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Waukesha Landmarks Commission reviews Paint and Repair grant fund status and policy options
Summary
The Landmarks Commission heard an update on the 2025 Paint and Repair grant fund, learned the county CDBG contract is pending, and discussed discretionary limits and carryover practices for awards.
The Waukesha City Landmarks Commission on Sept. 3 reviewed the status of its 2025 Paint and Repair grant fund and discussed how the commission has applied discretionary limits to awards.
Commission staff reported the commission’s total 2025 Paint and Repair fund stands at $25,000, of which $15,738 has been approved for projects and $9,262 remains available. A $350 balance from a 2024 project also remains unspent, staff said. The commission continues to await an executed contract from the Waukesha County CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) coordinator and anticipated receiving the contract in September so funds can be disbursed.
The discussion recapped the program’s typical parameters: awards generally have been set at roughly 15% of a project’s cost, up to a maximum award of $3,000, and the commission retains discretion to alter award amounts based on project scope, impact and fund availability. Staff described the commission’s past practice of enforcing these limits to keep distributions predictable, while retaining flexibility to increase awards in exceptional cases. Commissioners raised whether applicants may receive multiple awards in a short period; one commissioner recalled a guideline of “three projects in five years,” but the commission did not adopt a firm, written limit at the meeting.
Commissioners and staff discussed how the commission handles projects that are approved in one year but completed the next. Staff said the commission typically approves a grant for the year it is awarded and, if a project is completed in a subsequent year, the award stays on the docket until the funds are spent; historically the commission has allowed carryover of unspent balances.
The commission also reviewed administrative details: some contractors provide time-and-materials estimates rather than fixed bids, so final project costs can exceed early estimates; staff said the commission can revisit awards if applicants later request additional funds.
No formal vote was required on policy changes at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to continue administering grants under the current discretionary framework and to return to the commission if a policy change is proposed.
