Be a champion of historic preservation in our community.

And they found that updating an architectural standards is a priority project.

So we will not have to provide any leverage or matching funds for that.

So I reached out to the grant administrator this week, you know, just for a status.

And he said that they just finished receiving all of the scoring on all of the applications that were submitted.

So hopefully within the next two weeks, um, we should hear uh whether we were funded or not.

And with the grant, um we wish to you know update the architectural standards, you know, taking into account um some of the more modern equivalents for some products and to make it more user-friendly.

And then also to have an education piece.

Um actually that would be one of the requirements of the grant is to get more uh public outreach um regarding the historic district um the COA process and you know what the architectural standards are.

And so we hope to, you know, do outreach to to the board of realtors and to landlords and to the businesses that are located um in the historic district, you know, possibly through Main Street Delaware.

And then Anna, you can help me with this.

Um we were going to do an update to the ordinance as well.

Yeah, so the um the ordinance establishing the historic preservation commission in the historic district, um, it was written to establish those things, so it doesn't really function as a continual um a continually operating ordinance.

It says like the commission shall be convened within this date or by this date from when it was passed in like 92 or whatever.

Um so it just needs to be updated so that it is actually like a regulatory useful ordinance.

We would most likely also include it within our just regular procedures chapter so that this commission can exist within the rest of our procedures for our department, just for consistency's sake.

Um of the other things we would have a consultant look at would be the boundaries of the historic district to see if they have any recommendations for additional properties that should be added or properties that should be removed or you know, ways the boundaries could be shifted.

So it would essentially be a chance for us to do a comprehensive overhaul of our architectural standards, which is something that has not been done since they were created, um, other than you know, piecemeal additions and and changes here and there.

So, you know, again, it should we uh get funding for this, then uh our next step would be to uh put out an RFP for uh a consultant to assist with the work.

Um, you know, there are there are folks within all of our circles in the planning world that have done this kind of work before, and we did discuss with some of them prior to submitting just for recommendations from them on different things to include.

So we're really hopeful that this will move forward so we can take on this effort.

Um it would be a very collaborative effort between us and the consultant and you all as the commission.

Um so expect that should we receive this grant, we would I most likely meet more than like once every four months as a commission during the time where we're kind of working through some of these details.

Okay, any comments on that?

All right.

Are there any commissioner member comments and discussions that we should have?

Okay.

I'll make one.

It's uh you know, no real movement yet, but um we've had some consternation on HPC of of some of our decisions ultimately getting uh considered at city council level.

And so uh one of the things that I have asked to be looked into is how the lower bodies in the city function as it relates to city council and whether city council should be uh basically relitigating cases that are decided at a lower court, basically, uh depending on what is in fact the the jurisdiction and power of the committees and commissions in the city.

Uh and should city council be reviewing basically on appeal, like a court of appeals of whether the lower entity aired in some way.

As opposed to deciding for themselves what they want.

Uh so uh at least on two occasions at City Council it it passed six to one, uh me being the negative vote, which collectively us uh how it got there in the first place.

So um I'll report back uh later should that go anywhere, but other than um we have people looking in to see if that's even a thing, uh cities around the country uh or not.

Um just uh a little background.

I like that idea.

Thank you.

I think it has caused uh some problems and some misunderstandings.

And uh I think it'd be a good idea.

So keep keep pushing it.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

All right.

Okay, in that case it is uh seven almost 7.45.

And uh we are adjourned, and our next meeting is November 19th, maybe.

Uh we did not receive any applications for November, so we are off the hook right before Thanksgiving.

Okay.

Um we will let you know uh very soon after that uh deadline for the December meeting whether or not we have any um cases, just understanding that it's the holidays and things get a bit chaotic.

So we'll notify you as soon as we do.

I I actually plan the set of application for November.

That's why I'm here.

So our November deadline would have been today.

Um, but um if you submit on November the 19th, uh then that would be the December meeting.

And you and I can chat quickly after to walk through that process.

Uh if anything changes on that in terms of quorum for November, I'm not available for that meeting.

Um FYI.

Understood, thank you.

Thank you all.

Uh, regarding ghost signs.