Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Port of Greenway launches fundraising drive and seeks city support for trail maintenance fund
Summary
Port of Greenway Foundation outlined recent trail expansions and a fundraising strategy that pairs an Idaho Gives campaign with a 1:1 match from the Port of Health Trust; foundation leaders said a maintenance endowment is needed to sustain 20 miles of trail and asked city council members to consider liaison support and partnership.
Dan Harlson, representing the Port of Greenway Foundation, updated the council on recent trail projects and a push to create a permanent maintenance fund for Pocatello's trail network.
Harlson listed recent construction (the Brennan pedestrian extension, a Connecting Communities trail segment and the Outback Trail) and said the foundation's priorities are completing those major builds, advancing the Abrauski extension and establishing a long‑term maintenance fund. He said the network now totals roughly 20 miles and that maintenance needs range from routine mowing to pavement sealing and overlays.
Pat Francisco, the foundation's fundraising lead, described an Idaho Gives campaign scheduled for May 4–7 and said the Port of Health Trust has offered a dollar‑for‑dollar match on donations; she summarized sponsorship tiers and outreach plans. Harlson said the foundation's current fund balance was about $400,000 (roughly $200,000 from private donations) and noted the foundation is pursuing an endowment approach so earnings could be distributed annually for sealing, signage, ADA upgrades and landscaping.
Why it matters: city and county leaders and residents have repeatedly raised maintenance of trails as a priority; foundation leaders and council members discussed the potential for a small standing maintenance target (staff cited a rough baseline of $100,000 per year to maintain basic needs and to address backlog over time) and the need to coordinate with public works and regional partners.
Next steps: the foundation asked for a council liaison to the fundraising working group and for continued coordination with city staff on easements and grant applications; council members asked the foundation to provide a written plan detailing fundraising targets, matching commitments, and the proposed grant process for distributing maintenance earnings.
