BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – During the afternoon session of its April 2 meeting, the Gainesville City Commission approved a $45,000 forgivable loan for Heartwood Soundstage and asked staff to come back with options for a loan program that would support arts organizations.
At the City Commission’s March 5 meeting, Commissioners asked the City Manager to come back with options for accommodating Heartwood Soundstage’s request for $55,000, and on April 2, Interim City Manager Andrew Persons said staff had come up with three options:
- A loan, with terms to be determined by the Commission;
- An advance grant with a requirement for backup documentation of expended funds, along with the ability for the City to audit the expenditures;
- A reimbursable grant with similar requirements.
Persons said the Commission should “at least put it on the record, that we would need to vet any potential expenditures in conjunction with Financial Services and the Attorney’s office, to make sure that any expenses were of public interest.” He said that ongoing operational expenses would be easier to justify as being in the public interest than paying down pre-existing private debt…