![](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dndcphoto.jpg)
(WSB photo by Jonathan Stumpf)
From Wednesday night’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting: 2 city money matters. Finance director Dwight Dively gave the group the grim outlook for the upcoming budget, as the council gets ready to review Mayor Nickels‘ proposal. And Department of Neighborhoods director Stella Chao discussed proposed changes to the Neighborhood Matching Fund program – same ones discussed at the Southwest District Council meeting earlier this month (here’s our report). Attendees voiced support for folding Small Sparks into Outreach, with a new $1,000 funding ceiling; according to Chao, that “would give more flexibility in how (they) develop smaller projects.” Applications will be taken twice a year instead of quarterly. However, another proposed change – allowing large-project funds to be used for citywide proposals in addition to neighborhood initiatives – drew concern at DNDC, as it had at SWDC; Pete Spalding said that funding should remain neighborhood-based, because doing otherwise “gets ahead from the intended purpose … (helping) neighborhoods build a sense of community.” (The proposed changes are outlined in this Department of Neighborhoods document that was provided by SW District Coordinator Stan Lock after the SWDC meeting – see section 3.)
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