07/01/2010
The Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) is receiving an additional $3 million to support its activities-funding that is available as the result of a City credit rating upgrade. City staff recently discovered that these dollars, which were previously required to be set aside, are now available for the continued support of neighborhood organizations. Previously, the City was required to maintain a $3 million balance, along with a "letter of credit" as credit enhancement, for the City Department of Community Planning and Economic Development's Common Bond Fund. Under the City's NRP ordinance, the $3 million balance was considered a contractual obligation and was carved out each time the City calculated the annual NRP funding. An upgrade to that fund's credit rating meant that the letter of credit and the required balance is no longer necessary, freeing up those dollars to be included in NRP funding. The City's commitment to following good financial practices, which led to the credit upgrade, ensures that all funds committed to neighborhood programming are available. Once the new funding is transferred to NRP, the NRP policy board will determine how to use the additional dollars. Visit www.nrp.org.