#2 Authorize to allow Janesville Questers to apply for grant for Tallman House
Community Development Department Memorandum
Date: July 1, 2011
TO: Janesville City Council
FROM: Gale S. Price, AICP, Manager of Building and Development Services
SUBJECT: City Council Authorization to Allow the Submittal of a Grant Application for
Restoration of Doors for the Tallman House.
_____________________________________________________________________
The Community Development Department has been contacted by Judy Adler who is
working with the Monterey Questers, one of four local chapters of Questers in the
Janesville area. The Questers was founded in 1944 to further knowledge and education
about antiques and to encourage the preservation, restoration, and conservation of historic
buildings, sites and monuments. She and the local group are interested in applying for a
grant from the Questers International Grants Fund for a project for the Tallman House.
Grants up to $6,000 can be obtained from the international organization for local
preservation projects.
The Monterey Questers most recently received international grant to restore the four
exterior doors to the side porch and solarium. Previous international and state grants have
been used to fund restoration work on artifacts in the Tallman House in collaboration with
the Rock County Historical Society. The first grant ever released by the international group
was for the Tallman House in 1971.
Restorative construction on a publicly-owned historic building is eligible for a grant.
Monterey Questers members have reviewed the rehabilitation needs of the Tallman House
and have identified restoration of the storm windows for the house as a project that would
fit into the grant guidelines. The project would include restoration of all 10 front storm
windows and any additional funds raised by the Monterey Questers through their own
fundraising efforts would be applied towards restoration of the 8 south windows.
International grants will be awarded in May of 2012 and the work must be completed within
one year of the award. Because the Tallman House is a City-owned building, the City
Council must grant authorization to apply for the grant and implicitly use the funds for this
restoration effort. The Community Development Department supports authorization of the
Monterey Questers to proceed on their grant application.
Recommendation
The Community Development Department recommends that the City Council support a
motion to give authorization to the Monterey Questers to submit an application for a grant
for restoration of the upper level, main portion storm windows for the Tallman House to the
International Grants Fund.
City Manager Recommendation
The City Manager concurs with the Community Development Department recommendation
and appreciates the Monterey Questers efforts.
cc: Eric Levitt
Jacob Winzenz