City staff presented updates to the Neighborhood Grant Program that would refocus awards from general beautification to projects tied to safety, connectivity, and shared neighborhood responsibility. The proposal would keep the total annual city allocation at $20,000 but change the application cycle to one annual round (applications due in the fall with awards announced in February) and require applicants to be registered HOAs or community associations in good standing.

Eligible project examples in the staff proposal include neighborhood‑watch signage and materials, lighting improvements in common areas, security camera infrastructure, repairs to gates or fencing, community first‑aid stations, and traffic‑calming signage on HOA‑maintained streets (with required permits). The grant would remain a matching program (cash, donated materials, or volunteer labor count toward the match). Selection criteria would score need, impact, feasibility and organizational capacity, with bonus points for innovative approaches.

Council raised implementation questions: chief among them was whether neighborhood‑watch signs remain a city service (police later confirmed neighborhood watch signage and installation could be provided from federal forfeiture funds, which would reduce the grant program’s budgetary pressure). Members also asked whether community associations that are not formal HOAs would remain eligible — staff confirmed community associations that maintain bank accounts and meet program registration criteria would continue to be eligible. Several council members asked staff to verify the original restrictions on the source fund that finances the grants and to confirm whether changes align with allowed uses.

Action and next steps: staff will notify HOAs and community associations that the application timeline will shift to the revised schedule and will return to council at the November meeting with the finalized program language, a clarified committee membership plan and confirmation of the funding source and its allowable uses.