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Committee recommends City Council apply for TPWD grant to revitalize Water Tower Park
Summary
The Parks & Recreation Committee recommended the city apply for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Local Parks Grant 2026 to fund a revitalization of the city-owned portion of Water Tower Park, approving staff's recommendation by voice vote. The grant requires a 50/50 match; staff estimated a $150,000 city match on a roughly $300,000 project scope.
The Parks & Recreation Committee voted to recommend that City Council support submission of a Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Local Parks Grant application for revitalization of the city-owned portion of Water Tower Park.
Parks and Recreation Manager Debbie Hoffman told the committee TPWD feedback suggested the prior application's inclusion of land not owned in perpetuity complicated the proposal. "We are going to apply for a grant for just this area, because that's the area that the city owns," Hoffman said, explaining the application must be for land that will remain park in perpetuity.
Staff's proposed scope for the city-owned area includes leveling the play surface for accessibility, replacing swings, installing new ground cover (possibly poured-in-place rubber surfacing or turf), resurfacing the basketball court, adding benches and ADA-accessible picnic tables, and smaller shade or seating improvements. Hoffman said some larger pour-in-place options are more expensive, and staff would seek cost-effective shading such as canvas structures if needed.
Committee members raised safety and climate concerns about a very large slide shown in a vendor quote; Hoffman said the manufacturer would remove the 30-foot slide and propose a shorter slide suitable for the local heat conditions. Hoffman said a vendor quote presented that morning included equipment, signage and installation for $272,000 for one playground option, and staff estimated a typical grant project for the site would involve about $300,000 total with a 50/50 split.
Hoffman said the TPWD grant program is 50/50, so the city would need to commit roughly $150,000 as match. She asked the committee to recommend that city council approve moving forward; a committee member moved and the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Hoffman stated that if the committee and council approve, the city would submit the application and return with additional details about scope and signage; she also said signage is not generally eligible for TPWD grant funding and would need separate funding.
