Applications are now being accepted for the spring round of the city of Bowling Green’s Strategic Neighborhood Grants program, which provides up to $6,000 for approved projects that will benefit neighborhoods around town.

The program fired up in 1999 and allows residents to secure funding for neighborhood improvements that the city would not ordinarily do. In a past, the program was known as “Flexible Neighborhood Grants,” but some parts of it were reworked to better serve the community.

“The fall round met and surpassed our expectations for the revamping of the program,” said Leyda Becker, head of the city’s Community Engagement Division.

More than $42,000 was dispersed in the fall for ten neighborhood projects, more than usual due to extra money being left over.

Projects funded in the fall include the Roselawn neighborhood receiving $6,000 to repair signs and install new mailboxes, $4,050 worth of ornamental stop signs going up in the Chenoweth neighborhood and roughly $2,000 going toward a community cleanup day in Delafield.

“We had 19 applications that were submitted during the fall cycle … over $96,000 worth of requests that were submitted,” Becker said.

Thirty thousand dollars in funding has been set aside for the spring edition of the program. The city began taking applications Jan. 1 and residents have until Jan. 31 to apply. After applications are reviewed by a committee, approved projects will receive funding at the first city commission meeting in March.

Neighborhoods that received funding in the fall are not eligible for more in the spring, Becker said.

Grants can be applied for by homeowners or renters and by neighborhood associations, homeowners associations and nonprofits working in a neighborhood association, according to the grant guidelines.

Projects must be completed within one year. The grants cover projects like beautification and safety improvements, historic sign installation, and neighborhood activities.

Application forms and more information about the program can be found online at https://www.bgky.org/neighborhoods/grant.