Posting Language
Title
Conduct a public hearing and consider a resolution authorizing and directing the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department to act on the City’s behalf and to work with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in connection with the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grants Program and to apply for a grant of up to $7,500,000, to be matched by the City, to implement the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy’s Vision Plan for Palm Park and to provide the amenities requested by the surrounding community. Funding: The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant application does not have an immediate fiscal impact. If a grant is awarded, a City funding match of $7,500,000 will be required and is available in the Capital Budget of the Parks and Recreation Department.
De
Lead Department
Parks and Recreation Department.
Fiscal Note
The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant application does not have an immediate fiscal impact. If a grant is awarded, a City funding match of $7,500,000 will be required and is available in the Capital Budget of the Parks and Recreation Department (PARD).
For More Information:
Suzanne Piper, Chief Administrative Officer, (512) 974-6753; Liana Kallivoka, Assistant Director, (512) 974-9455; Rachel Morris, Capital Improvement Program Manager, (512) 974-9460; Tim Dombeck, Business Process Specialist, (512) 974-6716.
Additional Backup Information:
The ORLP grant is a competitive grant initiative funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund and aimed at enhancing parks, recreational opportunities, and conservation areas in underserved communities. The ORLP grant is a 50 percent matching grant distributed on a reimbursement basis to applicants selected by the National Park Service. Grant-assisted sites must be dedicated parkland, properly maintained, and open to public in perpetuity. The estimated range of funding per award is $300,000 to $15,000,000, with the specific amount determined as part of the application review process based on the number of applications received and the amount of funding made available through appropriations. The City will request a grant award of $7,500,000.
If awarded, the grant will cover 50 percent of the anticipated Palm Park project costs, including the cost of the amenities requested by the surrounding community. The City will provide its grant match of $7,500,000 through 2012 General Obligation Bond Proposition 14, Waterloo Creek Tax Increment Reinvesting Finance Zone revenue, and Waterloo Greenway Conservancy fundraising.
The grant guidelines require the governing body to hold a public hearing in compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, including providing an opportunity for public comment. The governing body must also pass a resolution authorizing submission of a grant application and authorizing the Director of PARD to act on the City’s behalf in working with TPWD for purposes of the ORLP Grants Program. This item is therefore posted on the Council’s non-consent agenda to ensure the hearing and the opportunity for public comment. As required by TPWD, PARD will submit an application by April 15, 2025.