The Hastings City Council set aside $100,000 last year to create a new Community Investment Fund.

Community organizations were invited to apply for funding for projects to take place on city-owned property with funds matched by the organization.

The success of the fund in its inaugural year earned it funding in this year’s budget as well. The Hastings City Council approved the recommendation of its finance committee to fund seven of eight project applications for a total of $72,675.75.

“Last year, the city budgeted for and created this new Community Investment Fund which is intended to hear from community organizations on projects they think are important but may not have been on our radar,” said City Administrator Dan Wietecha. “It’s a chance to have partnerships between the city and organizations. We had some great projects awarded last year.”

He said organizations will have 18 months to complete projects. He invited organizations with ideas for improvements on city property to apply.

“There’s $27,000 unspoken for,” said Wietecha. “Organizations can still submit applications between now and the end of the year. It’s open for the rest of the year. If moneys aren’t used, we’d carry it forward in the Community Investment Fund for future years.”

The one application not approved this year proposed a project that wasn’t on city-owned property.

Approved projects this year include:

• Downtown Business Association: $10,525.75 for holiday lighting in the downtown area. DBA matching with $10,525.75.
• Building Remembrance for Reconciliation (BR4R): $10,000 to complete Phase 2 in their process of finalizing and refining a future art project and installation. BR4R matching with $3,000.
• Dakota County Historical Society, Leduc Mansion: $12,000 for new shelving, archival supplies, creating of new exhibits and roofing materials for the chicken coop. DCHS matching with $3,379.
• Hastings Football Club: $27,000 to complete contracted core aeration and top-dressing projects in 2023 at the Veterans Athletic Complex Soccer Fields. HFC has committed to up to $25,000 in funding to continue improving the soccer facilities in Hastings.
• Hastings Environmental Protectors:

-$4,500 to purchase and install 2 floating bioislands at Cari Park Pond to improve water quality and test these islands for future expanded use in Hastings. HEP matching with $500
-$3,000 to install annual, rotating Dale Lewis art pieces in Vermillion Linear Park. A three-year project, with the art piece changing annually, and coordinated with the Hastings Arts Commission.

-$5,650 to purchase and install site specific pollinator interpretive and educational signage at HEP installed and maintained pollinator patches. HEP matching with $500.

“I think it’s great. One of the things I really like is the matching. It’s really a super key component to this. $72,675.75 is being requested but $42,904 has been raised in matching. It’s a $115,000 net benefit, and it was almost $200,000 last year,” said Councilmember Trevor Lund. “I think that’s huge.”