Committee approves application for Ohio Land and Water Conservation grants for Lewis/West Canal parks

The Newark City Council Finance Committee voted 5-0 to authorize the mayor to apply for financial support from the State of Ohio’s Land and Water Conservation Fund grants for a project at Lewis Park/West Canal Park.

City staff said the application will seek state funds for the park project and that a local match is required; the meeting transcript records the match in garbled form as “250050% match,” and staff did not state a clarified percentage at the committee meeting.

The resolution (25-61) was moved and seconded in committee and approved unanimously 5-0 to send to the full council for consideration. No appropriation of project funds occurred at the committee meeting; the action authorized seeking grant support and preparing the application.

Committee discussion did not include a detailed project scope or a final match commitment; staff indicated the project involves Lewis Park/West Canal Park and that the grant application will proceed to the state for review. Further details and any matching fund commitments will require subsequent council action if the grant offer is accepted.