Platte County commissioners this week awarded more than $2 million in parks grant funding to be disbursed over the next four years.
The parks and recreation partnership grants, which are a separate program from the annual outreach grant program, were awarded at the Monday, June 14 commission session. Both programs are funded through the formerly half-cent, now quarter-cent parks, recreation and stormwater sales tax first approved by voters in 2000.
According to director of parks and recreation Daniel Erickson, the county received eight applications and approved five, to Parkville, Platte City, Riverside and Weatherby Lake.
In Parkville, the city plans to build ballfields at the formerly county-owned Platte Landing Park; Platte City is set to receive two grants to convert the current city hall building into a community building and to build the splash pad at the former Rising Star school; Riverside plans to update the outdoor pool at the municipal community center; and Weatherby Lake plans to fully renovate Thompson and Christ Haven parks.
Erickson acknowledged the controversy surrounding the Platte Landing Park ballfield plans, stating the county had received quite a bit of feedback from residents concerned about ballfield lights. The city has removed the lighting component from its grant application.
The grants may be offered again in a few years, as needed, Erickson said, as smaller municipalities who benefited from the previous park grant programs did not apply.
Dearborn and Camden Point received funding from the first issuance of the parks tax, which helped pay for the new Dean Park in Dearborn and the renovated city park in Camden Point.
Also at the meeting, commissioners approved the application for the continuation of the Platte County Cyber Crimes Task Force, funded through a state grant.
The application for more than $330,000 covers the last half of this year into 2022. Platte County has been the home of the regional task force for the better part of two decades.