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Friends group seeks village resolution to pursue multiple grants for inclusive State Street playground
Summary
Friends of the Dino Park Committee presented funding routes for an all‑inclusive playground at State Street Park, outlined prior grant denials and local match commitments, and asked the Village of Medina to apply as the municipal applicant to maximize eligibility for several reimbursement-style grants.
Friends of the Dino Park Committee urged the Medina Village Board to authorize the village to apply for state and regional grants to build an all‑inclusive playground at State Street Park.
Haley Barrington, representing the group, told the board the committee chose Zendesk as the equipment provider and has pursued multiple funding streams since 2024 but was denied through several channels last year. She said local fundraising has produced $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Buffalo, a conditional $50,000 pledge from the Community Foundation of Rochester, and $10,000 from Brookfield Renewable Energy as match funds, and that the Rotary Foundation currently holds those funds as a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent.
The committee outlined three grant pathways and their principal terms: a Canal Corp reimbursement program with a 50/50 match up to $150,000; the state environmental protection fund (EPF) administered through SHIPO that typically requires a 70/30 match; and the municipal parks and recreation (MPR) regional program that can offer a 90/10 reimbursement. Barrington cautioned that several of these programs are reimbursement-based, meaning the municipality must front costs and then be reimbursed.
Barrington asked the board to adopt a resolution allowing the village to apply as the municipal applicant, citing prior feedback that some programs require a municipality rather than a friends group to submit applications. She also requested that G&G, the grant writer/consultant referenced in the presentation, include her in future application communications after a missed coordination opportunity for an MPR application.
Board members discussed cost updates and next steps. Barrington said the previously circulated project quote is out of date — a provider estimate originally listed between $541,252.60 and about $560,000 in 2024 pricing — and that the vendor expects prices to rise, possibly adding roughly $100,000 to the project if not scaled back. The board asked staff to obtain an updated vendor quote before any formal bidding.
The Friends committee said it would meet the following day and return to the village board with a recommendation on which funding streams to pursue. Board members agreed that, if the village applies, it will handle reimbursements according to the chosen program’s rules and that the board would consider a resolution at its next business meeting.
The board did not take a final vote on accepting funds or a specific grant at the workshop; staff and the Friends of the Dino Park Committee will follow up with updated cost estimates and a recommended application path.
