With funding from a three-year-old City Council program, groups of Ames residents have united over the last three years to revamp the image of their neighborhoods.

These groups have been working together to purchase a message center, dredge a pond and develop a small wetland area from a grant offered by the Neighborhood Improvement Program.

Initiated by the Ames City Council, the Neighborhood Improvement Program provides grants of up to $5,000 to groups interested in upgrading the appearance of their neighborhoods.

The money for these grants comes from the local options sales tax. Lynette Windsor of the City Manager’s Office said the extra penny from this tax goes to the city for human resource programs and to reduce property taxes.

“Fifty thousand dollars of that goes to the Neighborhood Improvement Program,” Windsor said. She added that the improvements to neighborhoods will work to lower property taxes.

Ames residents who see an area within their neighborhoods fit for improvement can form a group and apply for a grant to help them meet their goal.

According to a press release, these projects have to “create a permanent physical improvement to the neighborhood, improve the appearance of the neighborhood and include resident involvement and local donations of time, money or materials to match city grants.”

“Neighborhood groups have planted a lot of trees … cleaned out a pond [and] built a gazebo,” Windsor said. Much of the money has gone to landscaping, she added.

Windsor said most of the neighborhood groups are made up of and headed by long-time neighbors.

“Students have never participated,” Windsor said. “But they are welcome.”

She said students could join an existing group or head up one of their own. “They have to be willing to provide follow-through,” she said.

“Several of the projects are still in the works,” Windsor said. “They have one year to spend the money.”