What is the NIP?
Established in 1985, the Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) directs tourist-generated dollars directly back into the City's residential neighborhoods. Under a Charter Amendment, at least 16 percent of the money collected through hotel taxes (Transient Occupancy Tax) must be spent on neighborhood and community improvements. Each fiscal year, a committee consisting of residents considers all submitted projects and recommends which projects should be funded. Several community wide meetings are held and finally voted on by the NIP committee.

The program begins each year in the fall with the mailing of the City Focus newsletter to all residents of Monterey. In the newsletter, there is an NIP Nomination Form for residents to propose neighborhood or citywide improvements. These forms are mailed back to the Construction Management office who collects and sorts all the proposed projects. All projects are cost estimated and totaled.
 

What is a Project?
A NIP project is any public improvement (not on private property) that improves streets, storm drains, sewers, sidewalks, walkways, lighting, traffic control devices, landscaping and beautification, parks, recreational facilities and other public building improvements. The picture on this page shows a retaining wall added to a corner in the Fisherman's Flats neighborhood.

What happens to projects that are submitted?
All nomination cards are sorted by type of improvement and neighborhood. Valid project submissions are cost estimated and voted on by the NIP Committee, composed of residents. In fiscal year 2007-08, 39 NIP projects were approved.. So look around, see what needs improving and submit a project during the project cycle, see the project submittal form below.
 Voting on proposed projects usually occurs in April. NIP Committee recommendations are then forwarded to the City Council for approval.
   Community members are encouraged to propose projects each winter. The deadline to enter submissions is usually the second Friday each February. Click here for a  NIP Project Nomination Form.

Who coordinates the program?
The Planning, Engineering & Environmental Compliance Division defines the scope of NIP construction projects, giving feedback on unusual projects and designing projects once they are approved by the City Council, where they then go to the Capital Projects Division for implementation. For more information contact the Capital Projects Division at 831.646.3997or by email.