Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle
Eight park and recreation grants were recently awarded by the Shelby County Commission for city and school projects throughout the county.
The commission increased the budget for these grants from a total of $300,000 to $500,000 in the latest budget and for this cycle,18 grant requests came in totalling over $1.6 million.
The grants were reviewed by a three person committee that included Christie Pannell Hester, Director of Development Services; Trey Gauntt, Chief Facilities Management Officer; and Kendall Williams, Manager of Tourism and Events for Shelby County.
“Christie looks at the growth of the county from a development standpoint, Trey looks at constructibility, and Kendall looks at her past history with the community foundation and how it can better benefit the community as a whole,” said County Manager Chad Scroggins. “They provided a very good breakdown and put a lot of work into this.”
Hester said the top eight grant applications were selected based on the construction and financial feasibility of each project. Additionally, consideration was given to ensure the distribution of projects, countywide.
Council chairman Kevin Morris said that over time the knowledge of these grants has grown.
“I think we should be proud that well over a million have been awarded just over the last few years,” Morris said. “As you go out and see some of these projects, they are meaningful in each one of our areas, and kudos to the team. I think it's really important that all of us can sit here and know that in the past few years we've had something done in our district, even being able to meet partial needs in a lot of these areas is important because some of these don't have the full funding.”
The grants going to the schools are only partial for those projects. Scroggins said that some of the school’s playground equipment has deteriorated.
“They're trying to meet kids with all needs, sometimes that gets expensive,” he said.
The Park and Recreation Grant Program is complementary to the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, Hester said.
“Residents across the County voiced their support for new and improved recreational amenities,” she said. “The grant funds allocated by the Shelby County Commission facilitate partnerships in the construction of recreational projects within a short time frame to enhance the quality of life for our residents, countywide.”
Here is the list of the grants that the commission awarded throughout Shelby County:
City of Calera
Location: Rolling Hills RV Park
Project: Construction of three pickleball courts and parking lot with 14 spaces; improve the access road
Cost: $75,000
City of Columbiana
Location: Columbiana Tennis Courts
Project: Install six pickleball courts and timed LED lighting; demolition and repairs
Cost: $89,775
City of Montevallo
Location: Orr Park
Project: Replace and upgrade restroom facilities
Cost: $77,354
City of Wilton
Location: Wilton Town Hall Park
Project: Construction of restroom and pavilion; install grill and picnic tables
Cost: $55,575
City of Vincent
Location: Vincent Municipal Park
Project: Install covers for bleachers and walking trail repairs
Cost: $37,939
Inverness Elementary School
Project: Playground renovations to include the purchase and installation of equipment
Cost: $79,584
Mt Laurel Elementary School
Project: Playground renovations to provide increased accessibility with new playground equipment and shade
Cost $68,113
Oak Mountain High School
Project: Improvements to include a new hitting area in existing facility, field improvements and improved spectator areas.
Cost $22,000
