At the Oct. 20, 2025 Flagler County workshop, Health and Human Services staff presented an overview of the county's community service grant program, which funds local nonprofits that deliver services such as Meals on Wheels, sheltering and health-care access.

Kim Bennett, human services program manager, and Joe Hegatus briefed commissioners on the nine grant recipients that the division administers and said the agencies met their deliverable requirements in the most recently closed fiscal year. Bennett said staff review contracts and quarterly performance reports and will withhold or remove funding when providers fail to meet contract standards; she cited a provider removed in fiscal 2022–23 for failing to meet deliverables.

Staff explained the current process is a year-to-year renewal and that the formal competitive process (an RFP and review panel) has not been used for roughly a decade. If the board wants to reinstate a competitive process, staff suggested beginning preparations in August 2026 to issue an RFP and have awards in place by Oct. 1, 2026. "Since I took this over two years ago... these renew. They get approved by the board and they renew every year. They don't go out," Bennett said.

Commissioners debated whether to leave the renewals in place or open the funding to new applicants. Several commissioners expressed support for inviting current grantees to present to the board in public meeting slots so commissioners can hear how funds are used and review performance metrics. Commissioners also discussed a modest increase or a small miscellaneous pool (for example, a $30,000 contingency) to make room for new applicants without reworking the full grant program immediately. Staff said grant awards are often used as local match to leverage larger federal or state grants, a key reason some commissioners urged preserving local support.

Bennett told the board she receives quarterly invoices and an annual audit from each grantee and that the county enforces contract deliverables. Commissioners asked staff to provide backup deliverables and performance data in the agenda packet (staff said that documentation is available in the agenda backup material). No formal vote was taken to change the grant process at the workshop; commissioners tasked staff with arranging presentations by grant recipients in upcoming meetings and to return with recommendations during the budget process.

Ending: Staff recommended continuing the current annual renewals for now while preparing options (including a potential RFP in 2026) and improved public reporting; commissioners asked for agency presentations and more transparent quarterly reporting as part of the next budget cycle.