The Austin City Council got some good news from the Hormel Foundation.

The council voted Monday night to accept $475,000 in grants from the foundation to help fund nine projects in 2015.

The city requested $777,000 for 11 projects earlier this year, which includes renovations to Riverside Arena, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center education program funding and event funds for various happenings throughout the year such as Freedom Fest and the Austin ArtWorks Festival.

The Foundation only funded nine of those requests, however. A $17,000 request for a fire department boat and a $20,000 request to convert street lights to LED lighting were denied. In addition, the Foundation will fund half of the city’s requests for $500,000 for Riverside renovations and $31,500 for a new air conditioning unit at the senior center.

Finance Director Tom Dankert told the council the foundation scaled back its Riverside funding after the city received a $150,000 grant from the Minnesota State Hockey Association, which could allow the city to get another $100,000 next year to help offset renovation costs.

Dankert also noted the city was getting more grant money than in previous years.

Foundation grant awards:

—2014-15 Leadership Austin: $1,500

—2015 Austin ArtWorks Festival: $15,000

—2015 Freedom Fest: $20,000

—Arena curling equipment: $25,000

—Business Encouragement/Enhancement Program (BEEP): $75,000

—Jay C. Hormel Nature Center education program: $36,972

—Library redesign for learning: $37,000

—Riverside Arena renovations: $250,000

—Air conditioning unit for the Mower County Senior Center: $15,000