Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Park Partnership Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Richland staff propose two-window park partnership grant schedule for 2026
Summary
Parks staff proposed splitting the annual Park Partnership grant program into two cycles in 2026 — a January cycle and a November cycle — dividing the usual $40,000 program into two $20,000 rounds and keeping the $8,000 per-project cap and one-third matching requirement.
City parks staff told the Richland Parks and Recreation Commission on Sept. 11 that they plan to change the Park Partnership grant schedule in 2026 to reduce applicant scheduling conflicts with other local grant programs.
Director Waite said the city’s intent is to move the yearly grant window into the fall in future years, but to avoid disrupting organizations already planning for the current January cycle the city will run two windows in 2026: a January window for $20,000 and a November window for an additional $20,000. Staff told commissioners the total program budget would remain $40,000 for the year.
Under the program, applicants may request up to $8,000 and must provide a two-thirds match of total project costs; the city’s contribution is limited to one-third of the project. Director Waite said match contributions can be cash or in-kind donations such as volunteer labor.
Waite said staff typically opens the grant in January, accepts applications for about a month, then brings recommended awards to the commission for review in March. Moving the principal cycle to the fall is intended to get contracts to awardees earlier in the calendar year so projects have a fuller construction season.
Commissioners asked whether organizations could apply in both windows; staff said applicants may apply again but would need to have completed and been reimbursed for their first project before receiving a second award. Commissioners also questioned whether the state match requirement change — from a previously 50/50 match to the current one-third city limit — reduced applicant numbers; staff said that change is “their understanding” of a state requirement and that applications have declined since the change.
Staff will return with specifics on timing and process in future meetings and will present the refined schedule to city council.
