The Florence Town Council on Sept. 2 approved a resolution to transfer the town's redevelopment-area facade grant program into town administration and the grants team. The resolution changes the program's administrative home and revises some process steps (for example, replacing a "notice to proceed" with an "award letter").

Why it matters: The facade grant program provides reimbursement for exterior improvements to buildings in the town's redevelopment area and is intended to support downtown revitalization and tourism. Council members expressed broad support for the program but urged staff to make the application and process clearer and more user-friendly for property owners.

Planning staff told the council three applications are currently on file and that the program will be handled online with a single intake through the grants coordinator. Lisa Garcia, who presented the item, said the grant team will work with community-development staff, the building official and the Historic District Advisory Committee (HDAC) where applicable. Garcia said the program is being treated like a typical grant project, with compliance checks and award letters.

Multiple council members asked for practical clarifications that they said are missing from the packet: a single named point of contact (they asked for a person and phone line), an applicant-friendly copy of the application for review before the program is re-advertised, a clear statement about when a paint sample or other historic-review items are required, and whether one contractor quote is sufficient for commercial projects. Garcia said staff will provide the application packet to council members and bring back refinements as the program is piloted.

Council approved the resolution to move administration of the program to the town with the expectation that staff will return with a revised, more user-friendly packet and that implementation will include outreach to property owners and a possible future expansion of the redevelopment area.