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City reviews façade, sign and small-business grants; Violet Inn request expected next week
Summary
Staff reviewed recent façade and sign grants funded by city and Main Street, noted carryovers from 2024, and asked council for guidance on a proposed reimbursement grant for the Violet Inn. Councilors discussed available budget lines and the city's matching commitments.
City staff briefed the council on façade, sign and small-business grants funded by the city and by Main Street during the Feb. 24 work session and asked for guidance on pending grant requests.
Staff presented a list of recent projects completed or approved with city participation, including Cool City Brewing (high lift, $10,000), Renee Specialties (exterior restaining), Lakeshore Rock and Gem (sign), and other downtown improvements. Several projects approved in 2024 remain carryovers awaiting completion and final paperwork; staff said extensions were granted in several cases because contractors and scheduling have been difficult for small businesses.
Staff summarized 2025 budgeted resources for façade and sign grants: $90,000 total budgeted across funding sources, with $60,000 allocated from TID 13, $20,000 estimated spent in 2024 carried into 2025 commitments, and $10,000 budgeted in Fund 290 (CDBG-related revolving loan fund). If council approves the Violet Inn reimbursement request under consideration, staff said TID 13 commitments would rise and available discretionary balance would fall to roughly $8,000 for other projects this year.
The Violet Inn application would seek a Pay-As-You-Go TIF grant of $130,000 tied to an estimated $1.6 million private investment; Main Street's design committee recommended earmarking $5,000 from Main Street funds for the project. Staff asked council to consider the Violet Inn request at the next regular meeting so the grant could be approved as a reimbursement after project completion.
Council members generally expressed support for continuing the façade and sign program, noting visible downtown improvements and requests from businesses for assistance with signage and exterior restoration. Staff suggested publicizing the remaining grant funds to encourage more applications and said building-permit-ready projects were more likely to spend encumbered funds this year.
No final grant award was made at the work session; staff said it would bring the Violet Inn request to the council at the next meeting and continue to track carryover deadlines and project completions.
