BUSINESS PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
ENTER TO WIN THE BLOCK PARTY TRAILER FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ’ S NATIONAL NIGHT OUT PARTY ! ✅
The City of Arlington is hosting a contest for one lucky neighborhood to win the Block Party Trailer for its National Night Out party this fall .
Those who are interested in participating are asked to fill out a 13-question online Neighborhood Engagement Survey in English or in Spanish . One survey equals one entry , with no maximum limit set on how many times a neighborhood can enter . The City will draw one winner at random for the contest , which closes Sept . 15 , 2021 . City Staff will arrange for the Block Party Trailer to be delivered to the winning neighborhood the day before the event and pick it up the following day .
The Block Party Trailer advances community engagement goals in The American Dream City by providing a fun way for neighbors to get together . The trailer , available for free to neighborhood groups , contains picnic tables , folding tables , chairs , water coolers , ice chests , trash and recycling cans , games , street barricades , cones and more .
As a reminder , any residential block party that will close a portion of a street should be reviewed and approved by City Staff . To prepare for your National Night Out event , be sure to register your neighborhood event with the Arlington Police Department and apply for a street closure . The Block Party Trailer is available for free to any neighborhood block party throughout the year on a first-come , first-serve basis .
In 2020 , the City of Arlington ranked No . 1 for National Night Out participation by communities with a population of 300,000 or more . Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , the department found a safe and alternative way to celebrate with residents and business owners last October by designating four locations across the city to celebrate with employees . The City of Arlington is excited to be able to celebrate our neighborhoods in-person all across the City in 2021 !
National Night Out , held the first Tuesday of October in Texas , promotes crime prevention , police-community partnership , and neighborhood camaraderie . It encourages people to turn on their porch lights , step outside , and get to know their neighbors at small block parties . Law enforcement agencies stop by the parties to offer public safety tips and ways to stay connected to their local police departments .
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$ 150,000 AVAILABLE THROUGH 2022 NEIGHBORHOOD MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM ✅
The City of Arlington is pleased to announce another Neighborhood Matching Grant call for projects . Through this year ’ s program , $ 150,000 is available to fund improvement projects that will beautify and enhance the public spaces and strengthen neighborhoods throughout The American Dream City .
Neighborhoods can apply for up to $ 25,000 for their projects , which could include public art , beautification , landscaping , entrance signs , sidewalks , traffic calming or other neighborhood capacity building improvements .
Applications for this grant program opened Monday , Aug . 3 and are due by Friday , Nov . 3 , 2021 . For a project to be considered , it must be submitted by neighbors , serve a public purpose , have a detailed timeline and meet all City codes . Each neighborhood must also contribute 20 percent grant match towards the project .
Information Sessions
To apply , a project team leader must attend one of the Information Sessions scheduled throughout the city . These sessions are scheduled :
• 9:30 a . m . Saturday , August 14 , 2021 , Council Chamber w / Virtual Option
• 6:30 p . m . Thursday , August 26 , 2021 , Virtual Meeting on Zoom
• 6:30 p . m . Wednesday , September 8 , 2021 , Virtual Meeting on Zoom
The Arlington City Council is expected to approve projects by January 2022 . Questions about the program can be sent by email to neighborhoods @ arlingtontx . gov .