| COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS For Immediate Release: August 2, 2012 For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 |
August 2, 2012
Dear Columbus Resident,
Since we joined Columbus City Council early last year, we participated in a great deal of community dialogue on problems facing our neighborhoods. In these conversations, we found that one of the recurring themes was graffiti vandalism. Since then, we have worked with Council President Andy Ginther and other offices, as well as with Mayor Coleman and the administration, to budget city programs to combat the plague of graffiti vandalism in Columbus. The result is now two-fold – we have established a citywide graffiti removal service, and created a grant program that will help community organizations fight graffiti vandalism in our neighborhoods. We are writing you today to tell you a bit more about this grant program and what it can do for your areas.
The graffiti grant program is the result of community groups that have already organized and voiced a desire to clean up the graffiti in the area, but lack the necessary materials and equipment to do so. Columbus City Council has budgeted $100,000 in grant funding to be awarded in 2012, for which community organizations will be able to apply for through our partnership with the Coalition for a Nonviolent Columbus (CNC). The application process for these grants will work much the same as with the neighborhood safety grants that organizations already apply for through CNC. The maximum grant amount is $5,000, and must be used on graffiti removal projects or for community mural projects. In addition, the funding may only be used for equipment and materials needed to abate graffiti or create the murals. Grant applications are available on the CNC website and the open dates for submission of the applications will be August 3-August 24. We encourage all community groups with such projects in mind to take advantage of this grant program and to make full use of these resources.
Graffiti vandalism is a crime and devastates our communities. This grant program, along with the citywide abatement service, is an important step in combating graffiti vandalism in our neighborhoods. It will help to make our city safer, as well as more attractive to residents, and help spur economic development in those afflicted areas. We appreciate all the input and concerns shared with us regarding the problem of graffiti vandalism, as these programs would not be possible without the time and commitment put in by citizens like you.
Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
Zach M. Klein Michelle M. Mills
Member of Columbus City Council Member of Columbus City Council
