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Five businesses will be eligible to apply for a $2,000 grant to improve their retail environment in the first year of a new economic development program in Yorba Linda.

Editors’ Note: This dispatch is part of the Voice of OC Youth Media program, working with student journalists to cover public policy issues across Orange County. If you would like to submit your own student media project related to Orange County civics or if you have any response to this work, contact Digital Editor Sonya Quick at squick@voiceofoc.org.

The money for the program will come from the city’s share of revenue generated from the State of the City event. The city and the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce equally share proceeds from the annual event, which this year totaled $21,000, making $10,600 available for five grants of $2,000 maximum between now through December 2020, according to a city staff report.

The grants will assist the city’s business community in enhancing retail shopping, the report said. The program, which was unanimously approved by the City Council earlier in December, would allow merchants, retail centers, and business groups to promote their businesses.

Eligibility for the grant comes with some guidelines. A business must express a need for improvement to a building exterior or common area, according to the staff report. It must also explain how the enhancement will provide a benefit to the community and demonstrate a need for the grant that cannot be obtained through other funding options.

The application process includes a project description, plans, drawings or photos, and a budget. The city plans to review these applications within 15 days of submittal to the economic development manager with a final decision by the city manager, according to the staff report.

The City Council meets every first and third Tuesday of the month at 4845 Casa Loma Ave.