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Section 4: Preparation And Submission Of An NSP Proposal

4.1 In preparing an NSP proposal, Community Councils shall:

1. Encourage and consider all ideas from Neighborhood residents and groups;
2. Make final decisions regarding the proposal in regular open, well-publicized Council meetings with the required quorum, where all Community Council members and all neighborhood residents have a vote; and
3. Document that a democratic process was used to develop the proposal.

4.2 Proposals and accompanying documentation shall be submitted to the Agency Director by the appropriate deadline as specified in the current calendar of NSP Review Committee Meetings and Deadlines. Community Councils shall use the NSP application forms as determined by the Review Committee.

1. Current organization By-Laws that meet the requirements of City Ordinance #220-1989 (see Appendix C and Section 3.4).
2. Proof of current nonprofit incorporation status within the State of Ohio (i.e., copy of a Certificate of Continuing Existence, Statement of Good Standing, or Certificate of Reinstatement) and the corporation's Articles of Incorporation and all amendments (a separate document from the By-Laws).
3. A resolution passed by the Community Council stating that no one is barred from Community Council membership by reason of race, sex, age, handicap, religion, or national origin.
4. A resolution passed by the Community Council that there will be no discrimination in hiring based on race, sex, age, handicap, religion, or national origin.

1. All proposal submissions and documentation materials shall be received by the Agency in advance of or on published deadline dates.
2. Minutes and Sign-In sheets from the Community Council meeting at which the proposal was voted on must be submitted. If the meeting took place on a date other than the council's regular monthly meeting, the neighborhood shall provide evidence that residents were notified in advance of the opportunity to vote on the NSP proposal.
3. Final NSP Reports from the previous year, unless already submitted and on file with the Agency.
4. Job descriptions for any position to be paid with NSP funds.
5. An Organizational Plan shall be provided when a proposal budget seeks wages in excess of $500 for any one worker. The Organizational Plan describes the connection between workers and the Community Council and its volunteers, as well as defines a set of goals and objectives for the contract term which are specific and measurable.

4.5 Program participants are expected to utilize all available resources to ensure quality and timely proposal submissions:

1. Each August, the Agency mails an NSP Contract Preparation Packet to all 51 neighborhoods containing NSP Guidelines, Application Forms, Calendar of Review Committee Meetings and Deadlines, "How to Prepare A NSP Proposal" book, sample proposals, and accompanying instructions. Additional copies of these materials are available anytime from the Agency, as is staff technical assistance.
2. A "Pre-Review Deadline" has been instituted to allow communities to submit draft proposals and documentation in advance of the "Final Deadline" for submission. All communities should seek to take advantage of the Pre-Review Deadline to determine potential problems in advance of the Final Deadline.

4.6 Once a proposal has been forwarded onto the NSP Review Committee for approval, the Community shall ensure that at least one person knowledgeable about the proposal and previous year's Final Report is present at the Review Committee meeting when the proposal is considered. If no knowledgeable person is present, the proposal will not be considered.

4.7 Should a community fail to win approval of its proposal after engaging the established procedures and available resources, it has the right to appeal as specified in Section 3.3.

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