Board weighs grants, Venmo donations and sourcing gently used playground gear

The Isanti City Park Board reviewed funding and procurement pathways for park amenities, including grant applications, an exploration of Venmo for donations, and the possibility of acquiring gently used playground components.

Staff said a 50/50 grant application for pickleball elements at Bluebird Park would be submitted imminently and that past experience with a splash‑pad grant made the board somewhat familiar with grant processes, but timing and award conditions remain uncertain. "It is a 50/50," a staff member said when describing the pickleball grant match requirement.

On donations, staff told the board the city is exploring mobile donation options such as Venmo to make giving easier, but flagged a platform limitation: donors cannot currently designate which specific project their gift should support without additional back‑end tracking. Board members raised concerns about transparency and bookkeeping workload for the finance office, and asked staff to propose a policy and technical approach that would allow project‑specific tracking or alternative donation accounts.

The board also discussed sourcing gently used playground pieces to stretch limited budgets. Members suggested checking Public Surplus and other resale sources for compatible equipment but emphasized the need for condition checks, warranty considerations and compatibility with existing structures. Staff agreed to provide procurement parameters and to draft a recommended SOP for acquiring used equipment, including who initiates requests and what council‑level approvals would be needed for purchases and installations.

Board members asked staff to include clear guidance on donation accounting and to return options that minimize administrative burden while ensuring donor intent is recorded.