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CORTLAND -- Council heard the first reading Monday night of an ordinance that would establish a business facade grant program in the city.
Through the potential grant program, which was submitted by Mayor Deidre Petrosky, Cortland will set aside $15,000 from the city's general fund in 2023 and 2024 to upgrade the facades of local commercial properties.
Local businesses can apply for matching grants of 25 percent of the total project cost up to $2,500.
A facade, as defined in the ordinance, is the front of a building or any side of a building facing the public way. Improvements with the grant funds could be made to exterior walls, lighting, awnings, windows, doors and landscaping. Roof or interior repairs are not eligible for the grant.
The ordinance comes as part of the city's business revitalization plan.
"This is a product of MBG (Marketing and Business Growth Committee)," Petrosky said. "We worked on this, and we set aside $15,000 as matching grant funding for this year and for next year and, hopefully by that time, in 2025, we'll have some new planning and zoning legislation in place to generate new funds to carry on this program."
The mayor said it will be a reimbursable grant.
Interested businesses have to complete a form prepared by the city. A complete application must include a photo of the building before any upgrades, a signed property photo release waiver, at least three construction quotes and a written description of the proposal.
Applications will be considered through an informal review process by MBG and with the approval of the service director.
The first reading passed by a unanimous vote, but council raised some questions about the legislation.
Councilman John Picuri asked if the grant program was going to be first-come, first-served, to which Petrosky replied that it was not and it would be competitive. Petrosky said all the applications would need to be submitted to the city by Oct. 31.
"Does that give (the businesses) enough time since this won't be approved until the second meeting in September?" Councilman Don Moore said. "We'd have to do three readings. I mean, it gives them basically the month of October to do it, and that includes getting three bids."
Petrosky agreed with Moore and said that while the specifics of the program can be amended, it does not have to change the ordinance.
"We can change that," Petrosky said. "It's not a big deal; it doesn't change the ordinance itself."
Moore suggested that instead of an October deadline for applications, businesses should have until closer to the end of November.
The mayor said Moore's idea would work, and she noted that because applications will be coming so late in the year, projects are not required to be complete until December 2024. The ordinance notes that if projects are not completed in the allotted time frame, matching funds could be rescinded.
"I want to thank everyone who was involved with this," Council President Kevin Piros said. "I think it's a great program. … Part of our strategic plan was to make the downtown more appealing."
Councilman Dick McClain pointed out that the program is not limited to the downtown area of Cortland, but that any business can apply.
In other business, council:
• Adopted an ordinance authorizing service director Kim Blasco to purchase a 2023 Ford F250 4×4 pickup truck from Mark Thomas Ford in an amount not to exceed $51,395;
• Heard second reading of an ordinance authorizing Blasco to purchase privacy slats from Utah-based Slat Depot for the new fencing around the city's service garage located in Willow Park in an amount not to exceed $5,220;
• Adopted an emergency ordinance setting the wages and establishing the terms of employment for special projects coordinator Jeffrey Jiang. He will work 30 hours per week at $15.77 per hour.