The Stormwater Incentive Grant Program is gearing up for its third year of stormwater projects. These grants, funded by the Water Quality Management Fee, provide financial assistance for projects that reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality and educate citizens about these issues.
Currently, Class A Neighborhood Grants and Class B Education Grants are open for applications.
Class A Neighborhood Grants are available for Fayette County neighborhood, community and homeowner associations incorporated with the Commonwealth of Kentucky that represent single family homeowners or farms. The neighborhood grants can be used to fund rain gardens, rain barrels, aeration systems for retention ponds, stream bank restoration, neighborhood workshops and other projects that help improve or manage stormwater through education and/or physical improvements.
Projects for the neighborhood grants may be funded up to $100,000 and require a 20% cost share of the total project cost. This cost share may be in cash or in-kind donations such as volunteer hours or supplies. Applications are due Friday, May 18, 2012.
Class B Education Grants are open to owners and tenants of non-farm, non-single family residential facilities such as businesses, schools, churches and non-profits located in Fayette County that pay the Water Quality Management Fee. In the past, the education grants have been used to fund activities such as development of stormwater-related curriculum for schools, publicity campaigns about water quality, workshops for the public and educational rain gardens.
The maximum award for the education grants is $35,000. For the first $2,500, no cost share is required. Above that, a 50% cost share is required. Applications are due Friday, May 11, 2012.
Grant selection for both Class A Neighborhood Grants and Class B Education Grants will be in July, 2012 with the anticipation that grant funds will be awarded by the Urban County Council in late fall.
Class B Infrastructure Grants, which are available for commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential facilities who wish to construct stormwater controls on their properties, will open for applications later this month.
Grant application packets are available for download at www.lexingtonky.gov/incentives.
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