Naperville to discuss funding for cultural programs

Naperville City Council members will meet at 5 p.m. Monday to discuss and possibly approve the distribution of as much as $1.9 million to as many as 88 applicants seeking $3.1 million in grants from the city's Special Events and Cultural Amenities fund.

Naperville offers the SECA money, derived from a citywide .75 percent food and beverage tax, to assist eligible organizations pay for new and continued cultural experiences. The money has been used in a variety of ways, ranging from assistance to the DuPage Children's Museum to funding for the Century Walk public art project to offering assistance for community festivals.

The remaining .25 percent of the total 1 percent food and beverage tax has been diverted to the city's General Fund since 2011.