(7/15) The Town of Woodsboro continues to strive toward improvement as it throws its hat in the ring for park and playground grant funding.
As more state grants become available, Woodsboro is proactively seeking and applying for all possible funding.
The town’s most recent search for funding includes moving forward in applying for more community project funding through the state of Maryland’s Local Parks and Playground Infrastructure (LPPI) grant, Commissioner Dana Crum said.
LPPI grants are more lucrative as the state covers 100 percent of the project. In comparison, Program Open Space (POS) grants cover 75 percent of project costs, Crum said.
Because of this full cost coverage of LPPI grants, municipalities usually save their high-end projects for these grants, she said. "This is where the big projects bid," Crum said.
LPPI is a more recent grant issued through the state that is now in its second year of funding. Last year, Woodsboro utilized $240,000 in LPPI grants for the construction of the park restrooms, Barnes said.
The town is looking to utilize this year’s grant money toward four projects including: repainting of town tennis courts that also include line painting for pickleball lines, installation and electric work of top post lights to light a path, electrical installation for the park stage, two pavilions, and park bathroom.
The town can also use leftover American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for electricity, Barnes said.
The town does not anticipate any issues in acquiring the projects’ estimated $130,000 LPPI grant funding as there is an estimated total of over two million dollars available by the state, Barnes said.
"These are grants that are out there that lots of time people don’t go after, and one of my goals is to go after these grants," he said.
In June, the Council learned the town acquired nearly everything it asked for in its POS application following the recent funding distribution.
Items sought included Memorial Park flag poles, playground equipment, and a pavilion for the disk golf course. Barnes praised Commissioner Dana Crum for her excellent job of negotiating the town’s project funding needs.
The town submitted for $76,000 worth of projects through the POS grant funding, and the only item the town did not receive was a wooden display box at the cost of approximately $1,000, Barnes said.
Through the POS funding, the Town will pay for 25 percent of the costs and will account for approximately $20,000 for Fiscal Year 2023.
$3 million was provided throughout Frederick Country through POS funding and $3.6 million was presented on behalf of municipality representatives. As a part of Maryland Department of Natural Resources, POS provides financial assistance for the planning, acquisition, and development of recreation land or open space areas.
The council was glad to see an increase of grants available and continually strives to aquire every penny eligible for Woodsboro community improvement.
Crum expects to have more information to present for the council in September.
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