CC 11/28/2016 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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CASSELBERRY CITY COMMISSION Minutes of November 28, 2016 — Regular Meeting Page 7 of 10 No items were presented for consideration on this agenda. No items were presented for consideration on this agenda. No items were presented for consideration on this agenda. 12. OTHER ITEMS A. Casselberry Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program Application Modifications for 2017 Staff Presentation: Planner II Emily Hanna gave an overview of the proposed modifications to the Casselberry Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program Application for 2017, which included: • Decreasing the funding for the Homeowner Improvement Grant match from $5,000 to $750; • Increasing the Neighborhood Beautification Grant match from $1,500 to $2,500; • Increasing the Neighborhood Empowerment Mini -Grant match from $500 to $7,500; • Changing the name of the Neighborhood Empowerment Mini -Grant to Neighborhood Empowerment Grant; • Changing the payment process for the Neighborhood Empowerment Grant from a reimbursement grant to City funding the project directly; • Changing the Neighborhood Empowerment Grant from match to no match; • Changing eligibility requirements for all three grant types. In response to questions from the Commission, Ms. Hanna elaborated on the reasoning behind the proposed modifications. She explained that in February of 2016 staff had presented several different strategies to the City Commission relating to empowerment of neighborhoods and economic development, and one of the strategies the Commission had requested staff to look into was restructuring the Neighborhood Improvement Grant. She further explained that one of the reasons for looking into restructuring the program was that for three years it had really focused on the individual homeowners and the projects funded had not really had a large impact on the overall beautification of the neighborhoods. Mr. Newlon added that many of the City's neighborhoods did not have mandatory homeowners' associations so were really not empowered to take steps towards beautification of the neighborhoods and these proposed modifications to the program would hopefully give them the power to do so.