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05-99 Resolution No. 05-99 RESOLUTION ADOPTING SUBSTITUTE SIDING REMOVAL GRANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELGIN,ILLINOIS,that the attached Substitute Siding Removal Grant Program Guidelines dated March 23,2005 are hereby adopted and approved by the City Council as the City of Elgin's guidelines for such program. s/Ed Schock Ed Schock, Mayor Presented: March 23, 2005 Adopted: March 23, 2005 Omnibus Vote: Yeas: 6 Nays: 0 Attest: s/Dolonna Mecum Dolonna Mecum, City Clerk O�.tF1E NEIGNBO �I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I •I•I-1 I-I-I-I-1-� ELGIN 2005 March 23, 2005 PROPERTY IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM EXTERIOR PAINT GRANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES I. Eligible Properties II. Application Process III. Review of Applications IV. Inspections V. Agreements VI. Grant Project Work VII. Payment of Grant Funds I. Eligible Properties The Exterior Paint Grant Program provides financial assistance to home owners who wish to paint the exterior of the structures on their property, but may lack the financial resources to do so. A maximum grant of$2,500 is available. Grants will provide funds to either purchase paint and supplies or towards the initial cost of hiring a professional painting contractor. Grant amounts will be based on either the cost of materials or lowest reasonable cost estimate by a qualified contractor. Properties are eligible to apply for the Exterior Paint Grant Program if they meet the following qualifications: 1. The property must be a residential structure located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Elgin 2. The property must contain no more than four dwelling units. Properties where the proposed work will convert the use to a lawful, conforming status and be made compliant with all applicable codes will also be considered. 3. The property owner must be at least eighteen(18) years of age. 4. The applicant must meet the current federal guidelines for low to moderate family income. Household 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Size Low Income $26,400 $30,150 $33,950 $37,700 $40,700 $43,750 $46,750 $49,750 Moderate $40,250 $46,000 $51,750 $57,500 $62,100 $66,700 $71,300 $75,900 Income II. Application Process Application submission deadline for the Exterior Paint Program is May 1, 2005. Applications will be scored and ranked according to the criteria for selection process. Grants will be awarded to those applications that have scored the highest. If funding remains after initial application deadlines, funds will be distributed for a period of 6 months on a first come first serve basis. Property owners wishing to participate in the Program will be asked to submit paint colors to be reviewed and approved by Staff prior to signing the Grant Agreement. As a reference, the Elgin Design Guideline Manual specifications for the recommendations for paint and paint colors, as well as removal and surface preparation, are attached. Please note: A maximum of two grants in a five year period is allowed per property. Multiple grants cannot be awarded for the same structure on the property during this period. Attach supporting documentation to the application form including the following: • Two detailed cost estimates provided by licensed contractors. If you plan to complete the project on your own, please submit a cost estimate for materials proposed to be used. (Note: Funding will be reimbursed only for material costs if you complete the project on your own.) • Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application completely filled out and signed if property is part of a locally designated historic district or designated as an individual landmark. • Color Scheme. Please attach a copy of the color palette indicating which colors are to be used for the siding, trim, and accents. The City has developed a guideline for color schemes that are acceptable for the program. A copy of these guidelines is included with the application packet for your reference. • Photographs of the features and/or entire building on the property. • Income Information including the following: ❑ IRS Federal Income Tax Return(IRS Form 1040 or 1040A) ❑ Circuit Breaker Form(Property Tax Release)- for senior citizens only ❑ Social Security Statement- for senior citizens only ❑ Pension Check- for senior citizens only • Verification of Property Ownership including the following: ❑ Property Warranty Deed O Most recent Property Tax Form O Land Contract registered with the County III. Review of Applications On receipt of the application form by the submission deadline, the property and proposed work will be evaluated by City staff. Review will be carried out based on the following criteria for selection. (Note: based on 100 point rating system, with 100 points being the highest rating and 40 points being the minimum threshold for consideration of eligibility): 1. Building Ownership a. Owner Occupied—Single Family(20 points) b. Owner Occupied—Multi- Family(15 points) c. Rental(10 points) 2. Income Qualification a. Very Low Income(20 points) b. Low Income(15 points) c. Moderate Income (10 points) 3. Code Compliance a. Property has been cited for a painting violation(20) b. Property has not been cited for a painting violation(10) 4. Age of Structure a. Constructed prior to 1945 (20 points) b. Constructed between 1946 and 1978 (15 points) c. Constructed after 1979 (10 points) 5. Visual Impact of Proposed Project a. Issues such as visibility, location within the neighborhood, and anticipated change in appearance after completion of work will be considered. (1 to 20 points) IV. Inspections One of the requirements of the grant program is that properties participating in the grant program be fully compliant on the exterior of the property with all applicable codes prior to final payment. To facilitate the awareness of any code violations on properties, inspections by the Department of Code Administration and Development Services will be carried out as outlined below. 1. Initial code inspection: After receipt of application, an initial code inspection of the exterior will be carried out by a Code Enforcement Officer of the Department of Code Administration and Development Services to determine existing code violations. This inspection will be carried out in addition to the evaluation of the proposed work and be conducted prior to undertaking the Grant Agreement. 2. The property owner will be notified of outstanding code violations on the property. The violations will need to be corrected within the time allocated by the Department of Code Administration and Development Services. If an extension is required, please contact the Code Enforcement Officer that conducted the inspection. 3. After completion of the project, a follow-up code inspection will be carried out on the property prior to disbursing the funds to ensure that violations are corrected. In the event the grant work is completed, but other code violations exist which were not identified during the first inspection, additional time may be provided. The time for compliance will be determined by the Director of the Department of Code Administration, or designee, not to exceed a maximum of 90 days. Note: If a project is not completed in the stipulated amount of time or withdrawn by the applicant, all the code violations on the exterior of the property determined at the initial code inspection and/or any subsequent inspection will need to be corrected. The time limit allowed for compliance with the property maintenance codes will be determined by the Code Enforcement Officer. V. Agreements 1. Grant Agreement: The selected participants of the grant program will be required to enter into a Grant Agreement with the City of Elgin in a form specified by the Corporation Counsel to complete the proposed grant project. Grant Agreements must be signed and returned within 30 days, or it will constitute a forfeiture of the grant awarded, and funds will be transferred to the next project on the waiting list. The Community Development Group Director is authorized to execute the grant agreement on behalf of the City in a form approved by the Corporation Counsel. 2. Term of Grant Agreement: Property owners participating in the grant program have 12 months from the date of signing the agreement to complete the grant project. VI. Grant Project Work 1. Beginning the project: Grant project work as reviewed and approved by City Staff may commence after the Grant Agreement has been signed. 2. Building Permits are required for all grant project work carried out to the exterior of the structures on the property. Properties located in a locally designated Historic District must conform to the Elgin Design Guideline Manual and be approved through a Certificate of Appropriateness. Grant participants have 3 months from the date of signing the Grant Agreement to receive the required permits. 3. Time period to complete grant project: Grant participants have 12 months to complete all the work as originally approved under the agreement. If the grant work has not been completed within the 12 month time period, the grant funds will be forfeited unless additional time, not to exceed 90 days, is granted by the Community Development Group Director or designee due to unreasonable or unforeseen circumstances. Note: All outstanding code violations will need to be corrected in the time allotted for the completion of the project regardless of whether the project has been completed or withdrawn by the applicant. 4. Progress reports will be mailed out to grant recipients on a quarterly basis to track the progress of the project and to identify any potential timing problems before they arise. 5. Final evaluation of grant project: On completion of the grant project, an evaluation of the work will be carried out by the appropriate City Staff together with any additional code inspections. VII. Payment of Grant Funds 1. Payment of grant funds will only be made once the grant project is completed and approved within the stipulated 12 months and the property is made fully code compliant on the exterior of the property. Payments will only be processed after submission of proper proof of payment to the contractors/vendors, together with statements of completion or waivers of lien. Payment will not exceed the original amount allocated at the time of approval of the project. 2. This is a reimbursement grant. The grant is paid out after the project is completed. If the applicant needs a portion of the grant as start-up funds, the following items must be provided: • Documentation demonstrating financial need must be provided with the application. • Documentation detailing the amount of start-up funds required. (contractors bid or list of materials) • Up to 50% of the grant amount awarded can be provided as start-up funds towards the cost of initial payment of a qualified contractor to complete the work. • A property lien will be placed against the property for the amount of the start- up funds. Additional Information Call the City of Elgin, Planning and Neighborhood Services Department at 847-931-5910 for further information. F:\Legal Dept\Agreement\Property Imp Grant Program-Exterior Paint Guidelines.doc