Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Recreation Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Glocester authorizes application for RIDEM recreation grants to fund park improvements
Summary
The council authorized the town planner to apply for two Rhode Island DEM Recreation Development grants (one large, one small) for improvements at Glocester Memorial Park and Windsor Park and committed to the required local matches, with the state grant deadline Nov. 18, 2025.
The Glocester Town Council on Sept. 4 authorized Town Planner Karen Scott to submit two Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) Recreation Development grant applications for 2026 and to commit local matching funds required by the grants.
Scott described two options: a large recreation development grant (maximum RIDEM share $500,000; total project cost presented as $666,667) and a small recreation-development grant (total project cost $166,667; RIDEM share $125,000). Scott said the grant match rose to 25% of total project cost this round. For a full $500,000 RIDEM award, she said the town's local match would be roughly $166,006.67, which may require using funds in the FY '27 budget to bridge the gap.
Proposed projects the planner recommended for the large grant included a roughly 0.25-mile paved walking path at Glocester Memorial Park (GMP), six pickleball courts, landscaping and converting some courts to dedicated tennis. Proposed small-grant projects at Windsor Park included court restriping, new hoops, shade structures and benches. Scott noted the grant round opens infrequently (every two years) and the statewide funding pool this year increased to $5 million, improving the town's chances of success compared with a prior round.
Scott said the grant application is due Nov. 18, 2025, and requires that the town hold a public meeting as part of the application process to outline the project requests and the local match. The council voted to authorize the submission and to commit the local match as described.
Next steps: hold the required public meeting, finalize grant application by Nov. 18, 2025 and, if awarded, program match into FY budgets as needed.
