Citrus County board pursues state CLG grant to update historic survey and design guidelines

Members of the Citrus County Historical Resource Advisory Board discussed applying for a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant through the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service to update the county—s historic-site survey and to develop design guidelines.

An HRAB member said she had put the county grant writer (identified in the meeting as Miss Stevens) directly in touch with the state reviewer and that the state offered to review the county—s draft application before it is submitted to the National Park Service. The member said the grant writer did not yet see an issue with preparing and applying before the deadline.

Board members noted funding constraints: HRAB does not have a dedicated budget, so any grant application and match will depend on county appropriations and in-kind contributions. The board discussed that in past applications county staff time and volunteer labor have been counted as in-kind match. One member said the Department of Historic Resources (DHR) now lists a minimum valuation for volunteer time at $7.50 per hour; the grant writer will confirm how that affects potential matches.

The board reviewed earlier survey work and noted an updated Florida Master Site File report that lists roughly 1,300–1,400 historic sites countywide; members suggested updating the local survey before drafting design guidelines but also expressed interest in doing both if funding allows.

Members asked staff to coordinate a meeting with the county grant writer and to return to HRAB with definitive guidance on match requirements and a recommended schedule for grant preparation.