Meigs County park committee recommends asking county for up to $70,000 match for playground grant, pursues diabetes walking-trail funding

Meigs County Park Committee members discussed playground equipment options and grant strategies at a March meeting, recommending that the county legislative body be asked to commit up to $70,000 from the county park reserve as a 50% match for a state park grant and asking the committee's grant writer to pursue a separate “Project Diabetes” walking-trail grant for Eastview Park.

The committee is seeking a county match because the state park grant requires a 50% local match; the committee said the state would fund half of a $140,000 request if the county provides the other half. Committee members described two equipment tiers under consideration — a roughly $50,000 turnkey playground package and a roughly $70,000 package that adds a picnic table, bench and trash receptacle — and asked Cunningham Recreation (vendor contact: Maggie Webb) to provide pre-engineered drawings and specifications for the county commission packet.

Why it matters: the county park reserve held about $98,000 at the time of the meeting, and the committee said hotel-motel tax revenue typically brings in about $85,000–$90,000 a year to that fund. Because the state grant requires a 50% match, the committee’s recommendation to seek up to $70,000 would allow applying for two playgrounds as a $140,000 grant package (state: $70,000; county: $70,000). The committee also discussed timing: the state application deadline cited in the meeting is April 1 and the county legislative body was scheduled to consider the committee’s recommendation on the 20th of the month.

Discussion details and procurement notes: committee members emphasized that the quoted equipment prices are subject to change (steel tariffs and delivery/installation schedules were cited as risk factors) and that any successful grant award would require county procurement and public bidding because the county would spend public funds. The committee reviewed what is included in the turnkey prices: delivery, installation, site preparation, groundcover (wood mulch or rubber surfacing), and edging; picnic tables (rubber-coated) were noted at about $1,000 each and trash receptacles at about $700 each. Members discussed edging material trade-offs (metal versus plastic edging), with concerns raised about plastic edging’s UV degradation and weed-trimming issues and about sharp edges on metal.

Separate walking-trail grant: the committee asked grant writer Paul McGee to pursue a Project Diabetes grant through the Tennessee Department of Health, which committee members described as a reimbursement-based grant with no local match and a possible award up to $150,000 per year for three years (up to $450,000 total). The committee discussed a proposed Eastview Park walking trail roughly 900 feet long and 4 feet wide; committee members calculated that a 4-foot by 900-foot concrete path at roughly 4 inches thickness would require about 50 cubic yards of concrete (estimated at about $10,000 for concrete alone under the figures discussed) and that reimbursement timing means the county would initially need to cover costs and seek reimbursement from the grant administrator if funded.

Next steps and scheduling: the committee expects Cunningham Recreation’s drawings and specifications to be ready for the county commission package; if the $70,000 package drawings are not available in time, the committee said it will submit a simpler drawing and summary so the county legislative body can consider a dollar figure. Committee members also agreed to have McGee submit the Project Diabetes application for Eastview Park. The committee indicated it does not plan another meeting immediately and will schedule follow-ups if additional materials or pricing arrive.

Ending: The committee’s recommendation and supporting materials will be presented to the Meigs County legislative body for consideration; the state park grant application deadline mentioned in the meeting is April 1 and the county review was expected to be on the 20th of the month. The committee will await Cunningham Recreation’s drawings and Paul McGee’s grant submission updates before scheduling another meeting.