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City to request remaining $53,000 from county parks district and apply to ODNR NatureWorks for Freedom Park parking expansion
Summary
Chris, a staff member, told the Points and Grounds Committee that the city’s five‑year allocation from the Lincoln County Parks District totals about $78,000 and that roughly $53,000 remains available; staff will apply for that remainder and is also applying to ODNR’s NatureWorks program for $150,000 to expand parking at Freedom Park.
Chris, a staff member, told the Points and Grounds Committee that the city’s five‑year allocation from the Lincoln County Parks District amounts to roughly $78,000 and that $25,000 already was awarded for the Freedom Park walking trail, leaving about $53,000 available through the current five‑year window that ends in 2027. He said staff will apply for the remaining amount now and, if approved, add it to the roughly $100,000 already in the budget for a foundation parking‑lot expansion at Freedom Park.
The city is also applying for a NatureWorks grant through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for $150,000 for the same parking project, Chris said. He explained that the total available funding will determine the project’s final size: ‘‘we're kinda waiting to see how much money we get to decide how big the project will be,’’ he said.
Staff described the Lincoln County Parks District allocation as a reimbursement grant: the city would use carryover funds to pay for design, bidding, inspection and construction, submit documentation and then receive reimbursement. Chris said the city already experienced a similar timeline with the Freedom Park path, which took ‘‘a little over a year from conception to actually getting the reimbursement submitted.’’
If both the county parks district funds and a NatureWorks award are secured, staff said the combined money would be used to increase the scope of the parking expansion. The presentation was informational; the transcript does not show a formal committee vote to submit the applications.
Committee members asked only clarifying questions about timing and use of funds. Staff indicated administrative steps will follow to apply for the county reimbursement and the ODNR NatureWorks grant.
