At the regular July meeting, Mountain View’s Town Council voted to budget $15,000 for residential grants to assist in repairing sidewalks and driveway aprons for owner-occupied homes who also demonstrate a financial need. The program is a continuation of prior years’ successful programs, and will be focused primarily on Sheridan and Ames Streets to start.
If a homeowner or business does not have a financial need that meets the income requirements, but would still like to have assistance repairing their sidewalks and driveway aprons, Council voted to waive the permit and inspection fees in order to save time and money for the town and residents if community members join what is being called the “Share Program.”
The Share Program allows the town to purchase concrete in bulk and work with a town-selected vendor to manage property owners’ sidewalk repairs, ensuring the work is high-quality and done to code, plus saving on the cost of supplies. This results in savings to the property owner since the final cost billed is less due to the bulk purchase, plus the property owner saves by not having to pay the permit and inspection fees. The town also saves since staff time is greatly reduced, but the infrastructure improvements are accomplished in as speedy of a time frame as possible.
If grant money is exhausted before the end of 2024, property owners may still participate in the Share Program, and work will continue as long as the weather is good and vendors are available. The funds are only budgeted for 2024 and future years’ programs will be determined during the budget cycle for those years and be dependent on available resources.
Property owners can reach out to Public Works Coordinator for more information or to obtain an application for either the Sidewalk Grant or Share Program.
