The Seymour Redevelopment Commission recently announced the first round of quality of life grant recipients for 2024.
While the total requested was $573,719.50 from seven entities, the commission approved awarding $69,345 spread out among five recipients on a 4-0 vote. President Mark Dennis was absent.
The awards are $4,700 to the Seymour Parks and Recreation Department, $21,569 to the Tree City board, $29,515 to the Seymour Museum Center, $11,398 to the Seymour Fire Department and $2,163 to Girls Inc. of Jackson County.
Based on the revenue generated from tax increment financing districts in the city, the commission divvies that out in three categories. Infrastructure is 60%, downtown is 20% and education/quality of life is 20%.
Twice a year, the commission announces the recipients of quality of life grants after reviewing applications.
Bonnye Good, a member of the grant subcommittee, said it was recommended to approve the parks department’s full request of $4,700 to pay an instructor to lead 47 Zumba classes throughout the year.
“The demographic is about 60% seniors, and they have one class per week that averages 45 to 60 participants,” Good said. “Other classes they do, there are small fees, but the parks and rec department has requested assistance so that they can keep this one free since it is primarily a senior market.”
The Tree City board also received its full funding request.
“We had previously funded them, and there was discussion at the time that we would probably offer them ongoing support,” Good said. “They have asked for $21,569, which is half of the budget for this project. It’s a tree management program, and it benefits the downtown and keeps the city as a Tree City community, which is definitely a quality of life program.”
The museum center’s request was $49,515 for exterior maintenance, including second-story windows and tuckpointing for the façade. The center, however, has $20,000 for this project from a gift, so that was subtracted from the original request.
“They included photos, which show significant loss of mortar in several places,” Good said. “The building is a city-owned building and it is in downtown, and a mission of the museum center is education.”
The fire department’s original request was $41,239.50 for four foam systems and other equipment to improve the community’s ISO rating. Those could be used at Freeman Municipal Airport in the event of a disaster and in other areas of the city. The department said it had $18,443.50 from its capital budget, so the grant committee took the balance and recommended awarding half of that, committee member Tim Hardin said.
Girls Inc. asked for $6,696 for LED lights for the gymnasium and an automated external defibrillator. Good said the subcommittee spent a lot of time thinking about the request and recommended only funding the AED, which is used in the event someone has a heart incident.
The other two requests were $50,000 from Chapel Church and $400,000 from the Jackson County Chamber’s SPARK program.
The church has been meeting in the former Hair Force Beauty Academy building in the downtown and wanted to put the money toward renovations.
“The grant subcommittee thought this was a good project. We would definitely like to see the building renovated, but it seemed like it was a better fit for (Seymour) Main Street for their grant program, which the redevelopment commission already funds $200,000 for that,” Good said.
The chamber’s request was for a business incubator.
“We thought it was an intriguing idea,” Good said. “The main thing that we discussed is that that is far greater than the amount of money that we have for these quality of life grants. Our line item is in the $160,000 range for the entire year, and we have to consider how that would be divvied throughout everyone included.”
While the committee suggested not funding the project, Good said the chamber could approach the commission.
“We invite them to return to the commission, maybe approach the entire commission, but as a subcommittee, we felt we wouldn’t be able to fund enough of this to do what they needed,” she said.