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Supervisors approve Opera dollars allocations: Leland, soccer drone program, parks and other local projects funded
Summary
The board approved multiple allocations of 'Opera' dollars, including $406,177.97 to the City of Leland as a subrecipient, a $170,000 youth 'soccer drone' STEM program, parks upgrades and other local projects, and noted several philanthropic gifts and grants the county has received.
The Washington County Board of Supervisors approved a series of allocations from remaining Opera dollars, designating funds to the City of Leland as a subrecipient, a school-based drone/STEM program, parks upgrades and other local projects.
County staff reported $576,473.97 remained in the Opera dollars pool for allocation. Supervisors approved making the City of Leland a subrecipient for multiple projects and identified an amount of $406,177.97 to be directed from District 4 Opera dollars to the City of Leland, to fund items including home grants, park upgrades, benches and air-conditioning at a bus/multi-use facility being repurposed from an old National Guard building. The board voted to approve the subrecipient arrangement subject to attorney review.
Supervisors also approved $170,000 in funding for a proposed soccer drone STEM program run through the Leland School District. The program will start with 12 students who would learn to build and operate drones and would be positioned to pursue FAA certification, the presenter said. "First in the state of Mississippi to have a soccer drone program," the presenter said, describing workforce-development goals tied to local agricultural and emergency-management uses of drone technology.
Remaining Opera dollars were approved for parks in multiple districts, benches on neighborhood creeks, and to prioritize upgrades at Paul Love Park and other community sites. The board also recorded philanthropic gifts and grants reported in the meeting: a $100,000 donation from Dick’s Sporting Goods to the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County and a $30,000 Mastercard award for small-business and entrepreneurship efforts.
Votes approving the various Opera dollars subgrants and program allocations passed by voice vote as recorded in the meeting. County staff said some projects must meet obligation timelines for federal/state grants and that administration would work with recipients to complete contracts and ensure eligibility for reimbursements tied to prior program funding rules.
