San Benito approves contract to update parks master plan as city pursues $750,000 grant

The San Benito City Commission on Feb. 4 approved a contract with Alexander Business Development to update the city’s parks, recreation and open-space master plan so staff can pursue a Texas Parks and Wildlife grant.

City staff and the consultant argued the existing master plan, dated 2016, must be updated before the city can compete for certain state grants. Diana Garza, assistant city manager, told commissioners the consultant has a record of winning similar grants and that the wetlands-related project the city would submit could score highly.

“...it is a 50-50 match because most of Texas Parks and Wildlife grants ... are 50-50 matches,” Garza said, explaining the grant would require the city to provide matching funds or in-kind contributions. Garza said the consultant had secured more than $8 million across past grant applications and that in-kind contributions could satisfy part of San Benito’s match.

Commissioners discussed coordination between the parks master plan and the city’s broader comprehensive plan. Garza said the parks consultant would use material already compiled for the comprehensive plan but that the parks plan is a standalone document required by grantors.

A motion to approve the proposal passed on a voice vote with no recorded roll-call tally.

The contract approval starts the process to prepare grant materials for a planned application by August. City staff said the updated master plan will include public outreach and a survey to capture resident preferences for amenities such as skate parks, fields and other features.

The commission did not set a specific dollar amount from the city budget at the meeting; Garza said the consultant expects to leverage in-kind contributions and that the grant would be competitively scored.

Next steps: staff will begin the master-plan update and prepare a grant application package for the Texas Parks and Wildlife grant cycle.