Community Improvement Plan

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A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a planning and economic development tool that sets out a framework to assist in community revitalization and aims to achieve economic, community planning and urban development goals. Community Improvement Plans provide many community benefits by:

Stimulating private sector investment in the community through grants and loans from the Municipality;
Promoting revitalization and place-making to attract tourism, business investment and economic development opportunities;
Developing affordable housing;
Promoting brownfield cleanup and redevelopment;
Enhancing streetscapes and building facades;
Encouraging the effective use of community infrastructure.

Businesses and property owners considering participation in the CIP are encouraged to review the full program details linked below. All applicants are required to meet with Municipal staff for a pre-application meeting, with the exception of applicants to the COVID-19 Business Retrofit Grant.

Updates to the 2021 Community Improvement Plan

The changes below were approved at the Council meeting on April 21 and were necessary due to the significant interest in the program to date and the potential budget impact.

2021-266
Cathy Little - Tom Allwood

That Council receive report ECD.21.13; and
That Council close the current 2021 CIP program as of May 14, 2021; and
That Council reallocate the COVID-19 Business Retrofit Grant budget allocation of $20,000 into the overall 2021 CIP budget.

CARRIED.

Broadly speaking, the following modifications will be implemented:

Pre-application meetings are still required prior to submission and will be scheduled up to April 30.
The current 2021 CIP program intake will close as of May 14; all applications must be submitted by this date.
Complete applications received prior to the deadline will be presented on a first come-first served basis for Council consideration.

Email ecdev@greyhighlands.ca with any questions or concerns, or to discuss further.

Community Improvement Plan Document

Community Improvement Plan

For more information or to book a pre-application consultation please contact ecdev@greyhighlands.ca.

Application

For more information or to book a pre-application consultation please contact ecdev@greyhighlands.ca.

COVID-19 Business Retrofit Grant and Application (Section 4.10)

COVID-19 Business Retrofit Grant Application

Purpose

The COVID-19 Business Retrofit Grant is intended to assist consumer-facing businesses create a safer workspace through the installation of physical barriers, floor markings, and other physical enhancements. This grant is not meant to augment the purchase of personal protective equipment and other consumable products such as masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves.

Eligible Costs

Installation of physical barriers;
Semi-permanent floor distance markers;
Hand washing and sanitation stations;
Changes to interior layout to accommodate physical distancing;
The creation of exterior spaces to accommodate waiting patrons;
New or updated signage to reflect COVID-19 related changes in operations.

Program Details

The maximum amount of the grant is $500 or 75% of eligible costs, whichever is less.
This grant is only available to commercial establishments (owners and lessees); home-based businesses are not eligible.
This grant may be combined with other Community Improvement Plan commercial elements, except for the Tax Increment Equivalent Grant, which exists as a stand-alone incentive.

Payment of the Grant

The grant will be paid as a single payment upon completion of the improvements, to the satisfaction of the Plan’s Administrator.
Successful applicants will be required to submit receipts for eligible costs incurred before payment is issued.

Eligibility Criteria

All general eligibility criteria outlined in Section 9 apply. For clarity, this shall mean that the project must comply with all Municipal bylaws, policies, standards, guidelines and Official Plan and zoning, as well as any applicable Provincial, Federal or government agency requirements (e.g., conservation authority).
Applications shall be submitted directly to the Department of Economic and Community Development (ecdev@greyhighlands.ca), where they will be vetted for eligibility and then provided to Council for review on a first-come, first-served basis.
Due to the unique nature of this grant component, applicants will not be subject to a pre-application meeting with members of the multi-disciplinary review team.
Applicants may request financial assistance for projects retroactive to March 26, 2020.
The maximum budget allocation for the COVID-19 Business Retrofit Grant is $20,000.
Applications will be received on a first-come, first-served basis.

Community Improvement Plan

Updates to the 2021 Community Improvement Plan

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