident Food Equity Advisors and how they recommended the City create a microgrant program to help increase food system resiliency. 3. Logistics Chair Schwarz explained the program goals and gave an overview of program basics, including that the Program received about $50,000 in grant funding from the general fund. Chair Schwarz www.SLC.gov 451 S State Street www.SLCMayor.com 0 Salt Lake City,UT 84111 also shared the two different grant types, being $250 Home Food Production Grants and Community Grants up to $5,000 and reviewed program eligibility requirements. Chair Schwarz also explained the four key funding categories: (1)growing food, (2) inclusive outreach and communications, (3) dignified food access, and (4) neighborhood healthy food environments. The Committee reviewed which groups of people were identified by the Resident Food Equity Advisors as being the most negatively impacted by the food system. Chair Schwarz emphasized the impact this program has had on past awardees and their communities. 5. Review of scoring process & rubric Chair Schwarz explained the challenges of traditional grantmaking and how the Committee can address those to promote accessibility. Chair Schwarz proposed a method for how grants will be scored, and no committee members objected. The Committee agreed that all voting members will review all Community Grant applications in which they don't have a conflict of interest. The Committee also agreed that each committee member with no conflicts of interest with the Home Food Production Grant process will review a selection of Home Food Production applications, so each application is reviewed by at least three members. The Committee reviewed the Home Food Production Grant scoring rubric, the Community Grant scoring rubric, the number of applications received, and the amount of funding requested. Chair Schwarz also shared the names of 37 organizations who applied for Community Grants, mentioning that many were new to the grant. The Committee agreed to review applicants for possible conflicts of interest and let Chair Schwarz know by the end of the week. 6. Next steps &timeline Chair Schwarz reviewed next steps and timeline of the decision-making process, explaining that Committee Members must review their selection of Home Food Production applications by March 16t" in preparation for the next meeting on March 17t" 7.Adjourn There being no further discussion, a motion to adjourn by Committee Member Villalba, seconded by Vice Chair Clegg, was agreed upon unanimously by the Committee. Mara schan 03/18/2026 APPROVED: Maria Schwarz(Mar 18,2026 10:30:39 MDT) DATE: