Madison County awards $3.3 million in funds for area parks
by Randy Pierce • Parks and recreational areas throughout Madison County will benefit from grants totaling $3.3 million, which were unanimously approved by elected officials on April 15.
Authorized by the county board upon a recommendation from its parks enhancement program committee, chaired by Dalton Gray of Troy, and its grants committee, chaired by Denise Wiehardt of Granite City, the funds being designated for this purpose come from a one-tenth of 1% sales tax that has been in place since 2000.
The breakdown of the individual local government units which are recipients of this money, represented in separate resolutions presented to the county board, along with the totals and the projects it will be used toward include the following:
•Tri-Township Park District in Troy – $199,445 for reconstruction and stabilization of the park’s lake at 410 Wickliffe Street for the purpose of addressing stormwater management deficiencies, shoreline failure and public safety concerns;
•Highland Parks and Recreation – $112,079 for the purchase of equipment, some of which will replace existing items at Glik Park, and creation of a renewed play space that encourages safety, is accessible for children with disabilities and supports healthy physical activity;
•City of Collinsville Parks and Recreation – $273,338 for construction of a new shelter including electrical power installation and concrete pads, demolition of the existing one and the creation of accessible pathways and enhanced landscaping at Glidden Park;
•Collinsville Township – $59,220 for repayment of a United States Housing and Urban Development action grant, the purchase of equipment and the creation of a community garden with two dozen raised beds for growing vegetables, flowers and other plans along with accessible walkways and benches for seating. The township purchased three lots, which have since been consolidated into one, north of its office at 305 East Main Street in Collinsville, in 2016 for $90,000. Township Trustees Margot Crowell and Mike Prosser have looked into the costs for preparing the property for another use and potential for assistance from community volunteers and the University of Illinois Extension. Crowell reported in January that Dave Wilde, owners of a local landscaping business, may get involved in the design and establishment of the community garden;
•Village of Glen Carbon – $149,903 for the purchase of equipment for Schon Park, preserving the structural integrity and aesthetic value of the pavilions there through the use of power washing equipment and re-staining, adding durable aluminum bleachers and new backstops to the ball diamonds, replacing the swing set at Miner Park, adding three Americans with Disabilities Act compliant picnic tables, installing 32 high-capacity trash receptacles and two Automated External Defibrillators and related items, installing 30 public safety bollards along the park trail at strategic points, purchasing a “gator” utility vehicle and small tractor for removing snow from paths and parking lots plus buying a zero-turn lawn mower and two snow blowers;
•Village of Maryville – $92,223 for the removal of existing playground equipment at Drost Park and installing new items designed to provide safe opportunities for children of all physical capabilities;
•Village of St. Jacob – $49,700 for a pavilion improvement project at Mill Pond Park that will provide a more durable structure and increased accessibility for persons with disabilities plus creating a sidewalk extension that will connect that pavilion with the park’s existing walkways, entrances and paths, all also to allow for better accessibility;
•St. Jacob Township – $10,000 for the purchase of playground equipment for tykes/toddlers and engineered wood fiber flooring and $49,700 for removing the existing rubber flooring at the same park location and replacing it with a new 52-by-40-foot (2,080 square feet) surface;
•Village of Marine – $49,700 for the completion of erosion control measures at Heritage Park, installation of security cameras in the 300 block of North Duncan near the village park and the addition of network cabling at the same location plus the purchase of a “Grapple” bucket to collect debris.
This funding is administered through the county’s community development department of which Stacey Pace of Troy is director. Over the past 26 years, over $31 million in funding has been delivered from this program to the cities, towns, villages, townships and park districts in Madison County.
Grant recipients are expected to cover any expenses for the aforementioned projects that are beyond what is being received from the county’s parks enhancement program.
Gray praised the community development staff for helping to move this funding process forward, “This program plays an important role in supporting and building parks across Madison County.”
County Board Chairman Chris Slusser said for smaller villages, “It is really a big deal for them to receive these grants. In many cases, these projects wouldn’t happen without this support and these grants allow communities to make improvements residents can see and use every day.”
