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Commission reviews paint and repair grant funds, CDBG uncertainty, and updated application fees
Summary
Staff told the Landmarks Commission there is about $25,000 available for 2025 paint and repair grants plus $2,850 held from 2024; a brief federal pause on grants created timing uncertainty, and the commission approved updated application fees and deadlines for 2025.
Landmarks Commission staff on Feb. 5 updated commissioners on paint and repair grant funding, an earlier temporary federal pause that briefly affected Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) reimbursements, and proposed changes to the commission’s application fees and deadlines for 2025.
Staff reported the commission expects to receive approximately $25,000 in CDBG-funded paint and repair grant funds for 2025, plus $2,850 remaining from incomplete 2024 projects that the county indicated could be carried forward. Staff cautioned that a short-lived federal order to halt certain grants and loans created temporary uncertainty about reimbursements; Waukesha County CDBG coordinators initially advised submitting outstanding claims quickly but later indicated the county expects to disburse both 2024 and 2025 funds once the contract is signed.
Charlie (staff) told commissioners the county contract for 2025 had not yet been signed; staff typically receives the finalized contract in late February or early March after the county confirms the exact allocation. Because of the uncertainty, staff recommended waiting to allocate award funds until the contract is executed.
Staff summarized the paint-and-repair program parameters: the grant reimburses a portion of project costs (typically 15 percent) up to a maximum award of $3,000; the Landmarks Commission retains discretion to adjust awards based on scope, impact and fund availability.
Commissioners were also presented with an updated application form and a revised fee schedule. The principal fee changes are:
- Residential certificate of appropriateness (COA) application: $50 - Commercial work not requiring a building permit: $100 - Commercial work requiring a building permit (including major COAs): $350 - Landmark-exclusion consultation (advice or small projects that do not require a COA): $25
Staff said the larger fee for commercial COAs aligns with minor site-plan and architectural review work and helps keep other fees comparatively lower. Staff also separated the paint-repair grant application from the COA application to reduce confusion when applicants check the wrong box and omit required fees.
Commissioners discussed outreach and logistics: staff will send award-nomination forms ahead of the May historic-preservation month activities; staff is planning a spring cleanup (staff expects to confirm a date before the next meeting) and reported outreach to Waukesha West and Waukesha North high schools about recurring volunteer participation. Staff also reminded commissioners to set up multi-factor authentication on city email accounts to ensure official communications are routed to municipal addresses.
Commissioners asked staff to provide printed copies of the updated application and fee schedule and to confirm the contract timing with the county before allocating grant awards.
