The City of Covington will devote funding to 11 neighborhood groups for small improvement projects ranging from planting fruit trees, updating safety signs, and installing dog waste stations.
Over $50,000 in funding was passed on the consent agenda at the Covington Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday night, part of the latest round of the ongoing Neighborhood Grant Program.
“This year was a little different than other years, we actually for the first year received more grant requests than we had funds available,” Neighborhood Services Director Brandon Holmes said.
Some of the grants range from $2,500 to $6,320 and are awarded to neighborhood associations and groups of residents.
- Eastside $5,000 for Randolph Park improvements: fruit trees, plaque, benches, pool chairs, paint.
- Historic Licking Riverside $5,000 for “Discover The Cov” stroll & stream historic walking tour (banners, QR codes, design, poles, etc.)
- Latonia $6,320 for Halloween Block Party, banners.
- Levassor Park $3,500 for “Slower is safer” radar signs, neighborhood gathering.
- Linden Grove Cemetery (Westside, Peaselburg, and Seminary Square) $5,000 for signage (with QR codes).
- MainStrasse Village $2,500 for “PAWrade” pet parade and “Pick Up After Your Dog” signs.
- Old Town/Mutter Gottes $4,264 for banners, dog waste stations, neighborhood garage sale and spring social.
- Old Seminary Square $4,450 for trees, plantings.
- Peaselburg $5,420 for signs, banners and planters.
- Wallace Woods $5,461 for pedestrian safety initiatives: thermostatic painting of intersections, “slow down” yard signs.
- Westside $4,085 for banners.
Commissioner Tim Downing, a longtime advocate of the program, said the projects demonstrate the community pride and work ethic of Covington.
“The amount of engagement from our residents has always been inspiring to me – communities throughout Covington pooling their time and resources to make their neighborhood cleaner, safer, and more vibrant,” Downing said. “I would encourage every resident who sees an opportunity for improvement in their area to participate with their neighborhood group. Engage and energize your community – it takes a village.”
The Board of Commissioners set aside $60,000 for this year’s grants. Holmes said $3,000 was set aside in a contingency fund. Other funds were used to hire The Center for Great Neighborhoods, a non-profit that worked with many of the neighborhood groups to enhance their applications and to map out implementation plans.
Under the program’s guidelines, projects must be neighborhood focused and initiated by residents who live in a neighborhood, enhance the quality of life in the neighborhood through visible physical improvements or special activities, be able to be executed within a reasonable period, have demonstrated neighborhood support, have a neighborhood-wide benefit or general benefit to the area, and be sustainable.
