Duke Energy donates $7,500 to fund Mill Creek connector study, Springdale officials say

Duke Energy’s community-relations team presented the City of Springdale with a $7,500 grant to support a study of the Mill Creek connector trail, Mayor Lawrence C. Hawkins III and a company representative said at the council’s April 2 meeting.

The funding was announced by Christopher Harding, community relations liaison for Duke Energy, who said the donation came from the company’s foundation and is intended to support “lifestyle improvements for city residents” and expanded access to regional trails. “I am delighted to be here on behalf of the foundation to present a check for $7,500 to support the Mill Creek connector study,” Harding said.

The Mill Creek connector study seeks to analyze connections between local trails and larger regional trail systems. Harding said the work also supports “multimodal modes of transportation for folks, whether that’s getting to the jobs or the grocery store.” Mayor Hawkins thanked Harding and noted prior regional support for trail financing.

Harding said the contribution felt “full circle” for him because of previous work with Hamilton County; he also introduced a colleague, Matt Martin, from Duke Energy’s corporate communications team who attended the presentation. Mayor Hawkins invited Duke Energy representatives to return and offered that the council meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month if Duke Energy wanted to present future contributions.

The council did not take formal action related to the check at the meeting; the presentation was listed on the agenda as a ceremonial item. The city did not provide additional details at the meeting about how the $7,500 will be allocated within the study or whether the study already had other funding sources.

Springdale officials and Duke Energy said the donation is intended to support planning work that could expand trail access and multimodal transportation options in the region.