The Hanford City Council on Tuesday awarded $24,000 in grants to local organizations, following the way it distributed the money last year.

The council awarded following amounts to eight organizations:

$2,500 to Kings Art Center

$2,000 to the Senior Nutrition Program

$2,500 Hanford Carnegie Museum

$4,000 for the Kings County Commission on Aging Council

$4,500 for Church of the Savior soup kitchen

$1,500 for Kings County Symphony Orchestra Association

$2,000 for the RSVP program

$5,000 for the Sister City Committee

Burris Park Foundation, which submitted a request for the first time this year asking for $10,000, received no grant money.

The action was tabled last month, after Councilman Dave Thomas expressed concerns regarding the uncertainty with the state budget.

After hearing City Manager Gary Misenhimer say the governor-signed budget did not affect the city general fund, the council proceeded with the approval of funding.

This year, nine organizations submitted requests totaling $50,756, but the budget allowed for $25,000.

"All agencies like this tend to request more than they expect to receive," said City Councilwoman Marcie Buford, as she made a motion to apply last year's numbers to distribute the funding. The motion carried unanimously.

During an unscheduled public comment period, Robin Mattos, a candidate seeking District B seat in November, urged the city council to fund all of the agencies seeking funding saying the city should use funding earmarked for Main Street Hanford, a city-funded body tasked to revitalize downtown. She also urged the council to provide $25,000 to the visitor agency for the restoration of the carousel.

Mattos pointed out a profit exceeding $61,000 was enjoyed by Main Street last year -- an amount enough to cover two quarterly payments and part of the third quarterly payment. Mattos said the city should use the money freed up by the Main Street's success to fund outside agencies.

The council made no response to requests made by Mattos during the meeting.

In other business, the city council on Tuesday reviewed the property lease issues involving Serpa Automotive Group.

Serpa, which has recently moved out to the new Auto Mall, has been requesting the city to break the lease a year early on the city-owned 2-acre real estate on Lacey Boulevard or let him purchase the property. Frank Serpa, owner of the Visalia-based business, has said he was under the impression that he was able to purchase the property when he signed the lease agreement.

The city decision-makers have so far turned down the request, saying the lease agreement, which Serpa and the city signed in 1997 and again in 2002, has no provision allowing an early termination of lease and that no purchase agreement was finalized.

But on Tuesday, the city council and the city management agreed that the sublease of the property may be arranged, although it would be subject to the approval by the city council.

For Serpa, continued rental of the downtown property, where it no longer does business, is a money drain amid economic tough times. Serpa has been paying nearly $7,000 a month in rent, and the lease won't expire until October 2009, Misenhimer said.

(Oct. 9, 2008)