Owen County agrees to apply for state planning grant to expand Micah Trail network

County project manager Kyle Hannah told commissioners the Micah Trail has become a community amenity and planners should now formalize routes connecting the trail to McCormick Creek State Park and local partners. "We're less than 2 miles from the gatehouse," Hannah said, arguing the county should pursue a Department of Health planning grant to fund outreach and route planning.

Hannah said the grant would allow staff to reach out to property owners, host public meetings and incorporate the trail plan into the county's comprehensive plan. He said the grant requires a local government applicant and that the Owen County Foundation and other local partners would prepare much of the application: "Janet Rommel from the Foundation and I are happy to put the application together," he said.

Commissioners asked about the local match and Hannah replied the foundation would provide the $20,000 match if the county could not. A commissioner moved that the board accept the planning grant application and allow the board president to sign the cover letter and application. The motion was seconded and the commissioners voted in favor.

The approval authorizes county staff to be the applicant for the Indiana Department of Health planning grant and to sign application paperwork so the project can proceed to the grant review stage. The board did not adopt detailed contract terms or award professional services in this vote; Hannah said the foundation would draft the application and the county would be involved in subsequent planning activities.

The action means the Micah Trail planning effort can move forward to the next step of grant review. If awarded, the grant would fund route planning, property-owner outreach and community engagement; specific deliverables and project scope would be set in the grant application and subsequent agreements.