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A Resolution establishing a Grant program to be known as the Lex Grow Trees Grant Program and providing for its purpose and objectives; approving and adopting guidelines for the Lex Grow Trees Grant Program; and providing for the authority of the Tree Canopy Ad Hoc Committee over the Lex Grow Trees Grant Program, at a total cost not to exceed $1,000,000. [Council Office, Hall]
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WHEREAS, the Tree Canopy Ad Hoc Committee was allocated $1,500,000.00 to increase Lexington-Fayette County’s tree canopy;
WHEREAS, the Tree Canopy Ad Hoc Committee has recommended to use approximately $1,000,000.00 of the $1,500,000.00 for the creation of a tree canopy grant program to improve Lexington’s tree canopy by providing grants to eligible property owners and organizations for eligible activities, such as tree planting, tree maintenance, tree education, and the development of tree advocates and stewards;
WHEREAS, a locality’s tree canopy plays an important role in improving air and water quality, creating energy savings, and aiding wildlife habitat and conservation in urban areas (See Coder 1996; Lovasi et al. 2008; Ulrich 1984; Seitz 2008; Smith 1999; Dolan 2015); and
WHEREAS, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government finds that such a grant program would provide a benefit to the public through improvements to air and water quality, energy savings, and habitat and conservation in the urban county.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE LEXINGTON-FAYETTE URBAN COUNTY GOVERNMENT:
Section 1 - In an effort to aid in the proliferation of Lexington’s tree canopy, there is hereby established a grant program, to be otherwise known as the “Lex Grow Trees Grant Program” (hereinafter referred to as “the Program”), to provide local funding to certain eligible property owners and organizations as reimbursement or prepayment for eligible activities, such as tree planting, tree maintenance, tree education, and the development of tree advocates and stewards.
Section 2 - That the Program shall have the following objectives:
(a) Increase the scale and health of Lexington-Fayette County’s tree canopy;
(b) Increase community buy-in and resident engagement in assuring the creation and maintenance of Lexington-Fayette County’s tree canopy;
(c) Guide a cultural shift in the understanding of the benefits of trees for individuals, our economy, our community’s social structure, and the collective health of our community; and
(d) Address the equity challenges of access to the benefits of a healthy tree canopy.
Section 3 - All funds awarded pursuant to the Program shall be solely at the discretion of the Urban County Government and shall be in the form of a grant agreement. An eligible property owner or organization shall only be eligible for a maximum of one grant per eligible property. This does not preclude an eligible property owner or organization from applying for an amendment to its existing grant agreement.
Section 4 - The maximum amount of any grant shall not exceed $100,000.00. Upon the recommendation of the Director of Environmental Services and the Tree Canopy Ad Hoc Committee, and the final approval of the Urban County Council, the funding may exceed the above amounts.
Section 5 - That the guidelines, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, for the Program be and hereby are approved and adopted.
Section 6 - (a) Any eligible property owner interested in obtaining funding must submit an application to the Division of Environmental Services for initial review. The application shall contain the minimum criteria contained in the regulations approved pursuant to this Resolution.
(b) If the application meets the minimum criteria, the Division of Environmental Services will make a recommendation to the Tree Canopy Ad Hoc Committee regarding the application.
(c) The Tree Canopy Ad Hoc Committee will consider and review the submitted application and the Division’s recommendations and shall provide its recommendation to the Urban County Council.
(d) The Urban County Council shall approve or deny, at its discretion, all grant agreements with applicants who received approval, in whole or in part, from the Tree Canopy Ad Hoc Committee. Funds shall not be disbursed to applicants until a grant agreement is executed.
Section 7 - That an amount, not to exceed the collective sum of $1,000,000.00, be and hereby is approved from account # 1105-313201-3703-78112 for grants approved pursuant to this Program.
Section 8 - That this Resolution shall become effective on the date of its passage.
PASSED URBAN COUNTY COUNCIL:
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MAYOR
ATTEST:
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CLERK OF URBAN COUNTY COUNCIL
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