Historic preservation panel clears $10,000 elevator grant and expands competitive awards

The Kalamazoo Historic Preservation Commission voted to award $10,000 from the O'Connor Fund to the Disability Network of Southwest Michigan to repair elevator machinery, a measure commissioners said was intended to keep critical accessibility equipment operational.

Coordinator (staff) described the grant action as following the recommendation of the grant-making subcommittee and said the award was amended to be drawn from O'Connor Fund O2. "Congratulations to Disability Network, Southwest Michigan for the grant for that — to have that elevator working was a really big deal for them," the coordinator said. The motion was seconded and approved by roll-call vote with Kayla, Fred, Nora, Kyle, Dusty, Melissa and the chair recorded as voting yes.

The commission also approved a policy change to raise the top end of its competitive grant program from $10,000 to $15,000 beginning in 2027. Commissioners said the increase followed a larger-than-expected donation earlier in the year and was intended to allow the commission to support larger rehabilitation projects that meet preservation standards.

To help applicants submit complete, eligible requests, commissioners authorized hiring a qualified consultant to provide prereview appointments for draft applications. The motion sets a not-to-exceed fee of $2,000 (time and travel) and specifies selection from vetted sources such as the Michigan SHPO list or the MHPN directory; the motion was amended to state the funding will come from O'Connor Fund O2 and then passed on a roll call.

Commissioners discussed why the prereview is needed: several smaller organizations lacked professional grant-writing capacity and some applications were incomplete or unclear. "We're learning each year, just as well as the applicants are learning each year," the coordinator said, adding that a prereview workshop or short appointment could improve application quality and give community groups practical assistance.

The coordinator said the O'Connor Fund has been reclassified at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation from a nonprofit fund to a field-of-interest fund, which will allow the foundation to disperse approved grant payments directly to recipients rather than routing them through the city's accounts. That change should be reflected in the foundation's records by next Monday, the commission heard, at which point grants can begin to be made.

Next steps: staff will communicate award documentation to the Disability Network, and the commission will implement its consultant prereview process and the new grant cap in the 2027 grant cycle.