Macomb, IL – Macomb hopes to become a Certified Local Government.
Community Development Coordinator Ed Basch says the program would allow the city to apply for state grants for promotion of historic preservation. "A lot of communities will use the money to hire consultants that will do detailed surveys of either individual structures in the community or entire neighborhoods for national designation," says Basch. "This program does not fund actual brick and mortar projects, but a lot of other things that are related to historic preservation."
"You can also use it to hire consultants to do the actual nomination process that goes to the National Park Service," says Basch. "You can also use monies for promotional activities that promote the fact that you have a, in our case, district downtown."
"Also, it does get you some further access to the State Historic Preservation staff that you would not have if you were not a CLG," says Basch.
Basch says a local match of 30-percent is required for any grant received from the state. If approved by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Macomb would be one of 64 Certified Local Governments in the state.
The council will vote to submit the application at next weeks meeting.
Basch says it will be 90 days before the city knows if it is designated a Certified Local Government. "Once we are a proper member of the Certified Local Government program then we would have the opportunity to apply for grants each year," says Basch.