City Hall set for assessment after CLG grant; city finalizes 10‑year programmatic agreement for Section 106 reviews

The commission heard that City Hall is among recipients of Certified Local Government (CLG) grant funding to assess the building, and staff reported a completed programmatic agreement extending local Section 106 review authority for 10 years.

Pam (commission member; full name not specified) said she learned via media reports that the CLG awards list included the City Hall Local Historic District and that local outlets (MLive and WWMT) had published stories naming the city among awardees. Pam described the CLG recognition as a valuable opportunity to highlight preservation work in Kalamazoo and statewide CLG activity.

Later in the meeting Luis Pena, Historic Preservation Coordinator, told commissioners he had received the executed programmatic agreement signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer and that staff had submitted the document to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) for its records. Pena said the renewed agreement will remain in effect for 10 years (previously five), enabling the city’s preservation coordinator to conduct Section 106 reviews locally rather than routing all reviews to the state. Pena described this as a capacity‑building step that should speed local project reviews and streamline assistance to property owners.

Commissioners noted media coverage and discussed grant funding sources. One commissioner asked whether CLG funding is federal; while CLG grants are administered through SHPO, commissioners did not reach a definitive funding‑source conclusion at the meeting and Luis Pena said he would clarify funding channels as needed.

Ending: The commission welcomed the CLG award and the long‑term programmatic agreement; staff will follow up with SHPO/ACHP filings and clarify funding channels for public communication.