EXHIBIT A
Introduction
The North Texas Street Revitalization Program (the “Program”) is intended to encourage business owners and/or commercial property owners to enhance the visibility, appearance, community pride, and economic setting of their properties and/or businesses located in the City of Fairfield’s North Texas Street District. The Program provides grants to make improvements to the appearance and visibility of privately owned properties in the following ways:
• Exterior signage
• Landscaping improvements
• Exterior lighting improvements
• Parking lot repairs and improvements
Program Goals:
1. Facilitate investment by business owners and/or commercial property owners to improve, update and enhance their exterior lighting, signage, and landscaping.
2. Enhance the appearance of the overall streetscape in the North Texas Street District.
3. Revitalize the business climate and strengthen economic vitality in the North Texas Street District.
Grant Amounts:
The grants and reimbursement amounts will be structured in one of four ways:
Applicant Type Project
location
Grant Amount Example
1.Business with less
than $500,000
annual revenue
Property where
their business
operates
70% reimbursement,
up to $30,000 grant
Total project cost of $40,000. Total
grant of $28,000. Cost to business
after reimbursement of $12,000
2.Business owner
that owns their own
building
Property where
ONLY their
business
operates
65% reimbursement,
up to $30,000 grant
Total Project cost of $40,000. Total
grant of $26,000. Cost to business
after reimbursement of $14,000
3.Property Owner of
a large shopping
center
Large Shopping
Center
property that
they own
50% reimbursement,
up to $30,000 grant
Total project cost of $60,000. Total
grant of $30,000. Cost to property
owner after reimbursement of
$30,000
4.All other eligible
commercial property
or business owners
50% reimbursement,
up to $25,000 grant
Total project cost of $50,000. Total
grant of $25,000. Cost to applicant
after reimbursement of $25,000
Applicants must provide documentation of the Applicant Type they are applying under:
1. A business with less than $500,000 annual revenue must provide the reported gross receipts for the prior two calendar years, as submitted to both the Internal Revenue Service and the City of Fairfield Business License Tax.
2. A business that owns and operates out of its own freestanding property must provide their current City of Fairfield business license and property title with matching/correlating address and ownership information.
3. A property owner of a large shopping center must provide County documents with the recorded property size or parcel dimensions reporting their parcel to be over five acres in total shared size.
4. All other eligible applicants may apply for the lesser amount of $25,000 or 50% of the total improvements approved.
Prioritization of funding:
• Applications from small independent businesses, including but not limited to, restaurants, wine and beer tasting rooms, bars, live entertainment, incubator spaces, and retail will be given preference.
• Applications will be reviewed and funding prioritized based on the proposed project’s relative impact and fulfillment of the program goals, according to the following:
Program Goals
1. Facilitate investment by business owners and/or commercial property owners to improve, update and enhance their exterior lighting, signage, and landscaping that will enhance the overall appearance of the North Texas Street District.
2. Enhance the appearance of the streetscape and create a more attractive commercial environment in the North Texas Street District.
3. Revitalize and reenergize the business climate and strengthen economic vitality in the North Texas Street District.
1. The Community Development Department’s Economic Development Division shall administer the Program. The Director of Community & Economic Development, or designee, will make the determination as to a participant’s Program eligibility based on qualifying and eligibility measures as outlined in these guidelines.
Eligibility Requirements
1. Applicant Eligibility
• Property owners and/or tenants of commercial buildings within the North Texas District. • Submittal of a complete Program application. Any applicant with a submitted application deemed incomplete will have 30 days after City notification to provide any missing information and documentation requested by the city in order to remain under consideration for participation in the program and continue along the application review process. Should any application remain incomplete for a period of 30 days or more after City notification, that incomplete application will be removed from the queue for consideration and the application review process will be terminated for that application.
To be reconsidered for participation in the program, the applicant must reapply and submit a completely new application that will be considered as submitted for review on the date of the new complete submission and not by the submission date of the old incomplete application.
• All tenants must provide to the City written consent from the property owner where the proposed improvements are to occur.
• Applicants must have a current Business License to conduct business at the address where improvements are to occur and must NOT be delinquent or past due on any North Texas Street Business Improvement District fees, where applicable, for the term of the Improvement Easement.
• Applicants must be in good standing with all City of Fairfield divisions and departments e.g., Planning, Building, Public Works, Police, Code Enforcement, etc. • Property owners and tenants of legal non-conforming uses are NOT eligible for program funds.
• Applicant, property owners (if different entities), and the property itself may NOT be in arears, or have been in collection action in the previous 36 months, on any local, state, and/or federal taxes; this includes City of Fairfield Business License Tax and Transient Occupancy Tax.
2. Property Eligibility
• The property must have an address within the North Texas Street Business Improvement District (see attached map designating area of eligibility). • Projects funded by this program are intended to be not less than $5,000 in total approved improvements.
3. Excluded Expenses:
• Any building used exclusively for residential or industrial occupancy. • The use of materials and fixtures that are unreasonably opulent e.g. gold plating, as determined by the Economic Development Division Manager, or their designee. • Plants, trees, and/or landscape materials that are not likely to survive in Fairfield’s climate or may create health & safety issues for pedestrian or vehicle traffic.
C. Eligible Improvements & Expenses:
1. Exterior lighting Improvements: Parking lot lighting, building lighting and decorative lighting that enhances the look and visibility of the building, parking lot, and property.
2. Landscaping improvements: Replacement or addition of ground cover (not to be primary landscape material), including but not limited grass, bark, and rock. Replacement or addition of trees, hedges, bushes and other plants and materials. Replacement or additional irrigation needed to serve new or existing landscaping.
3. Signage: Eligible signage improvements must be non-temporary building sign cabinets, blade signs, pylon signs, monument signs, or fascia elements that are integrated into building facades.
B. Eligible Soft Costs
The reimbursable “soft costs” of approved improvement projects include:
1. Architectural design review, plan check, boundary survey.
2. Architectural and/or consultant services to the property or business tenant; e.g. preparation of bids, preparation and filing of plans, construction monitoring, progress payments, lien releases, or change orders.
3. Costs of current title report for the property.
4. Such other costs, and fees approved by the Economic Development Division Manager, or their designee, which are consistent with the objectives of the Program.
All property improvements made under this Program must be consistent with the City’s Zoning Ordinance and General Plan. As with any other project, the property improvements under this program must also adhere to all applicable building codes, sign ordinances, and development/design standards for the City of Fairfield. Any code violations must be corrected before funding is released. Should any code violations occur related to any improvements made using funding from this Program and remain uncured for a period of time as outlined in a code enforcement citation, the participant may be required to reimburse the City for any unamortized funding over a 5-year period from the date funding is released.
Program Steps:
1. Submission of a complete application by the applicant; and
2. Review and approval of the application by Economic Development staff; and
3. Property owner has signed the Improvement Deed; and
4. Submission and approval of any applicable permits for improvements; and
5. Completion of the approved improvements; and
6. Proof of paid invoices provided to the Economic Development staff; and
7. Reimbursement payment made payable to the applicant.
Program Requirements
A. Funding Allocations & Availability
Any and all funding assistance is subject to availability of Program funds. All approved payments made by the City under the terms of the Program shall represent payments or reimbursements of a portion of the actual costs incurred by the applicant. The City Manager, or his or her designee, may consider approving any Program deviations found to be in the best interest of the City of Fairfield including, but not limited to, Program funding limits, boundary limits, improvement eligibility, grant award amounts, and applications accepted outside of any application period. These guidelines and financial terms are in effect until the Program funds are expended, unless additional funding is approved, or the Program is terminated.
C. Bids, Selection of Contractor, Improvement Easement
1. Written evidence of no less than two (2) bids (including soft costs, if applicable) are to be submitted to the Economic Development Division Manager, or their designee, for review.
2. Participants must select the lowest and best qualified bidder who meets the job requirements and is responsive to the written bid proposal, and inform the Economic Development Division Manager, or their designee, of their decision. (Because unforeseen contingencies commonly occur during rehabilitation, 10% should be added to the bid to provide for such if not already included.)
3. Participants must submit proof to the Economic Development Division Manager, or their designee, that the selected contractor (and his or her subcontractors) has the following:
• A State of California Contractor's License.
• A City of Fairfield Business License.
4. Improvement Assistance: Recordation of an Improvement Easement.
In order to receive funding assistance for property improvements, the property owner of the participating building must grant the City of Fairfield an Improvement Easement over the property improvements for a period of five years. Said Improvement Easement shall be recorded and shall include the following provisions:
• The Improvement Easement shall cover improvements of the property, including all improvements/installations funded by this Program.
• The building owner may request the City terminate and release the Improvement Easement at any time, subject to payment of an early termination and release fee in an amount equal to the value of all funding assistance received for the improvements for which the Improvement Easement was granted. Said value shall be discounted by 20% for each anniversary year subsequent to the completion of the improvements, the disbursement of funds by the City, and recordation of the Improvement Easement. • The building owner shall be obligated to maintain the building in accordance with the maintenance provisions of the Improvement Easement.
The Economic Development Division Manager or their designee may waive the requirement to provide the City an Improvement Easement for any applicant if, their sole discretion, they make the following findings:
1) the amount of funding assistance sought by the applicant is nominal; and 2) the improvements to be funded represent only a small percentage of the building’s footprint.
If the Economic Development Division Manager or their designee make such findings, the applicant shall solely enter into a Property Maintenance Agreement.
5. Inspection, Release of Funding
• Progress inspections by City staff may be conducted to ensure that the improvements are being constructed in accordance with the approved plans and the City's Codes. • A final inspection by City staff shall be conducted to determine that the improvements have been completed in accordance with the plans, and with the City's Codes. • Upon completion of the proposed improvements, the City will reimburse applicant for project related invoices (direct expenses) for up to the maximum amount allowed under these guidelines. Applicants shall be responsible for any and all costs, including soft costs in excess of the funding assistance received or the maximum amount allowed as stated above.