Two Denton City Council members will make the case Tuesday afternoon for putting staff to work on new ideas: one to bring back a neighborhood grant program with an environmental focus, the other to build a more structured approach to homelessness.
Both requests are on the council's 1 p.m. work session agenda at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney St., under the standing "two-minute pitch" item, which is budgeted for 30 minutes. Each requester gets up to two minutes to explain the idea and other members get a minute apiece to respond.
Staff will follow up on any request that draws support from at least four elected officials, according to the city's presentation. No vote is taken.
A neighborhood grant with a new purpose
Mayor Pro Tem Nick Stevens, who filed his request Oct. 15, wants to relaunch the Neighborhood Empowerment Grant with wider eligibility under a new name, the Neighborhood Environmental Grant Program. It would give neighborhoods and homeowners associations money, training and in-kind help for environmental improvements, such as neighborhood park features, landscaping, green space that fits city goals and projects that make streets easier to walk.
To pay for it, Stevens suggests drawing on three existing city funds that collect impact fees or return-on-investment money and are meant for environmental work: the Tree Fund, the Parkland Dedication Fund and the Sustainability Fund.
Under the city's information guide for its existing neighborhood project matching grant, awards top out at $10,000 per project and are paid as reimbursements after the work is done. Groups must match the award in full through cash, donated goods or services, or volunteer hours. Neighborhood, homeowner and tenant associations can apply, and physical projects generally must be on public land or right-of-way.
Homelessness
Council Member George Ferrie, whose request is dated Oct. 19, is asking for a work session on homelessness policy. He wants it to cover working more closely with community partners, a memorandum of understanding to support people who use city services most often, and "diversion-first" strategies, and to line the city's approach up with upcoming funding priorities.
