Council approve year’s first structural grant application

MINTO – The year’s first structural grant application has been approved by council for a total of $925.

Grant recipient Scoop It is a food products supplier located at 30 Elora St. S., Harriston.

Over the last several years, business owner Maggie Coutts-Cline has made many improvements and investments into the property, including façade, signage and roof upgrades.

The latest improvement involves repairing the stone foundation, which will include chipping out old disintegrating mortar from the wall, cleaning mortar joints of loose debris, adding new mortar and cleaning the area.

Town director of building and planning services Terry Kuipers and economic and community development director Belinda Wick-Graham both reviewed the application and recommended councils approval.

“The cost for this is about $3,700 (excluding taxes). It’s not a lot, but every little bit that we can help people is helpful to them, especially small businesses,” Wick-Graham said during a Sept. 16 meeting.

The structural grant program was initiated in 2015 to encourage significant investments in improving downtown buildings.

Elements considered under this grant include:

– building structural integrity;

– life safety/emergency;

– usable and efficient floor space (accessibility);

– brownfield remediation;

– improving environment;

– upgrading/improving public infrastructure;

– creating housing;

– energy efficiency; and

– enhancing urban design.

After council’s unanimous approval of the Scoop It application, the 2025 Community Improvement Plan budget, which was $35,000, now has $26,100 remaining.