MEEKER I The Town of Meeker is continuing the town grant program aimed at encouraging and helping town businesses succeed and enhance their building and business site appearances.
Town Manager Scott Meszaros said, “The town council’s goal with these grants is to help improve the community’s appearance which, in turn, provides for an improved business image as a whole.”
The grant program has two tracks—site enhancement and economic development. The latter is intended for capital investments that will create additional jobs, create new amenities for the town, create a regional draw to the town center or other commercial area, and otherwise diversify Meeker’s economic base.
At the last meeting, town trustees approved $49,039 in grants to nine businesses. The council’s annual budget for these grants is $50,000. The deadline was May 6 for this year’s round.
The board said “yes” to every applicant, one way or another. To spread the available dollars, they also, by and large, gave each applying business half of the amount each business is putting up themselves for their project.
The applicants and the amount they received were as follows: the Hugus Building, $3,600; Ma Famiglia, $7,799; Meeker Auto Parts, $1,690; Northwest Auto, $2,150; Prescriptions Salon, $9,500; Restored Grace, $3,000; Rocky Mountain Hair Benders, $3,500; Turquoise Gypsy, $2,200; Wendll’s for site enhancement, $8,100; and Wendll’s for economic development, $7,500.
Newly elected trustee Wendy Gutierrez is the owner of Wendll’s along with Bobby Gutierrez, but she excused herself for the discussion and the vote on the project proposals.
The Hugus Building plans are to re-do their window trim, using the original almond color and repair patches of their brick mortar.
Ma Famiglia is creating a fresher look and making their outside area more comfortable. Plans include maintenance-free benches, decorative groundcover, touching up signage and replacing their old wooden fence with vinyl.
Meeker Auto Parts is painting the sides of the building and the gutters as well as their storage shed. Northwest Auto is landscaping with large permanent planters containing small trees, shrubs and flowers; rearranging part of the lot and adding planters; and repairing the street gutters along their pre-owned vehicle lot.
Prescriptions Salon is replacing old glass tile façade with Calcutta marble as well as replacing windows and doors with more attractive and energy-efficient models.
Restored Grace is hoping to improve their “curb appeal” with new signs; safety, security and display lighting; adding a small fence, planter boxes, a flagpole and permanent yard art.
Rocky Mountain Hair Benders is adding a window box with flowers, modeled after the Vernal, Utah, petunias; placing three cement flower boxes on the sidewalk; and adding matching paint.
Turquoise Gypsy Boutique is adding three copper planters and a bench plus re-painting its façade.
Wendll’s, for site improvement, is adding Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant handrails and a front entrance wheelchair lift—work they started with a town grant last year, along with new lighted signage and replacement windows.
For economic development, Wendll’s is pursuing new equipment and a complete kitchen electrical upgrade. Gutierrez, co-owner, reminded the board that they are actually operating five businesses at their site: Wendll’s shipping (FedEx and UPS service), Canyon Cleaners liaison, the coffee shop, the FoneZone at Wendll’s Union Wireless and their gift shop. Gutierrez suggested that they are facilitating the existence of these businesses that would not otherwise be able to stand alone.
In other business, the council reappointed Michelle Schaeffer to the Meeker Housing Authority Board. Schaeffer is currently chairman of the board, which also includes Robert Barr, Edy George, Patti Hoke and Melinda Parker.
Stacey Kincher is the director of the housing authority.
