Historic Preservation Commission recommends 2026 grant awards amid reduced fund balance

The Clark County Historic Preservation Commission on Nov. 5 unanimously recommended allocations from its 2026 historical-promotion fund after the review subcommittee prioritized two applications and noted reduced revenue from recording fees.

Staff and the subcommittee told the commission that recording-fee revenue — the revenue source for the historical-promotion fund — has declined in recent years. County budget staff told the commission the maximum available to distribute for calendar year 2026 is $30,000; that figure would still draw down the fund balance rather than leave it at breakeven.

Review committee members said four applications were received this cycle. The subcommittee recommended fully funding the smallest, most narrowly scoped application (identified in committee materials as the Camaso/Chagall Historic Society request) and partially funding a Hawkinson School District request. The Hawkinson request bundled multiple years of field-trip funding; commission staff and the committee recommended a prorated award of $14,218 to cover the district’s next-year field-trip portion only, which complies with grant rules that allow funding only for the next calendar year.

Committee members said one application was incomplete while another was a partial request for a large construction-style project that would have exceeded the available $30,000. The recommended distribution preserves some fund balance carryover so the program has capacity in future years if recording fees recover.

Madison Gabig, John Zingali and Andy Gregg participated on the review panel and described the committee’s approach as a responsible prioritization of applications tied to the program’s core mission. Bart (staff) said winners and non-recipients will receive individualized follow-up explaining the committee’s recommendation before the items go to county council.

At the end of the discussion, Jan Bader moved to approve the committee’s recommended awards and Morgan Frazier seconded. The motion passed unanimously.