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Town Council accepts $50,000 Archibald Foundation donation for skateboard-park work
Summary
The Bedford Town Council voted unanimously May 21 to accept an additional $50,000 from the Archibald Foundation to support design, maintenance and reconstruction of the skateboard park; the funds can be used toward a future 50% state grant match.
Bedford Town Council on May 21 voted 6-0 to accept an unanticipated $50,000 donation from the Archibald Foundation to support design, maintenance and reconstruction of the town's skateboard park.
The council accepted the gift under RSA 31:95-b and authorized expenditure of the donation for skateboard-park work. Councilor Scranton moved the motion and Councilor Kathleen Bemis seconded it; all six councilors voted in favor.
Why it matters: Town staff and volunteers said the donation, combined with an earlier $50,000 from the same foundation and funds the Friends of the Skatepark have raised, will strengthen the town’s ability to match a prospective state grant. Town staff told the council the friends group is preparing a state grant application for roughly $800,000 that would require a 50% local match; the council will be asked to preauthorize the match at a subsequent meeting.
Council context and next steps: Councilor Kathleen Bemis praised the volunteer group behind the project, saying, “I really appreciate the Friends of the Skateboard Park for all of the work that they're doing.” Town staff said the newly accepted $50,000 can be counted toward the $400,000 local match required by the state application if the expenditures used for matching are within the last three years. Officials said the grant application and preauthorization will appear on a future council agenda.
Background: The council previously accepted $50,000 from the Archibald Foundation; combined with local fundraising, the skatepark effort now has roughly $100,000 in committed money for design and preliminary work. The council did not decide the final construction approach at the May 21 meeting, and officials said the town will return to the council for any further authorizations required to pursue the state grant or construction contracts.
The council’s acceptance formally allows the funds to be used for the skateboard park’s design, maintenance and reconstruction and preserves the town’s ability to apply matching funds against the state grant if the council later votes to do so.
