The Town of Leland actively seeks grants and other funding opportunities to fund various projects, procure specialty equipment, and provide funding for training. Grant funding allows the Town to go beyond the limits of our operational budget and provide a solution for evolving community problems. Thank you to the agencies for recognizing the needs of our Town.
The AARP Community Challenge grant program is part of the nationwide AARP Livable Communities initiative that helps communities make immediate improvements and jump-start long-term progress in support of residents of all ages.
The Town of Leland seeks funding to install eight Audible Pedestrian Signals (APS). While pedestrian signal infrastructure is already in place, this grant would modernize those improvements by integrating APS technology, significantly enhancing accessibility and safety. Implementing APS will foster a more pedestrian-friendly community, promoting independence for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Research indicates that APS improves pedestrian response times, reduces unsafe crossings, and increase confidence in navigating intersections. These benefits are particularly valuable for older adults who may require additional time to cross, as well as parents managing strollers and young children.
The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program helps communities around the country carry out projects for surface transportation infrastructure with significant local or regional impact.
The Town of Leland has a priority to strengthen the connection between residents and the community through up-to-date streets. Funding supports planning grants and capital construction grants, as well as technical assistance, to restore community connectivity through the removal, retrofit, mitigation, or replacement of eligible transportation infrastructure facilities.
The Community Forest Program (CFP) is a competitive grant program that provides financial assistance to tribal entities, local governments, and qualified conservation non-profit organizations to acquire and establish community forests that provide community benefits. Community benefits include economic benefits through active forest management, clean water, wildlife habitat, educational opportunities, and public access for recreation.
The Town of Leland has applied for the Community Forest Program (CFP) grant to purchase property that will be put into conservation. The TOL will allow public access to a natural area or open public space. The acquisition of this property will help preserve a forest and create trails for public access. This will ensure that natural spaces remain an integral part of community life.
If awarded, the Leland Police Department will us utilize the funds to outfit two (2) current Police SUV' s with mini mobile command stations and one multiuse UW. The mini mobile command stations will be utilized to assist with incident command situations ranging from natural disasters to basic calls for service such as missing persons. Being equipped with the mini mobile command station will allow officers to respond to those incidents and immediately set up a command station allowing for more efficient dispersing of resources and timely situation control. The UTV will be utilized for search and rescue situations. The Town of Leland is in a natural disaster-prone area and the need of a UTV to be able to access to the areas where a full-sized vehicle is unable to go. As the Town of Leland' s population continues to grow, the use of mini mobile command stations and the UTV would be vital to the success of search and rescue missions along with the lifesaving efforts during a natural disaster incident.
The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources necessary for protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards. The Town of Leland applied to purchase PFAS-free technical rescue PPE that can be worn in rescue and fire situations.
The Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) reimburses states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes, for up to 50 percent of the cost of body armor vests purchased for law enforcement officers. The Town of Leland has completed an application for the Police Department for acquisition of 13 bulletproof vests. These vests will significantly enhance the safety of our officers. These vests will be provided to new officers as well as replacing vests that have past the effective use date.