Huntington council discusses $250,000 grant request to boost recreation, tourism

HUNTINGTON, Utah — Huntington city officials met Aug. 4 in a special session to review recreation projects and potential grant applications intended to attract tourists and support local events.

The council discussed using Emery County travel/tourism funds and other grants to pay for upgrades including rodeo-ground repairs and chute/stall replacements, new pickleball courts, a splat-pad/money-pit upgrade, frisbee-golf design and construction, expanded camping/campground connections and sidewalks tied to safe-routes-to-school funding. Council members estimated a county tourism pool of about $1.5 million that is being divided among communities in the area and discussed pursuing roughly $250,000 for Huntington projects as an initial request.

Why it matters: Council members said upgrading facilities could make Huntington competitive to host tournaments and recurring events that bring overnight stays and local spending, while other residents urged balancing spending to serve non-rodeo recreation users as well.

Most immediate plans and cost estimates

• County fund and grant targets: Council members said Emery County is administering roughly $1.5 million in tourism-related funds that will be distributed across several communities. Huntington discussed requesting in the range of $220,000–$250,000 to cover multiple projects, recognizing that final bids and engineering costs will change the request. The meeting record does not show a final grant application submitted at this meeting.

• Pickleball: Council members cited a prior estimate of about $120,000 to build outdoor pickleball courts (including lighting) and discussed adding that figure into a combined grant application.

• Rodeo grounds and chutes: Multiple attendees described the arena chutes, roping boxes and stalls as worn out. One attendee estimated equipment costs for a ‘‘money pit’’ (splat-pad/arena repairs) at $40,000–$50,000 for equipment only and said installation and related work could approximately double that figure; the group discussed budgeting installation and engineering as part of the grant request. Staff said current horse stalls number six and that a consultant suggested 20–40 stalls would be needed for larger events, which would add substantially to costs.

• Team roping and tournaments: The council discussed qualifying the rodeo grounds to hold sanctioned roping events that generate entry fees and overnight stays. Attendees estimated single roping events could draw roughly 50–200 contestants and said that recurring weekend events could generate revenue if the grounds meet competitive standards for stock and facilities.

• Frisbee golf and walking trail: A complete development package for the larger park area — walking trail, frisbee golf, irrigation, turf, parking and other infrastructure — was recalled as having a prior estimate of about $1.5 million from a previous Johansen and Tuttle bid. Council members said they have at least some design work already but acknowledged the full build would require engineering and larger funding sources.

• Safe Routes to School and sidewalks: Staff identified a separate funding opportunity through the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Safe Routes to School program with an application deadline in October and suggested preparing a sidewalk proposal for 400 West to include in that program.

• Other recreation ideas: The group also raised notions ranging from a modest soccer field and improved youth fields, lights for ballfields, an indoor recreation building (suggested 100-by-200-foot metal building for indoor courts and community use), and linking trails and campground facilities to encourage visitors to stay overnight. No firm decisions were made on these concepts at the meeting; council members instructed staff to develop bids and cost estimates.

Next steps and process questions

Council members agreed they need firm bids and engineering estimates before finalizing a grant amount and application. Staff said they intend to work with a preferred vendor (referred to at the meeting as "Prefer"/a sales contact), "Sierra at IFA" for drawings, and to continue discussions with regional tourism officials (including Amanda Leonard, identified at the meeting as the tourism director) and the county travel bureau. Attendees noted that larger countywide grant funds are likely to be split among multiple towns, and that competition from nearby Green River and other communities is expected.

Formal actions

The meeting record shows a final motion to adjourn was made, seconded by Lisa Miller and carried. The council did not record any formal vote at this meeting to commit city funds or approve a final grant application.

Ending

Council members directed staff to gather engineering estimates and bids, coordinate with the travel bureau and regional partners, and prepare an application packet in the coming weeks. They also noted a separate timeline to file a Safe Routes to School application with UDOT by October for the sidewalk project. No grant awards or binding contracts were approved at the Aug. 4 meeting.