A local nonprofit has begun the tricky process of distributing more than $1.1 million in donations to those impacted by the July 30 flood in historic Ellicott City.The Ellicott City Partnership, a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve the historic district and its economic vitality, will lead a grant process and plans to consult an ombudsman to address potential allegations of impropriety or unfair treatment."Our executive committee determined early on that it would be helpful to have this resource available for applicants in order to instill confidence in the process," said Tom Coale, vice president of the partnership.United Way of Central Maryland, a humanitarian relief organization, plans to transfer roughly $240,000 in donations to the partnership over the next several days to allow the partnership to lead the distribution process.The process, which provides grants of up to $1,500 for individuals and up to $15,000 for business and property owners, is based on recommendations from an advisory committee created by Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman after the flood.Chaired by Councilman Jon Weinstein, who represents the historic district, the advisory committee recognized that distributing donations after a disaster is often a tricky and subjective process."Every move we make ... will be scrutinized down the road," Del. Bob Flanagan cautioned at a committee meeting.To qualify for grants, applicants must be directly impacted by the flood. The partnership's mission limits how it can distribute funds. Applicants are only eligible for relief if the impact happened within the historic district.The partnership's 13-member board must also ensure relief helps build up the economic vitality of the historic district."We don't want to have utilized this relief fund and have an empty Main Street Ellicott City or have an empty west end," Coale said.The partnership will begin accepting applications this week on its website. Forms and questions should be submitted to ecpreliefgrant@gmail.com. The Community Action Council is available to help applicants complete the application."We want to help everybody however we can. ... We are dealing with a fund that will be at one point in time be out of money," Coale said..