The City of Hickory invites property owners to partner with the City of Hickory in cleaning up graffiti on their property. The City has developed a grant program to remove graffiti on buildings and to protect neighborhoods against blight. The City wants to partner with property owners to clean up their property; and to help, the City is offering a up to $1,000 or a 50 percent cost share match (whichever is less) to property owners who participate. The Graffiti Removal Grant Program is designed to help reduce the burden of the cost of this initial clean up and encourage property owners to take steps now to remove graffiti. This program will be in effect through the summer; however, all graffiti must be removed by September 15 to qualify for the grant reimbursement. Details about the Graffiti Removal Grant are listed below:

Features of the 50/50 Graffiti Removal Grant

1. The Graffiti Removal Program is a voluntary program for property owners with graffiti in the city limits.
2. Grants of up to $1,000 or 50 percent of eligible project costs (whichever is less) are available for reimbursement according to the grant guidelines.
3. Property owners are limited to one graffiti removal grant regardless of the number of properties they own.
4. A participation form must be filled out for the program. Go to www.hickorygov.com to access the grant materials.
5. The graffiti covered under this program must be on the exterior of the structure.
6. There is no right or entitlement to grant funding. All funding decisions are made at the discretion of the granting authority and subject to budget appropriation.

Program Steps

1. Inquire about the reimbursement program by calling the Hickory Police Department at 828-261-2649. HPD Code Enforcement staff will take the initial phone call and a police officer will complete a report with photos and address information.
2. Property owners must fill out a participation form (available online or sent in a notification letter) and turn it in to the City of Hickory Finance Department.
3. The property owner has the work performed and keeps receipts and/or invoices for reimbursement.
4. The property owner submits receipts/invoices for reimbursement of 50 percent (or $1,000 whichever is less) to the City of Hickory Finance Department. To contact the Finance Department regarding this grant, call 828-323-7417.
5. Finance contacts the Hickory Police Department to inspect the site to document that the graffiti removal work was performed according to the program guidelines.
6. The City of Hickory Finance Department issues a check for the appropriate reimbursement amount (50 percent or $1,000, whichever is less) to the property owner.

Applicant Eligibility

Applicant must:

• Be the legal owner of the property;
• Not owe any back taxes or utilities fees;
• Sign a participation form to be eligible for reimbursement.
• Submit receipts and invoices for the work done.
• Complete the graffiti removal and submit all paperwork to City of Hickory Finance Department prior to 5:00pm on September 15, 2010 in order for the work to be inspected and the reimbursement to be processed before September 30, 2010.

Graffiti Ordinance Adopted

Effective October 1, 2010, the City has passed a new regulation that makes having graffiti on your building a nuisance according to City Code. The Graffiti Ordinance categorizes graffiti as a nuisance, and requires that property owners remove the graffiti at their expense. Failure to remove the graffiti in a certain time period will trigger the City tore move it at the owners expense, including the potential for a lien on the property, according to Chapter 20 of the Hickory City Code.

We hope that property owners will take advantage of this opportunity to partner with the City of Hickory to clean up the graffiti and receive a 50 percent reimbursement for your costs up to $1,000.00.

For more information on this grant, please contact the Hickory Police Department Code Enforcement Unit at 828-261-2649. We look forward to working with property owners to clean up Hickory

Press Release:  05/13/2010 - Hickory offers graffiti removal program to property owners