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Montgomery County seeks AARP microgrant to fund walk audits at county parks
Summary
County grants staff recommended applying for a $2,500 AARP Community Challenge microgrant to fund walk audits in selected parks that would engage residents 50 and older to identify safety and accessibility improvements; the County Commission is slated to consider the application at its March 3, 2026 meeting.
Montgomery County grants staff recommended that the county apply for an AARP Community Challenge Capacity Building microgrant to fund walk audits at selected county parks.
Deric Sippial, grants administrator for Montgomery County, wrote in a memorandum that “the grants department and Parks & Recreation Department will use the AARP Microgrant to conduct walk audits at selected county parks, engaging residents age 50 and older to assess safety and accessibility.” The memo says the audits would inform age-friendly improvements aimed at promoting safe walking, social connection and healthy aging.
The memorandum lists the financial impact as a maximum award of $2,500 with no local match required. Staff described the award as a capacity-building opportunity to gather resident feedback and surface needed physical or programmatic changes in parks used by older adults.
The grants department recommended approval of the application so staff can submit the request and, if awarded, coordinate with Parks & Recreation to conduct the audits and report findings back to the commission. The item appears on the Montgomery County Commission formal session agenda for March 3, 2026; the memorandum does not record any formal vote or decision.
If approved and awarded, the work would rely on resident participation (targeting those 50 and older), with findings intended to guide accessibility and safety improvements in county parks.
