• Pass your city council resolution no more than 6 months prior to the application deadline. (8/28/23)
• Changes or material additions to your submitted application are not allowed after the due date.
• You may submit the application at least one week early and request an unofficial preliminary review.
• Attendance at a pre-application workshop is worth 1 or 2 points.
• Estimates must reflect bids, quotes, or vendor sheets dated within 180 days and MUST BE submitted with application. The work papers or bids used to complete the cost estimate sheet must be included.
• In-kind funding is an estimate of hours and labor rates as well as equipment charges. (No administrative time allowed).
• Applicants must provide a link to the entire municipal budget with all revenues and expenditures highlighted and/or linked.
• Items installed using Municipal Park Grants on school property must be listed on inventory list.
• A land appraisal completed within 9 months prior to application deadline is required if purchasing land. A signed purchase agreement must be submitted with the application for grant approval.
• Reimbursement for professional fees shown near the bottom of the cost estimate sheet is limited to 9% of the project costs (not the grant amount) for bidding and 6% for supervision.
• Cost estimates are most accurate if you seek bids, including those that may be informal. It is very important to research the costs. If your estimates are inadequate, you will either have to pay the difference or may have to forfeit the grant later on. You may not be able to fund all items you request so list the most important items first. Be specific when listing items. We need sizes and quantities along with their prices so we can check them when the project is complete

• Recent pictures of previously funded projects for the last 10 years. Applications are incomplete without clear, labeled, COLOR pictures with a date imprinted on the pictures within six months of the application.
• Project Description with detailed drawing of the park
• Park Master Plan, Meeting Minutes and other documentation of public input showing support for the project. Highlight proof of public input so it can be easily identified
• Inventory Spreadsheet. (Include an Inventory Spreadsheet for each city if submitting joint application)
• Detailed Cost Estimates prepared within 180 days of the application deadline with an outlined scope of work
• Project/Program Timeline without page breaks
• City Resolution of Support from Governing Body passed within the 6-month period prior to the grant application deadline
• Detailed plan for future care with links to the City Budget.
• Each attachment must be labeled to show the items in the application which they relate to
• If buying, leasing, or sharing land owned by another party, a written agreement or purchase agreement signed by the owner must be included. Please contact the Commission staff if anticipating a land purchase
• If your project is dependent on buying, leasing or sharing land owned by another party (e.g., a school district), you must submit a written agreement or purchase agreement signed by the owner proving that the city may use the land, the length of time for use, any limits on its use, and responsibilities for maintenance
• If this is a joint application with another city, at least 6% cash or in-kind support must be pledged, and each city must include a letter committing to sign an intergovernmental agreement to support the betterment of the project. Attach the letter if this is a joint project

• The population of municipalities within the county
• The level of intergovernmental cooperation on grant requests
• The amount of grant funds provided to specific municipalities for the past 10 years
• The park and recreation needs in the municipality requesting the grant.

Important Note: You must complete the entire first page and continue to the second page before clicking "Save and Continue Later" to receive your link to continue working on the saved application.

• 0 points - No meaningful match
• 1 point - 5% cash or in-kind match

Match items must be associated with Cost Estimate Sheet. If match is from a donor a letter of commitment must be submitted with the application.

If utilizing in-kind labor as part of a match, include listing of hours, labor rates, and equipment charges if applicable (administrative time is not an eligible match item, nor is existing city land).

New Project

• 0 points – No plan and limited discussion by city beyond resolution authorizing submittal of grant application.
• 1 point – Documentation (minutes, survey results, etc.)
• Involved public discussion on specific details of project.
• Professional plans (produced by qualified staff, consultant, or vendor) outlining project details without much public input, approved by governing body in an action separate from the resolution authorizing the submission of the grant.
• 2 points –Documentation of involved public discussion on project details AND Professional Plan outlining project details.
• 2 points –Projects for new facilities, change in use, etc. require substantial public input for 2 points.

Rehab Project

• Repair/replacement projects will be awarded 1 point; an additional 1 point may be awarded if applicant can demonstrate need/support though public input, or documentation in Master Plan.

In order to receive these points, relevant documents must be included with the application. If public input was noted in a formal plan, attach copies of relevant pages of Master Plan with this application.

Directions: Once you have added the inventory for a park or facility, click the (+) symbol submit the data. Multiple facilities and parks can be entered.

• Did you count all County Parks in your municipality?
• Did you count all State Parks and State Properties in your municipality?
• Did you count schools with previous commission-funded amenities?

If seeking 5% In-Kind match for 1 point, please include specific breakdown of hourly labor rate, number of hours, equipment charges, or other pertinent figures. Please list below the source(s) used to complete the Cost Estimate sheet. Attach vendor sheet, quotes, or bids to the Cost Estimate sheet dated no more than 180 days prior to the application deadline. If property is being acquired, list the current owner(s) and provide a signed agreement to purchase it (possibly contingent on the receipt of this grant). Check with city attorney, if necessary, before proceeding.

• 0 points - Blank, incomplete, or inconsistent
• 1 point - Demonstrates background information for estimates or informal proposals that agree with project in a reasonable way.
• 2 points - Written proposals with itemized costs prepared within 180 days of the application due date and that agree with estimates completed by contractors, architects, or engineers. If planning or design firm completed application, data used to produce estimates must be included and attributed to the source indicate if updating previous documents or master plans.

• 0 points - No plan
• 1 point - Provide link to entire City Budget with applicable park page highlighted.
• 2 points - BOTH an operational plan (budget spreadsheet) and revenue spending plan as described above. (2/17)

• 0 points - No plan
• 1 point - Hope to use city staff to continue program
• 2 points - Plan with identified city revenue to continue program

Think this through! Many projects have been months behind schedule due to poor planning. If you will try to purchase specialized equipment, signs or building material, check on availability before you fill this out. If your plan is conceptual and still needs approval of the Parks Commission and City Council, allow more than a few months for the total project timeline.

You have eighteen months to complete your project! Grant awards are made in the winter with the intent of completing the construction by late fall. Planning now will help you meet this deadline. Application will not be accepted if applicant has two past grants that are outstanding.

• 0 points - Incomplete Timeline and Description
• 1 point - Completed Timeline and Description