Commission discusses state grant to fund historic inventory; staff to prepare application

Commissioners discussed pursuing a state grant to fund a professional historic resource inventory after staff reported the commission’s existing inventory had become partially corrupted in the city’s file system.

City staff explained the inventory would document buildings and sites 50 years of age or older — the database from which nominations to the local registry are drawn. Staff said the grant application window opens soon and that an internal grant coordinator will assist the commission in preparing an application; if staff pursue the grant, the application will be brought to the commission for sign-off in March before submission.

No formal vote to submit a grant application was taken at the meeting. Commissioners generally supported moving forward with exploring grant funding and asked staff to identify costs for hiring someone to complete the inventory. One commissioner said they had been encouraging a local property owner (the owner of the “roller barn”) to apply for state grant funding for related work.

The commission also discussed ancillary ideas that could be funded or supported by grants, including the cost of registry plaques for nominated properties and whether to use an existing plaque program referenced by the Gary Oak Tree Society. Staff said the city does not currently have budgeted funds to supply plaques and suggested a vendor-driven purchase model (residents order and pay a vendor directly) if the commission wants plaques available.

Staff will bring a draft grant application and estimated costs for a full inventory and possible plaque design options to the commission at a future meeting for formal action.