City greenlights application for Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Grant to fund arboretum and trail work

Newman City Council directed staff on May 20 to prepare an application for the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Grant administered by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to support trail and arboretum development.

Staff said the grant is competitive, reimbursable, and funds projects such as local parks, trails and critical conservation lands. The grant allows minimum requests of $500,000 and maximum requests of $3,000,000. The city already owns the property being considered for an arboretum, eliminating acquisition costs from the application.

City staff advised council members that preparing a competitive submission will require upfront work that the grant will not cover, including a conceptual site plan, detailed budgets and a Phase I environmental assessment. Staff estimated Phase I environmental work at roughly $1,500–$2,500. More substantial upfront costs — conceptual planning and grant-writing fees — could run to tens of thousands of dollars; staff suggested a minimum of about $30,000 in preparatory costs and noted the possibility that a grant writer’s fee could be reimbursed if included in the award budget.

“Even if we don't win the award, there is value in the documents that will be produced,” a staff member said, adding that required plans would give the city a starting document for future arboretum work.

Councilmember discussion focused on the expense of preparing the application and whether the city should hire an experienced grant writer; one councilmember recommended using a grant writer with a record of success on similar grants. Council directed staff to pursue the application and to return with proposed funding sources and cost estimates. Staff noted the grant application deadline of Oct. 17.

The council carried the motion with the amendment that staff return with probable funding sources for the application-preparation costs.