Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks department to apply for community-assistance grant for community orchard; park trail bidding proceeds and county wins solar grant
Summary
Commissioners granted permission for the Parks Department to apply for a community-assistance (CAP) grant to build a community orchard with Rotary Club support, staff said the park's Phase 2 trail project is ready for bid pending environmental sign-off, and the county received a $217,000 nonmatching grant for solar at the Webb Road facility.
St. Francois County commissioners gave staff permission to apply for a community-assistance grant to build a community orchard in partnership with the Rotary Club and heard updates on park trail projects and a county solar grant.
Mike Sumpter of the St. Francois County Parks Department described the orchard as a Rotary-sponsored community project that would include fruit trees (apple, pear or similar) and volunteer labor from Rotary members. Sumpter said the Rotary Club will pay for the planting materials and provide volunteer labor and that the county would host an educational signboard at the site. Commissioners voted by voice to permit staff to apply for the CAP community-assistance grant; no roll-call tally was provided.
Parks staff reported that Phase 2 of the county trail system (an additional 29 miles) has a completed project manual and is ready to be put out to bid once an environmental review sign-off is received from a highway department reviewer. Staff said they expect the environmental review in the next couple of weeks and will proceed to bidding after sign-off.
Staff also reported that over the weekend someone illegally dumped trash at a park access while the environmental transfer station was closed; county staff coordinated with the sheriff's office and located suspects the same day, and the sheriff's office reported a confession to county staff.
In a separate parks/grants item, county staff announced that the county was awarded a $217,000 nonmatching grant to install solar cells at the Webb Road facility. Staff described the grant as nonmatching and thanked staff who applied.
Commissioners asked for additional site placement details for the orchard and for outreach plans; staff said they did not have a finalized placement but had a preferred location and would finalize placement with community input. The CAP application deadline stated at the meeting was June 15.
The commission approved the CAP application permission and acknowledged the solar grant award; staff will return to the board with details as the projects progress.
