Westerville Helps Makes it Easy to Assist Those in Our Community Westerville Helps continues to provide assistance to residents-in-need in our community. The program, which houses the City’s financial assistance opportunities for areas including Parks and Recreation program fees, utility bills, sidewalk maintenance and home improvements, will need ongoing support to help those who are struggling.
Westerville Helps also provides home improvement assistance, particularly for those homes owned by individuals who are unable to maintain their properties due to physical, financial or other hardships. This part of the program aims to address problems of the exterior of homes before complaints are received by Code Enforcement.
“We’ve already helped more than 100 participants since the program started,” Westerville Recreation Administrator J.R. Fourqurean said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to provide more than $70,000 worth of assistance through all of our avenues of this program.”
In addition, Westerville Helps provides assistance with public sidewalk repairs in which the cost associated with making sidewalks ADA-compliant is borne by the City. Eligible property owners may receive a credit of up to 50% of the sidewalk replacement costs up to $1,500.
The Parks and Recreation assistance program has been in place for reduced or waived fees with Parks and Recreation programming for more than 30 years. Funded by the Westerville Parks Foundation, eligible uses of financial assistance include registration fees, daily passes, classes and recreation facility passes.
The program has already been a benefit to many in the community but it continues to need your help.
A unique part of the program is the utility billing portion, which is currently generated solely by a $1 opt-in donation elected by existing customers. The program offers eligible and approved residents a maximum $500 credit per year, which can be used at one time or over several months.
“Westerville Helps has been a tremendous help to many and it’s never been easier for residents to assist,” Fourqurean said. “Residents may use the online portal to donate or can opt-in to contribute via a monthly donation added to their utility bill.”
For more information on the program or how you can help, visit www.westerville.org/helps.
City Partners With Residents
to Ensure Home Project Safety, Compliance The City is reminding residents to contact Planning & Development staff before beginning any major home renovation project to ensure the proper permits and inspections are obtained. “The City is here to partner with residents making improvements to their homes to ensure they meet existing zoning, building and safety standards that fall within our purview,” said Karl Craven, Planning and Development Director. Staff carefully evaluates project plans to ensure conformance with the Residential Code of Ohio and City ordinances to ensure compliance with applicable regulations. Understanding the impact of a private project on your own property and surrounding private properties is the responsibility of the homeowner. “It is important to understand that, when it comes to projects contained to private property, our involvement is generally limited to ensuring the plans meet local, state and national standards,” Craven said. “I would always recommend consulting closely with your contractor and neighbors to ensure any project on your property would not have a negative impact on others.” Residents and contractors can always call the City’s Planning and Development staff for suggestions and consultation as appropriate. Not every project requires a permit. Visit www.westerville.org/building and review the “Residential Permits” resource section to see a list of applicable projects.
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