Southwest Deltona CRA moves to adopt matching grant program for businesses

Members of the Southwest Deltona Community Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday introduced a motion to adopt a matching grant program intended to help commercial properties within the CRA pay for exterior improvements including facades, signs, landscaping and paving.

The proposal, carried to the board in Resolution 2025-61 and presented by CRA Director John Cox, would use the CRA trust fund to provide matching grants — generally at a 50% match — with painting grants capped at $5,000 and the board discussing a proposed annual program cap of $200,000.

John Cox, CRA director, framed the proposal as a tool allowed by state law to eliminate blight: "The Florida Statutes allows CRAs to offer these types of grants to businesses, in particular to eliminate blight and slum like conditions throughout the district." He told the board the CRA balance "today is about $2,000,000," and that the funds for the program would come from the CRA trust fund rather than the city's general fund.

Board members asked for details about eligibility, repeat awards and scope. Member Veil Vasquez moved the resolution, stating the motion on the record: "So I moved to approve resolution number 2025-61 adopting the proposed grant program for the Southwest Deltona Community Redevelopment Agency located within the city of Deltona up to $200,000 grant." Member Harriet seconded and asked explicitly that the motion permit businesses to receive multiple types of grants in the same year so projects could be completed: "I'd love to see a motion include the ability for businesses to receive multiple grants per year so that a business can receive a grant for signage and for, you know, facade within the same year."

Legal counsel told the board the changes are permissible but would require revised grant language: "It is certainly legal. It is permissible. We would need to modify the grant. But if you give direction, we could affect your intent and make it so that a grantee could get a signed grant every 5 years and a facade grant that same year," counsel said. The city manager also suggested a companion city-funded item for work outside CRA-eligible expenses, such as sewer connections, so that a business could receive both CRA and city support where appropriate.

Members clarified multiple program limits during discussion: the draft application restricted awards to one grant per property per year; board members discussed alternatives including one award per category per year or permitting multiple categories in the same year. Cox confirmed the draft limits exterior work only and is written for commercial properties. He said staff would require applicants to meet city code and that staff sign-off should occur before final payment: "If you're going to paint, you have to meet our architectural design guidelines," a staff speaker said during the discussion.

The CRA's broader work was raised as context: board members asked whether the CRA could pursue streetscaping, debt issuance or an extension/expansion of the district to increase tax increment financing; Cox and staff noted such projects are part of the CRA plan but are separate from the proposed small-business grant program. Cox also reminded the board the CRA expires in 2036, a point several members mentioned when weighing long-term priorities.

A motion to adopt Resolution 2025-61 with the discussed allowances (multiple grants/categories, annual cap of $200,000, exterior commercial eligibility, staff approval before final payment) was moved and seconded, but the transcript does not record a final roll-call vote. The board directed staff and counsel to revise the grant language to reflect the board's intent and to return the item for final action.

The CRA meeting adjourned following the item.