Simpson County officials weigh support for National Fitness Campaign grant for park fitness court

At a meeting of the Simpson County Fiscal Court, Parks Director Lisa Devers asked the court to support a county application to the National Fitness Campaign for an outdoor fitness court and related walking-trail and playground improvements at a county park.

The project centers on a 38-by-38-foot concrete “fitness court” with padded athletic tiles; Devers said the campaign awards roughly five grants per state and that awards will begin to be distributed in April or May, with construction potentially beginning in July. “This is an outdoor fitness court. It is open to a variety of ages, though it is kinda targeted toward adults,” Devers said. She described a studio court option (an additional 38-by-38 area for group fitness or outdoor yoga) and said court surfaces carry a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty and require only annual pressure-washing for routine maintenance.

Why it matters: County officials said the park area draws many walkers but lacks safe, dedicated walking space. Devers and Mason said the fitness court could be sited at Lincoln Park or Jim Roberts Park near an expanded playground and a quarter-mile walking loop that would keep pedestrians off park roads. Mason told the court that the county “set aside a pretty sizable amount of money that we might pull some of that to help cover the cost difference” between the grant award and total project cost.

Funding and scope: Devers said the grant awards range from about $30,000 to $60,000. She explained the likely local financing gap: “If we were even just to get $30,000 of it, I’ve gotta come with $120,000 in additional funding to match that $150,000.” She added that choosing both the fitness court and the studio court would increase that local need (she described the combined project as roughly a $220,000 total if both components were built). Devers also noted an estimated cost of “over $100,000” to build a roughly quarter-mile paved connector sidewalk between existing fields; the sidewalk could be phased separately from the court.

Site and design considerations: Devers identified parking and visibility as priorities and proposed converting a nearby maintenance/drive area into a small parking lot to serve the trail, playground and court. She said a civic group is planning a playground expansion for the same area, and that the court could include artist-designed surface panels funded by a separate artist grant. A splash pad was raised by a court member as a complementary family amenity; Devers cautioned the site may overlay a former landfill and said a splash pad tank would require a 15-foot excavation if installed, which she must verify before advancing that idea.

Next steps and court direction: Devers requested a letter of support from the court so the county could be reviewed as a potential community partner for the grant. The court did not take a formal vote on a letter at the meeting; members generally expressed in-principle support and directed the Parks Board to review the proposal at its upcoming meeting and report back. Devers said she will meet with a playground designer after the Fiscal Court meeting and will discuss funding and sponsorship packages with the Parks Board.

Quotes and attribution: Quoted material in this article comes from Lisa Devers (Parks director) and Mason (Fiscal Court member). Devers: “This is an outdoor fitness court. It is open to a variety of ages, though it is kinda targeted toward adults.” Mason: “We’ve set aside a pretty sizable amount of money that we might pull some of that to help cover the cost difference.”

Ending: The Parks Board is scheduled to consider the proposal at its next meeting; if the board recommends pursuing the grant, Devers said she will return to the Fiscal Court with a formal funding plan and a proposed letter of support for the grant application.