The city of Woodland has a valuable opportunity to apply for a parks maintenance grant that could bring in up to $100,000 without the need of a specific project identified first.
During its Aug. 21 meeting, the Woodland City Council voted unanimously to approve the application for a grant through the state Recreation and Conservation Office. Cities, counties and towns can apply for up to $100,000 to help with a variety of park maintenance needs, including deferred maintenance and purchase of equipment, as well as repairs of park infrastructure such as trails and picnic shelters.
This year, the Washington State Legislature approved $5 million for the new park maintenance grant program, according to information from the Recreation and Conservation Office.
“Lack of funding for maintenance and additional visitors means increased wear and tear on well-loved local parks and their amenities,” Megan Duffy, the director of the Recreation and Conservation Office, said in a news release. “These grants will help parks catch up on backlogged maintenance projects and create better experiences for residents.”
The grant can’t be used for routine maintenance like mowing or cleaning bathrooms, the release stated, nor can it be used for building a new sports field or adding lights to a facility.
Unlike many grants that the city can apply for, Woodland won’t have to put up a match in order to receive the funds, councilor Melissa Doughty noted.
“I think this is a wonderful opportunity for us,” Doughty said.
Councilor DeeAnna Holland said it was “super exciting” to see some maintenance funding go into the department.
“That is the one thing that is desperately needed in our parks department,” Holland said.
Woodland Public Works Director Tracy Coleman has a few uses for the funding identified. That includes $50,000 for a roof replacement and $30,000 for equipment replacement.
Outside of not needing a match, the grant not requiring an identified project is not something generally available to cities, she noted.
“You rarely ever get maintenance grants,” Coleman said.
Councilor Aaron Alderman said usually the parks budget is getting cut rather than augmented.
“It’s really nice that we have the opportunity to put something back in,” Alderman said.
The opportunity had a positive response from even those outside of city government. Port of Woodland Executive Director Jennifer Wray-Keene applauded Coleman and the city on applying for the grant, given how new it is and the lack of a needed financial match.
“It’s great that you guys are ready to do that. Not all communities were ready to do that,” Wray-Keene said.
Applications opened only days before the council took their vote. Projects will be evaluated from late September through October, with awards being made tentatively at the end of October, according to Recreation and Conservation information.
