Keep Cincinnati Beautiful outlines Safe and Clean grant rules, says youth-led projects show impact

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful presented details of the Safe and Clean Fund to the Cincinnati Healthy Neighborhoods Committee, describing eligibility, application deadlines and reported results from recent grant cycles.

Ty Wesselkamper, Safe and Clean grant coordinator for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, told the committee the program prioritizes youth-led projects that use crime prevention through environmental design, or CPTED, to promote neighborhood beautification and reduce violence.

The Safe and Clean Fund is administered by Keep Cincinnati Beautiful with funding routed through the city manager’s human services fund, Wesselkamper said. The program hosts three annual application deadlines — January, May and September — and provides one-time, reimbursable grants that can cover contractor and artist fees and stipends for youth; ongoing payroll, rent and utilities are not eligible. Wesselkamper said applicants are required to meet with staff before applying and to submit midterm and final reports and invoices if awarded.

Wesselkamper said the program uses the SARA model (scan, analyze, respond, assess) to shape applications and outcomes and that applicants are asked to outline maintenance and sustainability plans for projects after funding ends. He listed neighborhoods the program prioritizes based on Cincinnati Police Department data, including Over-the-Rhine, Avondale, West End, Walnut Hills, and several Price Hill neighborhoods.

Wesselkamper credited an advisory committee that reviews applications: “We have assistant chief Maurice Robinson, Kate Bell from the city manager’s office, Deanna White from the Office of Human Services, Courtney Hauser and private-sector community leaders,” he said. He said the committee meets three times per year and reviewers provide feedback before deliberations.

Wesselkamper reported results for the most recent funding cycle as he presented them to the committee, saying Safe and Clean has funded 23 projects and that, so far this year, the program had engaged 961 volunteers for a total of 8,041 volunteer hours. He told the committee, “For every dollar that the city has invested in Safe and Clean, we’ve managed to turn out 3.2 times the amount.” He also said grantees are asked to pay youth at least $15 per hour for stipends.

Wesselkamper described several projects the program funded, including Mount Airy CURE (community cleanup and gardens), Price Hill Safety Cat (regular weekly cleanups and youth stipends) and a $30,000 youth-led beautification award to Savor Youth Kings and Queens. He said suppliers and partner organizations sometimes provide materials or technical support when projects were not funded.

Council members praised the program’s emphasis on measurable outcomes and applicant support. Council member Anna Albee said she appreciated the emphasis on CPTED and asked about a Roselawn camera project; Wesselkamper said Roselawn received approximately $15,113 to install about 20 cameras and that he and staff would review reported crime data to verify outcomes.

Vice Chair President Pro Tem Victoria Parks and other council members thanked Wesselkamper and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful staff for grant-writing assistance and outreach. Committee members placed the presentation on file without objection.

The Safe and Clean Fund’s next deadline was stated during the meeting as Sept. 13, with applications opening 30 days earlier, and Wesselkamper encouraged potential applicants to meet with staff well before the deadline.