Kim Hansell
    Strategic Initiatives Director
   khansell@mywinterhaven.com

The primary goal of grant acquisition is to advance the City’s emerging strategic initiatives.  The Grant Acquisition division works with staff and administrators to generate revenue through grant opportunities aligned with the City's strategic initiatives.  This division supervises the grant acquisition process and procedures for development and submission of grant proposals from the initial planning through completion.

In 2006, the City received, or was awarded, more than $1,000,000 in state and federal grants.    Some of the grants include:

• Hurricane Recovery Grants through FEMA - $650,000
• EDI for downtown improvements - $247,000
• Hanson Pipe Economic Development through OTTED - $250,000

The City also applied for two additional grants. One is an intermodal grant in the amount of $4,000,000.  This grant, if approved, would be used with the infrastructure at Winter Haven Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP #3) on Pollard Road.  The other grant is for $2,000,000. It is also for infrastructure at WWTP #3 and would be funded through the State Enterprise Fund for Economic Development projects.  Both grants are still pending final award.

Our mission is to improve and expand the economic base of the community through:

• Seek grants and alternative sources of funding and
• Secure grant funding assistance.

resulting in a stable and diversified economy.

• Research funding needs;
• Research and contact funding agencies;
• Stay current with proposal trends (i.e., electronic submissions);
• Provide staff with access to current funding information;
• Ensure compliance with funding agency requirements and
• Maintain accurate record keeping of all grant activity.