Accepting Awarded Historic Preservation Grant Funds
Initiator
Rick Jones, Director, Planning Department
Recommendation
Approval is requested to accept a $10,000 grant from the State Historic \n \n Preservation Grant Fund. The Planning Department recommends that Council \n \n approve the proposed resolution
Approval
Approved
Background
The Planning Department staff, with the assistance of the Preservation Planner
at the Lower Chattahoochee RDC, applied for State Historic Preservation Grant
Funds. The purpose of the application is to update the City?s Design
Guidelines, which were adopted in 2000. Through a public-private partnership,
Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc., and MidTown, Inc., agreed to provide the
necessary cash matching funds. The City?s grant application was awarded the
full requested amount of $10,000.
The grant and matching funds will be used to hire a consultant to update the
Design Guidelines and create the finished product.
Analysis
The current Design Guidelines were completed in August 2000. The current
guidelines are general in nature and this grant will create opportunities for
more specific interpretations, color renderings, digitalization, and other
tools the committee deems necessary. The number of applications for
Certificates Of Appropriateness from historic districts are growing and
property owners need the direction and resources that an up-to-date document
can provide.
In addition, by updating the information in the Design Guidelines and making
the document easier to use, Columbus will strengthen the preservation program
and will make the preservation information easier to access and current to
historic district property owners.
Financial Considerations
In light of budget constraints, staff applied for the grant funds to accomplish
this project and coordinated a public-private partnership with Historic
Columbus Foundation, Inc., (HCF) and MidTown, Inc. Each organization agreed to
provide the necessary matching funds of $4,000 for a total amount of $8,000.
The City?s contribution to this effort will be staff time to coordinate the
project and administer the grant. This can be completed with current staff
levels.
Projected Annual Fiscal Impact Statement
Legal Considerations
The City Attorney?s Office has approved the form of the state contract and
proposed resolution.
Recommendations/ Actions
The Planning Department staff recommends that the Council adopt the proposed
resolution that will accept the awarded state grant funds.
A RESOLUTION
NO. _____
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ACCEPTANCE OF AWARDED HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT
FUNDS ($10,000) FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA?S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND
AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF THE CONTRACT
WHEREAS, the Planning Department staff applied for, and was awarded, grant
funds in the amount of $10,000 to update the Design Guidelines for the City?s
historic districts; and,
WHEREAS, through a public-private partnership, Historic Columbus Foundation,
Inc., and Midtown Columbus, Inc., will provide the necessary cash matching
fund; and,
WHEREAS, the awarded funds shall be used to hire a consultant to perform the
necessary tasks to complete the Design Guidelines with the Planning Department
staff coordination.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY
RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
That the Mayor is hereby authorized to accept a Historic Preservation
Grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in the amount of
$10,000, which requires an $8,000 match that will be provided by Historic
Columbus Foundation, Inc., and Midtown Columbus, Inc., in the amount of $4,000
each; and,
That the city of Columbus agrees to the terms of the contract for a
state grant in the amount of $10,000 to update design guidelines for Columbus?
historic districts and authorizes the mayor to execute said contract and any
subsequent amendments on behalf of the City of Columbus.
___________
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held
the
____day of _____________, and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote