Dixon council holds off on approving funding contracts for two nonprofit organizations

DIXON — The Dixon City Council decided April 7 that representatives from Discover Dixon and the Lee County Industrial Development Association need to appear before the council before it will approve contracts to allocate funds to the organizations.

Both contracts provide a specific amount of annual funding – $325,000 for Discover Dixon and $50,000 for LCIDA – in exchange for services provided by the organizations. Typically, when a nonprofit organization requests funding from the city, a representative will make a pitch to the council. Under these contracts, the organizations aren’t required to do that, but are required to give regular reports.

The city is about due for reports from Discover Dixon and LCIDA, City Manager Danny Langloss said at the meeting. “It’s the same agreement we’ve been in for three years. They’ve performed at a very high level.”

“Well to me, we’re putting the cart before the horse. We’re approving the funds without knowing what we’re approving it for,” Councilman Dennis Considine said. “They owe the respect to the council to explain to us what they’re doing with those funds.”

“I’m fully aware that they do a great job in our community. It’s just that I think I should know what their plan is,” he said.

The contract with Discover Dixon is a renewal of a one-year agreement previously approved at the council’s May 15, 2023, meeting. The contract with LCIDA is new and will automatically renew each year unless either party provides a written notice of termination.

In them, they detail what services the organization will provide for the city. For Discover Dixon’s, it outlines marketing plans, community events and running committees, like the Preservation and Beautification Committee. For LCIDA’s, they would agree to become a member on the Dixon city manager’s economic development team, promote development in Dixon and assist the city in securing federal or state grants for development projects.

The contracts also outline reporting requirements. For Discover Dixon, it’s required to provide quarterly reports to the city and to attend council meetings upon request of the city to discuss aspects of the agreement. For LCIDA, its executive director is required to appear before the council annually to give a report and as requested by the city manager.

Discover Dixon’s quarterly reports are done in person to make “sure that what should be happening is happening. The events are very public, the marketing campaigns, the work that they’re doing,” Langloss said.

Mayor Glen Hughes said that while they are getting quarterly reports in person they haven’t necessarily been “broadcasting” them and “the annual reporting still is appropriate.”

The two contracts will be up for approval again at the next City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. April 21 at Dixon City Hall, 121 W. Second St.