STANTON : City Plans Rewards for Attractive Homes

To increase civic pride among residents, the city plans to search the community each month to find the most attractive home.

The resident will be rewarded with a City Council commendation and a gift certificate from a local business.

The idea came from Mayor Sal Sapien, who said he wants to reward residents who take pride in their community and keep their homes looking good. He hopes the program also will encourage others to compete for the award by sprucing up their homes, he said.

On Tuesday night, the City Council endorsed Sapien’s proposal and asked city staff members to suggest the method of establishing the program. The recommendation is scheduled to come back for City Council action at its Nov. 26 meeting.

“This is something to give the citizens a reason to be proud of their city,” Sapien said.

He suggested that the city establish a committee of residents from all areas of the city. Each month, the committee would search neighborhoods and find the most attractive home. The committee might even be asked to look at apartments for a separate award category, he said.

The committee should be in place by December and should have its first home picked out in time for a January council meeting, Sapien said.

Stanton already has a Christmas decoration committee that annually rewards homeowners with the best holiday display. That program has worked to make Stanton homes some of the most nicely decorated in the area, Sapien said.