Council lays out capital priorities and grant strategy; TSJ Construction offered in-kind match help

Councilmembers used the budget discussion to identify projects they want to include in next year's capital plan and to explore how to meet grant match requirements without large cash outlays.

Staff enumerated near-term needs: finish heating/AC and electrical work at the north side of Old Town Hall, repair roof sections and gutters at the old fire station and the pavilion kitchen, and consider equipment such as a mini excavator, trailer, and salt shed. Members said those items have been discussed on CIB lists for years but noted application rules changed and that some prior CDBG/CIB efforts were hindered by eligibility limits.

Grant strategy: staff described an approach that counts volunteer labor and donated equipment as an "in-kind" match for certain grants; council members said that TSJ Construction had offered crews and equipment for town projects, which could be documented as matching value in grant applications. "If TSJ come and do the work for free, we count their people and how much they get paid plus their equipment," a council member said, noting such in-kind matches could reduce the town's cash match requirement.

Projects under consideration included repainting or restriping the existing court for pickleball (rather than building a new court), and applying for an outdoor-education grant to enhance the O'Ville pavilion for school programs. Council asked staff to gather bid estimates and grant-match figures to allow prioritization in the next budget cycle.

Provenance: budget and grant discussion from SEG 1799 through SEG 2099.