Woodland Park DDA OKs microgrant program, authorizes attorney to finalize revisions

The Woodland Park Downtown Development Authority voted to approve a proposed microgrant program on a motion that conditions final documents on revisions requested by the board.

The program, described by the DDA’s attorney as allowing awards “up to $5,000,” is intended to support exterior improvements and certain commercially public-facing needs in the downtown area. The board approved the resolution authorizing the program while directing the attorney to remove an optional sign requirement and to complete other technical edits before the program goes active.

Why it matters: The microgrant program creates a new, quick-turn funding stream for small-scale projects in Woodland Park’s downtown. The board and staff said the program is intended to improve public-facing commercial properties and deter blight while allowing flexibility for the board to consider other public-benefit uses in specific cases.

Board attorney Josh (attorney for the board) told members the draft allows the board discretion over awards and administrative details and that many blanks in the draft would be filled in by staff or the city’s grants department. Josh said the form was written so the award would be “up to $5,000,” and that actual award amounts could be less than the cap depending on the project.

Board members debated a clause that would allow the DDA to require or provide signage acknowledging funding. Members said they did not want mandatory signage; the board instructed the attorney to remove the clause requiring signs from the contract language.

The board also discussed administrative details including which city office would receive applications, whether inspections would require designated inspectors, and the timeline for launching the program. The attorney said the DDA’s office would work with city staff to identify the grants department contact and that the board could decide inspection assignment on a case-by-case basis after awards were made.

The board was told the DDA will present a supplemental appropriation to the City Council on Feb. 20, with a second reading on March 6; the attorney said the earliest the program could accept applications is after council appropriation (the transcript notes “after March 6”).

The motion approved the program substantially in the form in the meeting packet and authorized the board attorney to complete technical revisions and ancillary documents before publication.

Ending: The board directed staff to finalize the application form with the city and email the draft to board members for review so the program can be finalized and advertised once council funding is in place.