The Billings Industrial Revitalization District Board (BIRD) board of directors recommends City Council reallocate $23,526.53 from the existing East Billings Urban Renewal District (EBURD) Legacy Tree program budget to a new EBURD Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) matching grant program budget line.

This new program is in response to recent criminal activity in the EBURD area that is affecting property owners, existing businesses, and future business investment. It also supports the EBURD Urban Renewal Plan goal of addressing crime prevention and public safety through a cooperative security or business watch program. The new Project Green Light program that the EBURD has been pursuing in conjunction with the Billings Police Department meets the objectives of this EBURD goal.  Project Green Light is a neighborhood watch-related program that will use existing security infrastructure to curb the occurrences of crime related to property damage, theft, and graffiti in the district. City Council at its October 4 Work Session heard an overview of this program and directed staff to place this item on a future regular Council meeting consent agenda for action.

This proposed EBURD CPTED program is designed to be similar to the Downtown Urban Renewal District's CPTED Incentive Grant Program approved by the City Council November 2019. Both rely on a CPTED evaluation to be completed on property by someone certified in the CPTED evaluation process. Both programs provide a match to private investment in safety elements that are identified through the CPTED evaluation. The amount to be allocated from the Legacy Tree Program to this new program is $23,526.53. These urban renewal funds will be used for up to $1,000 matching grants to property/business owners in the EBURD.  The grants will be provided to match investments in CPTED eligible expenses, including exterior lighting and/or security camera and video system hardware upgrades and signage.

The existing Legacy Tree program for EBURD was approved by the City Council on September 24, 2018 with a total budget of $40,000. Four landscaping projects have utilized the program and expended $16,473.47 to provide trees for existing or redeveloped commercial properties. The current remaining balance of $23,526.53 would be allocated to the new CPTED program. However, landscaping and tree planting is still a critical element of EBURD revitalization and redevelopment efforts and is a goal of the EBURD Master Plan. The BIRD Board and the City intend to continue to encourage increased tree planting and added green space in EBURD, and will look to bring back the goals of the Legacy Tree program as funding in the District allows in the near future.

Through a small working committee, the BIRD Board has identified this CPTED approach as one way to engage with the existing capacity of the Billings Police Department to curb crime in the district.  The BIRD Board and EBURD staff has spoken with property owners, business owners, Billings Police Department and different members of the community in developing this strategy.

City Council may:

• Reallocate funds from the existing EBURD Legacy Tree program to a new EBURD Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) matching grant program; or
• Not reallocate funds from the existing EBURD Legacy Tree program to a new EBURD Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) matching grant program. If the Council does not wish to move forward with the new program at this time, the EBURD will look for other strategies to combat crime and continue to support the Legacy Tree program in the district.

The $23,526.53 in funds that would be affected by this action currently exists as part of the East Billings Urban Renewal District TIF budget. There is no request to increase funding in the budget, but instead to reallocate the remaining Legacy Tree Program budget to this new Project Green Light CPTED Grant Program.