Tinmouth board agrees to apply for state grant to pursue donated pavilion kit, with conditions

The Tinmouth Select Board on Sept. 3 voted to apply for a state recreational facilities grant that would match up to $25,000, moving forward on a proposal to accept a timber-frame pavilion kit Marshfield is holding.

The project's proponent, serving as the town's Equity & Inclusion committee chair, told the board: "All I'm asking for is to apply for the grant," and said the plan is contingent — "if we don't get the funds, we don't move forward." The transcript records a public estimate of the project's total cost in the mid‑$60,000s and a town fundraising gap of about $41,000 if the award is the full $25,000. The proponent and others emphasized donations, volunteer labor and community-fund pledges toward that local match.

Opponents stressed the short timeline, with a grant application due in days, and questioned whether the site work and potential stormwater controls were fully scoped. The board added a procedural safeguard: it will hold an informational meeting in October that will include an engineer or stormwater professional and will not proceed with construction unless required permits and funding assurances are secured. The motion to apply was carried with a majority; board members also authorized signatures for a memorandum of understanding to hold the kit contingent on the grant and fundraising outcomes.

What happens next: proponents will continue grant paperwork and fundraising, the community fund will provide a bridge-loan pledge to let the town apply, and the board will convene an October information session to present expert findings and updated cost estimates.