Polo City Council creates BDD Commercial Grant Program

POLO – Polo businesses have the chance to receive financial help from the city through a new commercial improvement grant.

On June 3, Polo City Council members unanimously voted to create the Commercial Grant Program using funds from Polo’s Business Development District No. 1, which will reimburse approved applicants up to $5,000 on applicable projects.

The grant program’s purpose is to “stimulate efforts to improve the street appearance of Polo’s historic buildings and business façades,” according to the grant application.

Polo’s BDD No. 1 was created Aug. 15, 2022, on a 5-1 vote by City Council members. It encompasses downtown and some surrounding blocks, as well as the length of Division Avenue.

Within the BDD, an additional 0.5% sales tax is collected on most goods, according to the ordinance that established it. Things such as medications, medical appliances, food meant to be eaten off the premises where it was sold and titled purchases – a car or boat, for example – are not subject to the additional tax.

Grants will be awarded based on the application’s merit, not on a first-come, first-served basis, Alderman Randy Schoon said.

According to the application, grant funds can be used for nonarchitectural elements such as paint and awnings, or for activities that might be considered routine maintenance necessary to prevent further deterioration of original elements, such as tuck-pointing, replacement of doors and/or windows, roof repairs, etc. Exterior improvements related to Americans with Disabilities Act-compliance also can be included.

Interior work on a business or building is not an applicable use of grant funds.

Schoon noted that there is the possibility to make a change to the program later that would allow grant funds to be used for interior work.

“I think, at this time, we’re too early to be doing that kind of thing,” Schoon said of interior work. “If we start doing interior work and somebody comes at us and wants to do electrical, we’re not going to be able to go up there and make sure that’s all done right.”

Funding for the Commercial Grant Program is limited to $30,000 per fiscal year, according to the ordinance establishing the grant program. Polo’s fiscal year runs from May 1 to April 30; the program retroactively started May 1, 2024.

Each business or building within the BDD is eligible to receive a grant once per year if awarded $2,500 or less, or once every two years if awarded $2,501 to $5,000, the grant application shows.

Polo’s Commercial Grant Program does not require an applicant to provide matching funds.

Alderman Tommy Bardell said that $5,000 isn’t going to get someone very far on a project that would be applicable to get funding.

“They’re going to be putting some money forth,” Bardell said. “We’ve got to incentivize it somehow.”

All applications will go through the Polo City Council. The council will send them to the Polo BDD Advisory Committee for review before voting to approve or deny an application.

Other business

The City Council also:

• unanimously hired two part-time police officers at rates of $26 per hour and $26.50 per hour.
• unanimously approved a five-year capital improvement plan.
• directed city attorney M. Thomas Suits to draft an ordinance adding several stop signs at intersections around town. Stop signs are set to be added on East Colden Street at South Jefferson Avenue, South Jackson Avenue at East Colden Street, South Prairie Avenue at East Colden Street, and North Cherry Avenue at West Dixon Street. Also, the ordinance will create a no-parking zone on Cranbrook Lane at South Barber Avenue.