Friends and neighbors:

Urgent and fast action is needed in Grand Forks to save vital community resources. When we asked our community about the barriers preventing them from taking more action with RRV DSA, two things stood out. First, people are short on time (but want to help). Second, community members want to help (but need direction).

I am asking for 5 minutes of your time to read this message.

If you are convinced to help, below is a complete explainer on the situation (5 minutes), low-effort steps to directly impact your community (5 more minutes), and extra instructions for community members who are able to volunteer. Everyone with 10 minutes to spare over the next several days can help, and we need all the help we can get.

Let’s break down the situation.

On August 3, the Grand Forks City Council met to preliminarily approve the mayor’s proposed budget for 2027. Members of the community noted that two items had been zeroed out from the budget (compared with 2026)--a community arts grant program and Community Service Grant funding. The Grand Forks Herald covered this story on August 10. After significant community pushback in the form of dozens of phone calls, dozens of emails, and public comments during City Council meetings, Council restored arts funding to the 2027 budget. This is the good news: pushback from the Grand Forks community was successful. However, this is where the bad news begins.

Community Service Grants (CSGs) are used to directly address human needs in our area. This includes helping unhoused neighbors, addressing poverty, and nutrition assistance (among many other things!). With CSG funding eliminated from next year’s budget, local groups will be left scrambling to cover services at a time when many are already facing dangerous funding gaps. When pressed on this issue, Council members offered paltry and temporary solutions that do not reflect the reality of needs in our community.

We know there was support on the City Council to restore CSG funding. Several members expressed sympathy with community concerns and council member Berg (Ward 3) moved to restore funding to the budget, but no other members seconded the motion--ending it before formal discussion was even possible. Council members must not be allowed to believe they can ignore the public’s concerns without fear of political consequences.

This is where you come in. While the community rallied around restoring arts funding in the budget, far fewer comments were submitted about CSG funding. We need to strongly show that the community is willing to rally behind CSG funding and there will be political consequences if the City Council ignores us. The pressure is on. August 17 is technically the last day that any changes can be made to line items in the budget, so our action must be quick. We must also be coordinated, as changing the budget after August 3 requires a break in standard procedure.

Several agencies in the community are planning efforts to put political pressure on the City Council but we need your help as citizens of Grand Forks. This fight is winnable--but only if we join the fight!

What can we do? There are three ways you can help right now.

You can submit community comments to the City Council.

This can be done by visiting the August 17 City Council meeting page. Please note that when you receive this email, citizen comments may not be open yet. Comments open several days in advance of the meeting but we are getting organized early! Take this time to write your note. We have some suggestions below.

• When asked for Agenda Item Number / Topic enter Community Service Grants or CSG

• When writing your comment, consider the following starter prompts:

• I deeply appreciate all of the time and energy that staff and elected officials put in so that our city can operate effectively, and I especially appreciate the immense efforts expended annually on the City budget.

• I am very disappointed that the majority of those on our city council refused to even consider for discussion the human needs grants in the budget meeting that I watched online on August 3.

• Thank you, Council Member Berg, for bringing up the importance of this program, which has previously supported operations and programs at numerous local social service agencies that serve our community, helping to get families back on their feet after difficulty, providing assistance that keeps people housed, preventing homelessness rates from worsening, feeding local youth, and much more. I was frankly shocked that this motion received no second, as my understanding is that the proposed amendment would have merely supported further conversation about the program and possibly funding it.

• The City and the agencies who have historically received CSG program funding regularly work together to confront issues in our city and serve all residents. Many residents are widely supportive of these organizations, whose critical operations support members of our community directly in ways that have made our community stronger and a better place to live.

• I am asking that you work now to identify a way to move forward with a budget that includes CSG funding for 2027.

• As a resident, this topic is very important to me. I am sure that it is important to you as well.

• Thank you for your consideration.

• Be polite but firm.

You can give your comments in person at the City Council meeting on August 17 at 5:30 p.m.

The suggestions above all apply to in-person comments. It is important to keep in-person comments short and focused. It is recommended to write your comment in advance and practice reading it aloud so you feel confident when you share your important perspective.

You can directly contact your mayor and your city council representative by email. Email WITH A UNIQUE MESSAGE / DIFFERENT TO WHAT YOU PUT IN THIS COMMENT FORM. Find your ward using the ward map then find your representative’s email and contact them as soon as you can. If you live in one ward but work in another, email both with a slightly different message! If you have family or friends in town you can reach out to, share your email message with them as a sample, and encourage them to reach out to their representative on the council. We need the numbers to win this.

If you only have 10 minutes to spare, please consider writing to the City Council regarding the importance of Community Service Grants. If you have 20 minutes to spare, add an email to your mayor or City Council representative. If you have 30 minutes to spare, write to more friends and neighbors about how important this issue is to you and urge them to take action. If you have the capacity and time, consider joining us in solidarity at an upcoming City Council meeting. Even if you cannot speak during the meeting, sitting with the group shows you care.

If you want help writing or editing your comments, contact either of us. Reach out to Clark if you want to practice your public comments out loud with someone.

In solidarity,

Clark and shilo