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Council explores grants for picnic tables, playground upgrades and a walking path
Summary
Councilmembers discussed possible grant opportunities from DNR, CDBG and other sources to fund picnic tables, playground equipment and a walking path; members asked staff to research quotes and matching funds.
Councilmembers discussed pursuing grants to fund park upgrades including picnic tables, park benches, playground surfacing and a walking path during the Sept. 11 meeting.
Several members said they had seen funding opportunities on state and regional websites. One councilmember said, "there were some grants, at the DNR website," and another noted Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and regional programs administered through the AOG as possible sources to check. Members discussed types of picnic tables, including precast concrete tables and coated-metal options, and the potential trade-offs: permanent concrete tables could limit pavilion flexibility for private events, while coated-metal tables with rubber coating were described as "pretty nice."
Costs and matching funds A councilmember reported that bulk purchases of picnic tables by another public agency produced per-unit prices "over 4 or $5 a piece" (quoted in the transcript as approximate), and the group discussed using existing work done at the town ballpark as match money for grant applications. The presiding officer said the town had spent "just under 10,000" on wood chips and suggested staff get quotes for benches and tables so the council could evaluate remaining funds.
Trail and pavilion ideas Members also talked about a walking path that could connect nearby communities and a pavilion with roll-up panels or garage-door style enclosures to provide wind protection while keeping the space flexible.
Next steps Councilmembers asked staff to collect quotes for picnic tables and benches, check grant openings (DNR, CDBG, AOG) and determine whether existing project work could be used as matching funds for grant applications.
