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TDEC grant signed; Piperton staff moves toward trail design while restroom project is delayed
Summary
Public Works Director Richard Mills said an existing TDEC grant has been signed and the city will contract with Mid‑South Development District to manage it; trail design and an RFQ are next steps, while a separate restroom grant has been postponed until next year.
Public Works Director Richard Mills told the Piperton Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on April 14 that the city’s existing Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) grant has been signed and staff is preparing next steps to begin trail design.
"On the existing grant — TDEC has signed and we are ready to move forward after April 15th," Mills said. He said he planned to meet with Mid‑South Development District, which will manage the grant, to finalize contracts that the mayor must sign. Mills described the grant as a four‑year contract and said timeline estimates for starting trail work range from fall of this year to fall of next year depending on grant processes and approvals.
Mills said the restroom project tied to a separate grant will be delayed: "On our new grant, we have decided not to do the new grant for the restrooms until next year so I hope to find another grant or donors so we can speed this process up." He said staff has not applied for similar grants before and needs time to complete the required contracting and RFQ (request for qualifications) steps to select designers.
City officials discussed fundraising and donations as possible supplementary funding sources; Mayor Henry Coats suggested pursuing local business donations and a donation wall. The board asked Mills to gather specifications and examples for memorial or veteran recognition features and to report back after his meeting with Mid‑South Development District.
Next steps: staff will seek contract signatures with Mid‑South Development District, issue an RFQ for trail design when appropriate and return to the board with updates; the restroom project will be pursued separately, likely in the next grant cycle.
