Increasing Collaboration and Building Local Capacity through Lot Maintenance

To support local land stewardship and improve lot maintenance, the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority developed the Neighborhood Mow & Maintenance Program. Through this program, local community groups and nonprofits can apply to the land bank to mow and maintain lots in a particular neighborhood or block during the summer mowing season. In return, the land bank provides a $3,000 stipend for the organization. This year, the land bank jump started the maintenance program by partnering with the City of Battle Creek to provide free trash pickup at the Neighborhood Mow & Maintenance lots for the first two weeks of the program. To help increase the visibility and recognition of the Neighborhood Mow & Maintenance Program organizations, the land bank provided the groups with bright orange trash bags to use in cleaning up the lots. Now, when residents drive down city streets, they can clearly identify where the land bank, local nonprofits, and the City are partnering to ensure lots are maintained and quality of life for residents is improved. Applications for the 2017 program will be available in January. Click here for more details on the Calhoun County Land Bank’s Neighborhood Mow & Maintenance Program.