In a five to one vote, Monmouth City Council has approved their renewal of membership with Prairie Hills Land Bank, which the City joined last year, reports City Administrator Lou Leone:
“The Prairie Hills Land Bank in this last year has been helping us work on some technical assistance related to going through and finding homes that can be salvaged and acquiring them, renovating them, and then turning them back into livable residences, states Leone.”
“Right now, they are working on an SCP Grant through the state. It is about a $750,000 grant. What that grant will actually do is help us to renovate five homes. These homes are located in the southeast and southwest ends of town. Then actually go through and acquire and demo one home. With that grant, it will actually provide some administrative fees that we can use to offset our membership fees. They are also working on an infill housing and contractor list. These are contractors throughout the area that specialize in just doing one or two homes,” Leone adds.
Award totals from the SCP Grant have not been announced yet. If awarded, this will be a joint effort between Prairie Hills Land Bank and property renovations also being conducted by Jamieson Community Center and the Pattee Foundation, allowing further renovations within the City of Monmouth.
