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<br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of the City Council <br /> <br />FROM: Chris Heineman, City Administrator <br /> Laura Linehan, Community Relations Manager <br /> <br />DATE: July 24, 2024 <br /> <br />RE: Ramsey County Community and Economic Development - Critical Corridors - <br />Commercial Corridor Initiative 2024 <br /> <br /> <br />ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: <br />Resolution accepting a Grant and approving the agreement from Ramsey County Funded by the <br />Ramsey County Community and Economic Development for the 2024 Critical Corridors <br />Commercial Corridor Initiative. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The Ramsey County Commercial Corridor Initiative program, funded through the Housing <br />Redevelopment Authority levy, strengthens suburban small business districts by supporting <br />thriving main streets and investing in pathways to entrepreneurship for racially and ethnically <br />diverse communities. <br /> <br />On April 2, 2024, the City of Little Canada submitted a grant application to Ramsey County <br />entitled Foundations of Belonging: Building Community Spirit and Connection in Little Canada. <br />On May 30, 2024, the city was notified of an award of $31,500. <br /> <br />In the application, staff outlined the city's goals of placemaking, community engagement, and <br />inclusion by focusing on public property and Right-of-Way (ROW) in the Rice Street corridor. <br />This was clarified during a meeting with Ramsey County staff to incorporate existing areas along <br />Little Canada Road and Marketplace Drive. This clarification has been formalized in the attached <br />agreement (Exhibit A) through a map approved by Ramsey County staff. One of the primary <br />initiatives proposed to be funded by this grant are banners that will feature artwork and designs <br />that celebrate the city's cultural diversity of the Little Canada community, including <br />representations of Black, Latinx, Asian (Hmong), and Indigenous residents. Engagement will be <br />a key part of this initiative. <br /> <br />At the June 24, 2024, City Council meeting, the City Council approved city staff to finalize the <br />agreement with Ramsey County and accept the grant funds. Ramsey County and city staff have <br />been working to finalize the agreement, which, per Ramsey County’s policies, needs to be <br />approved through a formal resolution approved by the City Council. Therefore, staff is <br />requesting City Council consideration for the resolution accepting the grant from Ramsey <br />County and approve the agreement. <br /> <br />BUDGET: <br />No city matching funds are required as part of this project.