SunTrust has been a community partner of the Mayor's Neighborhood Matching Grants program since its inception in 1995.

Mayor’s Neighborhood Matching Grants

Project Guidelines

Project guidelines for physical improvement, public safety and educational or cultural projects are included in the following three sections. Eligible projects must fit in one of these three categories to be considered. If you are unsure if the project fits within these categories, or need assistance, please attend one of the application workshops, or call the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs staff at 407-246-2169.

The purpose of the MNMG program is to provide the neighborhood organization with resources to implement neighborhood enhancement projects the neighborhood is not normally able to fund. Therefore, MNMG funds cannot be used to supplant the neighborhood organization's operating budget. Any equipment purchased through the MNMG program must be stored in a public location and be accessible to members of the neighborhood organization through the life of the equipment. Upon completion of the project, the neighborhood organization must publicize the times of availability, location and individuals (i.e. neighborhood organization President or Board Members) who can access the equipment for continued use by the residents of the neighborhood.

Physical Improvement Application Guidelines

Physical improvement projects must be conducted in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, including those that govern mandatory associations. A building permit, a site plan, and drawings by a registered architect or engineer, licensed in the State of Florida, are required for all building projects involving any man-made structure being built or installed, whether on common property owned by a neighborhood organization or in the City Right-of-Way. Applicant must provide two photos of the current conditions of the project site.

Physical improvement projects may only be installed or constructed on public property, such as in the City’s Right-of-Way, or on common property owned by a neighborhood organization, such as a lakefront common area. Public funds cannot be expended on private property. In addition, grant funding cannot be used to reimburse expenses from projects previously completed by a neighborhood organization, projects started prior to January 1, 2009, or supplies purchased before the execution of the grant award.

Property Owner Permission

If a grant is awarded to a neighborhood organization for a project to be built on public property, the neighborhood organization must receive the written permission of the appropriate governmental jurisdiction that owns it, i.e. Florida Department of Transportation, City of Orlando Transportation Engineering, City of Orlando Families, Parks and Recreation Department, etc. Similarly, if the neighborhood organization’s project involves common area property, the neighborhood organization’s board must approve the project and give permission to pursue the Mayor’s Neighborhood Matching Grant at a regular meeting by August 29, 2008. Notarized minutes from this meeting must reflect acknowledgement and approval of common property usage.

Maintaining Physical Improvement Projects

The neighborhood organization is fully responsible for the maintenance of any physical improvement funded by this grant and is required to provide a long-term plan describing how the association will fund and maintain the physical improvement. If the neighborhood organization is a mandatory association, the City of Orlando considers repair and maintenance of existing facilities or amenities a fiscal responsibility of the mandatory association. Therefore, grant applications by mandatory associations for physical improvements to existing neighborhood facilities or amenities are limited to expanding existing or adding new facilities and amenities owned by the association.

Estimating Physical Improvement Costs

Three written estimates must be submitted from established vendors for any expenses of $250 or more as documentation for the proposed budget. These must be submitted with the grant application.

Obtaining Permits

A building permit application, site plan and signed and sealed drawings by an architect or engineer licensed in the State of Florida are required to obtain a permit for all building projects involving any man-made structure being built or installed, whether on common property owned by the neighborhood organization or in the City Right-of-Way. Examples of structures include: neighborhood signs, fences, walls, fountains, gazebos, etc. In addition, all building projects require that building permits be pulled by a State Licensed Contractor, per Florida State Statute. The licensed contractor can be a general, building or any other trade contractor, as appropriate to the project.

The grant recipient is responsible for paying the licensed contractor to pull the permit. However, the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs will absorb the costs of the City building permit fee for grant recipients with physical improvement projects. All other fees and permits are the responsibility of the neighborhood organization, including the cost of the signed and sealed plans. These fees must be estimated and included in the project’s budget.

The permitting process will take approximately four weeks once applicant has submitted all appropriate documents and information. The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs requires the project team to fully investigate property ownership and obtain permissions before the grant is awarded. This will minimize delays during the permitting process.
Please note: the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs will issue a permit fee letter after the grant is awarded, which explains how the Office of Permitting Services charges the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs for the building permit fee. Permitting fees incurred before the execution of the grant award will not be reimbursed by the City of Orlando.

Site Plan Requirements

A site plan is required for both the technical review of the proposed physical improvement project and after the grant is awarded, to pull the required permits. A preliminary site plan must be submitted with the grant application that provides detailed information about the physical improvement as indicated in the application instructions. Once the grant is awarded, any site plans that involve building or installing a structure must be signed and sealed by a registered architect or engineer licensed in the State of Florida.

Right-of-Way Encroachment and Removal Agreement

If a physical improvement is constructed on City Right-of-Way (ROW) the association must complete the necessary paperwork to secure a Right-of-Way Encroachment and Removal Agreement with the City once the grant is awarded. The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs will facilitate this process between the neighborhood association and the City’s Office of Permitting Services and will cover the cost of recording the fee with the Orange County Comptroller.

Sign Guidelines & Policy

Sign guidelines will be provided at the Application Workshop, are available from the City of Orlando’s Office of Permitting Services, or online at www.cityoforlando.net/permits. In addition, neighborhood organizations must also adhere to the City’s Neighborhood Identification Sign Policy noted below:

1. Neighborhood associations within the City of Orlando who are registered with the City of Orlando Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs are eligible to apply for building permits to construct neighborhood identification sign(s).
    

2. The neighborhood association must demonstrate neighborhood approval of the proposed design and location(s) of neighborhood identification sign(s) by holding a neighborhood meeting before August 29, 2008 wherein a vote is taken to approve the sign(s). The association must mail or hand deliver written notice two weeks prior to this neighborhood meeting to all households within the affected neighborhood's boundaries. The notice must include mention of the vote on sign design and location(s). The City can provide a list of households within the affected neighborhood, if needed. At least 51 percent of those attending the neighborhood meeting must approve the proposed design and location of the sign(s), one vote per household. A notarized copy of both the meeting notice and minutes from this neighborhood meeting wherein the vote was taken must accompany the association's application for a building permit to construct the sign(s). The notarized copies of the meeting notice and minutes from the neighborhood meeting must also be attached to the application.
    

3. All neighborhood identification signs must include the neighborhood's name as stated on the City of Orlando Neighborhood Boundaries Map, except in designated historic districts, which instead may include the name of the district as stated in the ordinance that creates the district.
    

4. The design and proposed locations of neighborhood identification signs are subject to technical review and approval by the City before a permit can be issued. The neighborhood association will be notified in writing when the permit is approved or denied. A copy of approved building permits will be forwarded to the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs.
    

5. Due to traffic sight limitations, signs being mounted on poles or posts and installed in the City’s Right-of Way must have a minimum of a seven foot clearance from the ground to the bottom of a sign mounted on the pole or post.
    

Eligible vs. Non-Eligible Physical Improvement Projects and Expenses

The following table lists examples of both eligible and non-eligible physical improvement projects. This table is not exhaustive and is provided for informational purposes. Eligibility means that grant funds can be spent on these items or areas. The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs reserves the right to amend project eligibility criteria at any time. Eligible projects are subject to approval by the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs.
 

Eligible Projects/Expenses	Non-Eligible Projects/Expenses
Painting of fences and/or walls	Sidewalk Construction
Entrance feature not classified as a perimeter wall	Tree-planting (volunteer tree-planting projects are handled through the City’s Green Up Orlando program).
Common area or recreational improvements	Non-irrigated entranceway beautification projects
Ground lighting	Non-irrigated landscaping or beautification projects
Irrigated entranceway landscaping or beautification projects	Projects previously funded by the Mayor’s Matching Grant program that are less than 8 years old
Picnic tables, benches or pavilions	Repairs or maintenance of existing structures or facilities
Playground equipment	Projects that are already underway or completed
Common area lighting (subject to approval)	Projects that have already been paid, or are being paid for with City of Orlando funds
Neighborhood identification or entranceway signs and improvements	Pressure washing
Neighborhood signs in City of Orlando Right-of-Way	Speed bumps/traffic calming devices (contact your Commissioner for assistance)
Minor park improvements	Street lights
Projects previously funded by the Mayor’s Matching Grant program that have been damaged or destroyed by an Act of God	Aeration, hydrilla treatments, lake restocking
Projects previously funded by the Mayor’s Matching Grant program that are at least 8 years old	Lake clean-up and improvement (Contact the City’s Streets & Stormwater Division at 407-246-2125, ext. 17)
Shoreline re-vegetation & environmental swales	Expenditures not approved in project budget

Public Safety Application Guidelines

Any equipment purchased through the MNMG program must be stored in a public location. If the equipment has been purchased for disaster preparedness or for the Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.), a plan for how members of the neighborhood organization may access the equipment must be submitted with the grant application. Upon completion of the project, the neighborhood organization must publicize the times of availability, location and individuals (i.e. neighborhood organization President or Board Members) who can access the equipment for continued use by the residents of the neighborhood.

All crime prevention and security projects must be reviewed by the City’s Citizens for Neighborhood Watch (CNW) Coordinator and undergo an OPD Security Survey prior to submitting a grant application. A letter from CNW stating that they have reviewed and support the crime prevention project must be attached to the application. Please call OPD at 407-246-2369 to reach the CNW Coordinator.

Security Surveys

The Orlando Police Department conducts Security Surveys to identify security weaknesses, make recommendations and educate residents about changes they can make to physical features of property and to their own behavior to help prevent crime. The Security Survey is available free of charge to neighborhood organizations, residences or businesses in the City of Orlando. To schedule a Security Survey, please call 407-246-2461.

Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) Training Guidelines

To use MNMG funds to implement C.E.R.T. and prepare a neighborhood emergency response plan, neighborhood organizations must include a letter of agreement from both the Orlando Fire Department and the Office of Emergency Management with their grant applications.
All C.E.R.T. programs funded by the MNMG must also work with the City’s Office of Emergency Management to prepare a neighborhood emergency response plan. This plan is created after the C.E.R.T. training is completed. Creating the neighborhood emergency response plan will involve at least three training sessions with the Office of Emergency Management. The C.E.R.T. training with Orlando Fire Department and the three training sessions with the Office of Emergency Management are offered at no cost to the neighborhood organization.

Please contact the Orlando Fire Department’s Public Relations section at 407-246-3128 and the Office of Emergency Management at 321-235-5438 to obtain these Letters of Agreement.

Eligible vs. Non-Eligible Public Safety Projects and Expenses

The following table lists examples of both eligible and non-eligible public safety projects. This table is not exhaustive and is provided for informational purposes. Eligibility means that grant funds can be spent on these items or areas. The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs reserves the right to amend project eligibility criteria at any time. Eligible projects are subject to approval by the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs.
 

Eligible Projects/Expenses	Non-Eligible Projects/Expenses
Senior Citizen home safety programs	Street Lights
Youth Crime Prevention projects or programs	Electronic Surveillance Equipment, including security cameras
Volunteer Patrol Programs	Weapons of any type, including pepper spray, firearms, etc.
National Night Out Celebrations (food costs cannot exceed $250)	Security gate installation or maintenance
Family safety training and activities	Salaries or payments to law enforcement officials
Youth anti-violence programs	Smoke detectors (contact Orlando Fire Department)
Neighborhood crime prevention programs	Citizen Observer Programs (contact OPD)
Drug prevention programs	T-shirts
Fire prevention programs	Unsustainable projects that lack OPD Security Surveys
Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) training	Expenditures not approved in the project budget
Graffiti removal on common property or structures	Neighborhood Watch (contact Orlando Police Department)

Educational or Cultural Application Guidelines

Educational or cultural projects include programs and activities that enhance the academic or educational achievement of youth and adults who reside within the City of Orlando.

Any equipment purchased through the MNMG program must be stored in a public location and be accessible to members of the neighborhood organization for the life of the equipment. Upon completion of the project, the neighborhood organization must publicize the times of availability, location and individuals (i.e. neighborhood organization President or Board Members) who can access the equipment for continued use by the residents of the neighborhood.

Eligible vs. Non-Eligible Educational or Cultural Projects and Expenses

The following table lists examples of both eligible and non-eligible educational or cultural projects. This table is not exhaustive and is provided for informational purposes. Eligibility means that grant funds can be spent on these items or areas. The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs reserves the right to amend project eligibility criteria at any time. Eligible projects are subject to approval by the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs.
 

Eligible Projects/Expenses	Non-Eligible Projects/Expenses
Newsletter start-up costs (content must be nonpartisan)	Using newsletters to promote political candidates, candidacy or political campaigning
Curriculum based software	Computers
Murals	College Tours or Field Trips (College tours and field trips may be part of a project plan if the travel expenses are paid by a community partner)
Youth and/or family literacy programs	T-shirts
Family learning centers	Camera equipment
After school enrichment programs	Travel expenses
Youth athletic leagues	Expenditures not already approved in the project budget
College and/or career preparation
Dance, music, art, & cultural education programs
Tutoring Program
Character Development
Oral history or photojournalism projects

 

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