The Florence City Council heard staff testimony that the selection committee does not recommend approval of a downtown UPFIT grant application for a smartphone repair business proposed at the corner of West Evans and Irby Street.

Clint, a city staff member, told the council, "the committee does not recommend the approval of this UPFIT grant." He said the committee met and reviewed the sole application against established scoring criteria and concluded the application did not meet the threshold for funding.

The item was listed as Resolution 2025-45, described by the mayor as "a resolution approving the downtown development redevelopment grant for the second quarter fiscal year 2026." Council members asked whether a motion and second had been entered; when no motion or second was confirmed, the mayor stated the item "dies for the lack of 1 second" and no formal action was taken.

Clint also described alternative downtown support programs available to prospective businesses, including design grants for floor plans and layouts, exterior sign grants, a first-year business license discount, and free trash service for five years. He directed interested applicants to the Downtown Florence website and to meet with city staff for assistance with business plans and grant applications.

No vote tally or formal mover/second for Resolution 2025-45 is recorded in the transcript. The council did not approve, table, or adopt the resolution during this meeting because the procedural requirement for a motion and second was not met.

Next steps: staff advised applicants to pursue alternate Downtown Florence grant programs and to consult city staff; no further board direction or formal referral was recorded during the meeting.