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Trust approves $30,000 grant for McCarthy Park courts; applicants to report in‑kind volunteer hours
Summary
The Broadwater County Trust Board approved a $30,000 grant to the Stoke Project (Stoke/BCDC) for McCarthy Park tennis, basketball and pickleball court repairs and asked grantees to document volunteer (in‑kind) hours and final invoices.
The Broadwater County Trust Board voted to grant $30,000 to the Stoke Project to support repairs and upgrades at McCarthy Park that would extend the courts’ useful life and support tennis and pickleball play.
Liz Wishman, representing Big Sky Big Leadership and the group leading the McCarthy Park project, told trustees the courts had not seen significant updates in about 18 years. The group presented a project budget with a total estimated cost of about $45,000: crack filling already completed (BCDC advanced roughly $5,000 for that work), painting and surface work, and other minor repairs. Wishman said volunteers plan to provide most of the labor for repainting and surface work; she provided a contractor bid that would cost about $80,000 to hire out but said the group planned to record that as in‑kind contribution if volunteers perform the labor. "We have up to 10 more years on the asphalt that's there, and so we looked at filling the cracks, and then we went on to, painting as well," Wishman said.
Trustees and staff discussed how to count and document in‑kind contributions and whether the Trust should treat volunteer labor as match. Board members said the trustees wanted a final report showing hours and dollar valuation of volunteer work and any other funds raised; they also discussed reimbursing BCDC for the track‑money advanced to fill cracks. The motion that passed directed staff to disburse the $30,000 to Stoke/BCDC with a requirement that the grantee submit a final report documenting in‑kind contributions and invoices.
Why it matters: The grant supports youth and community recreation facilities (tennis, basketball and emerging pickleball play) and aims to extend the courts’ service life while leveraging volunteer labor and partner funding.
Trustees asked applicants to return a final report that includes actual invoices and a breakdown of volunteer hours and any other funds used to complete the project.
