A $215,000 grant from The Nature Conservancy would help fund the city’s Mill Creek Restoration Project. At Monday night’s city council meeting, City Manager Fidel Maltez requested the council formally accept the request. The council referred the request to its new ways and means subcommittee, as District 1 Councilor Todd Taylor said it will do with all financial matters before the council. It is likely to come back before the council for a second reading and vote at its next meeting. “The Nature Conservancy is a charitable environmental organization aiding in the protection, conservation, and restoration of impacted land and wetlands through financial dedications and technical oversight,” said Maltez. “The City of Chelsea has struck a fortuitous partnership with The Nature Conservancy within our existing suite of restoration projects along Mill Creek, which seeks to create meaningful public access to this historic waterway in the City, while restoring its natural environment.” The grant will provide funds to develop a new park at 88 Clinton St., which is currently funded by a combination of a Land and Water Conservation Grant through the state’s department of conservation services and city funds. The grant funding will also be used toward the development of Phase 2 of the MIll Creek Riverwalk, ecological restoration, and placemaking activities. “The program is overseen by the Department of Housing and Community Development,” said Maltez. “This private grant funding will decrease the need for future local funding to implement the project.” During the council meeting, Taylor provided some insight on the new procedure for handling financial matters that come before the body. The new ways and means subcommittee essentially replaces the council’s former finance subcommittee. “The difference is that all financial orders will go through the subcommittee before they come back to this board, and there will be a committee report,” said Taylor. “I think we will be doing this with all committees so that the council can exercise its proper oversight of city government.