Title
Recommended Changes to the 2027 Neighborhood Block Watch Program Application Guide and Process - Citywide
Description
This report requests the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee recommend City Council approval of changes to the 2027 Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program (NBWGP) application guide and program process, as recommended by the Neighborhood Block Watch Oversight Committee.
THIS ITEM IS FOR CONSENT ACTION.
Report
Summary
The NBWGP Oversight Committee was established to solicit, evaluate, and recommend to the Mayor and City Council appropriate proposals to expend funds for the expansion of the Block Watch programs within the limits of the Neighborhood Protection Ordinance. This ordinance, known as Proposition 301, was adopted at a special election on October 5, 1993. The City Council adopted the format and guidelines for this process on April 26, 1994.
The Neighborhood Block Watch (NBW) Oversight Committee reviewed and approved requests to change the NBWGP grant application and program process during their meeting on August 6, 2026. The NBW Oversight Committee is recommending the following changes become effective for the 2027 grant application process, which opens on November 5, 2026.
The following is a list of the significant NBWGP Oversight Committee recommended changes to the 2027 NBWGP Application Guide (Attachment A):
1. On page 6, under the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section, increase short-form maximum award from $3,000 to $5,000.
2. On page 6, under the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section, add bullet points under both versions of application to read, "Documentation must come from meetings held within the 12 months prior to the application submission deadline."
3. On page 6, under the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section, increase long-form maximum award from $15,000 to $20,000.
4. On page 7, under the GRANT DOLLAR LIMITATIONS section, increase the maximum grant amount that can be requested from $15,000 to $20,000.
5. On page 7, under the COMMUNITY UTILITIES INFORMATION section, increase the maximum amount that can be allocated towards electric bills for lighting from $3,000 to $5,000.
6. On page 7, under the COMMUNITY UTILITIES INFORMATION section, add the following as a bullet point: "The number of light poles to be funded most be included."
7. On page 8, under the OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SCORING CRITERIA INFORMATION section, revise "Budget Evaluation" scoring criterion to "Budget/Budget Narrative Evaluation."
8. On page 13, under the GRANT CO-APPLICANT GROUPS section, remove the following bullet point: "Members of the NBWGP Oversight Committee cannot be signers on NBWGP applications."
9. On page 19, under the RESTRICTED ITEMS section, increase Mileage Reimbursement cap maximum from $1,500 to $2,000.
10. On page 19, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Website Hosting/Maintenance/Domain Name/Email Server (a combined total of all items) cap maximum from $750 to $1,000.
11. On page 19, under the RESTRICTED ITEMS section, add "NBWGP funds cannot be used to pay phone charges for international or special fee (900 numbers) phone calls.
12. On page 19, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Adult Clothing (t-shirts, jackets, hats, sweatshirts, etc.), with exception of City of Phoenix Police Department Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol Program cap maximum from $500 to $1,500.
13. On page 19, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Laptops, computers, tablets, or notebooks cap maximums from $1,500/$750 to $2,000/$1,000 per grant year.
14. On page 19, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Lighting electricity bill cap maximum from $3,000 to $5,000.
15. On page 19, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Insurance cap maximum from $2,000 to $3,000.
16. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, revise "Entertainer/Entertainment group to include Face Painter(s), Disc Jockey(s) or Balloon Artist(s) (each artist/group, per event)" to "Entertainer/Entertainment to include Face Painter(s), Disc Jockey(s), Balloon Artist(s), or Musician(s) (each artist, per event)."
17. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Regular Copy Printers, including maintenance cap maximum from $500 to $1,000.
18. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Youth Clothing/Uniforms cap maximum from $1,000 to $1,500.
19. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Food or beverages of any kind; must be for the use of crime prevention, safety, quality of life, or Wake-Up! Clubs cap maximum from $500 to $1,500.
20. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Generators cap maximum from $750 to $1,000.
21. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Murals cap from $1,000 to $3,000.
22. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Promotional Items/Marketing Tools (*should include a printed crime prevention message) cap maximum from $3,000 to $4,000.
23. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Crime Prevention Tools/Items cap maximum from $4,000 to $5,000.
24. On page 20, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Fuel/Mileage Reimbursement for Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol (PNP) Activity/Graffiti Abatement cap maximum from $1,500 per grant year to $2,000 per grant year.
25. On page 21, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase Clothing/Uniforms cap maximum from $1,000 to $1,500.
26 On page 21, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase the Mileage Reimbursement for Graffiti Abatement activities cap maximum from $1,500 to $2,000.
27.On page 21, under the RESTRICTED/CAPPED ITEMS CHART section, increase the Laptops, computers, or notebooks cap maximum per application from $1,500/$750 to $2,000/$1,000 per grant year.
28. On page 24, under the CONCLUSION/TERMINATION OF PROJECT section, increase tangible property retention requirement amount from $100 to $250.
Contract Term
The funding period for the 2027 NBWGP grants is July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028.
Financial Impact
No matching funds are required.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department on behalf of the Neighborhood Block Watch Oversight Committee.