Local Park Grants Funding – Request Approval of Proposed Funding Recommendations

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Summary

Executive Summary: Staff seeks approval of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) local park grant funding recommendations. The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), State and Local Assistance Program, the Texas Large County and Municipality Recreation and Parks Account (Urban Parks Account), and the Texas Recreation and Parks Account (TRPA) provide matching grants to local governments for the acquisition and/or development of public parkland and recreation facilities.

Resumen ejecutivo: El personal solicita la aprobación de las recomendaciones de financiamiento de subvenciones para parques locales del Departamento de Parques y Vida Silvestre de Texas (TPWD). El Fondo Federal de Conservación de Tierras y Aguas (LWCF), el Programa de Asistencia Estatal y Local, la Cuenta de Recreación y Parques de Condados y Municipios Grandes de Texas (Cuenta de Parques Urbanos) y la Cuenta de Recreación y Parques de Texas (TRPA) proporcionan subvenciones de contrapartida a los gobiernos locales para la adquisición y/o desarrollo de terrenos públicos para parques e instalaciones recreativas.

Local Park Grants Funding

Request Approval of Proposed Funding Recommendations

I.        Executive Summary: Staff seeks approval of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) local park grant funding recommendations. The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), State and Local Assistance Program, the Texas Large County and Municipality Recreation and Parks Account (Urban Parks Account), and the Texas Recreation and Parks Account (TRPA) provide matching grants to local governments for the acquisition and/or development of public parkland and recreation facilities.

II.     Discussion: TPWD makes available Urban Outdoor, Urban Indoor, Non-Urban Outdoor, Non-Urban Indoor, and Small Community Recreation Grants to local governments in Texas, based on population size, for the acquisition and/or development of public parkland. Funds available include: $10,968,174 from the LWCF; $9,259,255 from the Urban Parks Account; and $10,702,342 from the TRPA. Staff also anticipates that TPWD may receive additional funds that could be applied to these grants.

As of August 1, 2024, TPWD received 103 applications from eligible entities requesting $58,864,098 in matching fund assistance for their projects. Staff recommends granting support for projects in the amount of $30,929,771. Staff also recommends granting additional support from any additional funds that are made available to TPWD in the current fiscal year.

Exhibits A through E show the projects for each grant type ranked in descending order based on each grant program’s scoring criteria, as previously adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission).

III.   Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Commission adopt the following motions:

Motion 1: “Funding for projects listed in Exhibits A through E in the amount of $30,929,771 is approved.”

Motion 2: “Funding for projects listed in Exhibits A through E is approved in the amount of additional funding that is made available in the current fiscal year.”

Commission Agenda Item No. 2

Exhibit A

Urban Outdoor Scoring
Rank Score Applicant Project Name Request Recommendation
1 77 Fort Worth Oak Grove Park $1,500,000 $1,500,000
2 76 El Paso Eastside Regional Park $1,500,000 $1,500,000
3 60 Harris County Edgewater Park $763,406 $763,406
4 51 Hidalgo County Betts-Esparza Park $1,482,540  
5 48 Dallas Parkdale Lake Park Trail $1,331,750  
Totals $6,577,696 $3,763,406

Commission Agenda Item No. 2

Exhibit B 

Urban Indoor Scoring
Rank Score Applicant Project Name Request Recommendation
1 74 Fort Worth Fort Worth Zoo Hall of Wonders Renovation $2,000,000 $2,000,000
2 68 Houston Mason Park Community Center Renovation $2,000,000 $2,000,000
3 59 Harris County John Paul Landing Environmental Ed Center $468,724 $468,724
4 50 Dallas Marcus Recreation Center Renovation $1,027,125 $1,027,125
Totals $5,495,849 $5,495,849

Commission Agenda Item No. 2

Exhibit C

Non-Urban Outdoor Scoring
Rank Score Applicant Project Name Request Recommendation
1 73 Angleton Abigail Arias Park $750,000 $750,000
1 73 Kinney County Kinney County Baseball Park $747,448 $747,448
3 72 Upper Trinity Regional Water District Lake Ralph Hall Phase 1 $750,000 $750,000
3 72 Galveston Jones Park $375,000 $375,000
3 72 Flower Mound Trotter Park $750,000 $750,000
6 68 Boerne Northside Community Park $750,000 $750,000
7 66 Caddo Mills Hooten Park Phase II $750,000 $750,000
8 65 Brazoria County Buffalo Camp County Park $208,218 $208,218
8 65 Killeen Long Branch Park Pickleball Courts $12,500 $12,500
10 64 College Station Independence Park $750,000 $750,000
10 64 Carthage Turner Park $250,000 $250,000
12 63 Denton Lily Cantu Inclusive Playground $750,000 $750,000
12 63 Weatherford McGratton Park $750,000 $750,000
14 62 Springtown Springtown Park $300,000 $300,000
14 62 Grapevine Settlers Park Phase II $750,000 $750,000
14 62 Buda Garison Park Phase 1 $750,000 $750,000
14 62 Webb County Colonia Splash Pads Project $585,000 $585,000
14 62 Mount Vernon Little Creek Park $325,000 $325,000
14 62 Cleburne Kirtley Park $750,000 $750,000
20 61 Lockhart Lockhart Aquatics Facility $750,000 $750,000
20 61 La Porte Little Cedar Bayou Bridges $177,513 $177,513
22 60 Cameron County Laureles Regional Park $750,000 $750,000
22 60 Center American Legion Park $250,000 $250,000
24 57 Liberty Hill The Heart of the Park $750,000  
25 57 Marble Falls Westside Park Improvements $749,750  
26 57 McLennan County Tradinghouse Lake Park $485,000  
27 55 Arlington Al Rollins Park $750,000  
28 53 League City Bay Colony Park $750,000  
29 50 Val Verde County Community Park $750,000  
30 50 Crockett Davy Crockett Park Swimming Pool $724,092  
31 48 Sugar Land Cullinan Park L.E.A.P Project $750,000  
32 47 Wellington Ellison Park $515,000  
33 47 Mercedes Mercedes Sports Complex $750,000  
34 46 Fate Joe Burger Park Sports Field $162,643  
35 46 Breckenridge City Park $413,000  
36 45 Tyler Stewart Park $500,000  
37 44 Post City Park $380,800  
38 44 Galveston Parks Board R.A. Apffel Park / Dellanera RV Park $511,000  
39 43 Port Arthur Nature-Friendly Playspace Initiative $466,880  
40 43 Idalou Idalou County Park $168,000  
41 43 Hidalgo County WCID 18 Sendero Park $620,789  
42 42 Portland Violet Andrews Park $750,000  
43 42 Laredo Lomas Del Sur Park Phase 1 $734,464  
44 42 La Feria Lions Park $613,050  
45 42 Whitesboro Godwin Park $750,000  
46 41 Maverick County Elm Creek Park Project Phase 1 $102,422  
47 41 Live Oak County Longhorn Park $300,000  
48 40 Pleasanton Sports Complex Project $430,000  
49 40 Lindale Faulkner Park Baseball Complex $300,000  
50 40 Pearsall Victor Trevino Sports Complex $750,000  
51 36 Rio Grande City Ft. Ringgold County Park $380,500  
52 34 Lytle John Lott Municipal Park $245,000  
53 34 Jayton Jayton Park $172,850  
54 27 Frio County Municipal Fishing Pond $750,000  
55 27 La Marque Mahan Park Softball & Baseball Fields $364,000  
56 23 Hidalgo Nature Channel Park $750,000  
57 22 Spradley Farms Improvement District Talia Phase 1B Parks $750,000  
58 21 McAllen The McAllen Park $748,640  
Totals $32,068,559 $12,980,679

Commission Agenda Item No. 2

Exhibit D

Non-Urban Indoor Scoring
Rank Score Applicant Project Name Request Recommendation
1 64 Brownwood Bennie Houston Recreation Center $1,500,000 $1,500,000
1 64 Angleton Angleton Recreation Center Renovations $881,415 $881,415
3 63 Cameron County Laguna Madre Nature Center $1,500,000 $1,500,000
4 62 Port Isabel Laguna Madre Youth Center Improvements $1,500,000 $1,500,000
5 58 Harlingen Harlingen Recreation Center $1,500,000 $1,500,000
6 54 Maverick County Nick Carr Sports Complex Renovation $13,150.00 $13,150.00
7 39 Pflugerville Downtown East Multi-Generational Rec Center $1,500,000  
8 36 Arlington Elzie Odom Athletic Center Renovation $1,500,000  
9 35 Elsa Elsa Multipurpose Nature Center $1,500,000  
Totals $11,394,565 $6,894,565

Commission Agenda Item No. 2

Exhibit E

Small Community Scoring
Rank Score Applicant Project Name Request Recommendation
1 76 Spearman Eska Park $150,000 $150,000
2 74 Granbury Lambert Branch Park $150,000 $150,000
3 65 Troup Patriot Park $92,000 $92,000
4 63 Pineland Pineland Park $50,000 $50,000
5 62 Cooper Cooper City Parks $150,000 $150,000
6 58 Blue Ridge Mowery Park $150,000 $150,000
7 57 Rogers Jonathan Allison Park $150,000 $150,000
8 56 Coldspring City Park II $150,000 $150,000
9 54 New Fairview City Park II $150,000 $150,000
10 54 Stinnett Stinnett City Park $37,500 $37,500
11 53 Jonestown Jones Brothers Park $140,000 $140,000
12 52 Perryton Murphy Park $150,000 $150,000
13 52 Terry County Enoch Stuart Park $125,772 $125,772
14 52 Columbus Midtown Park Splashpad $150,000 $150,000
15 48 Gladewater Lake Gladewater Park $150,000  
16 48 Robstown Diaz Park $110,000  
17 47 Beeville Kohler Park $150,000  
18 44 South Padre Island Water Tower Park $150,000  
19 43 White Oak Penick/City Park $150,000  
20 42 Chandler Winchester Park II $150,000  
21 42 River Oaks McGee Park $75,000  
22 41 Lowry Crossing Silo Crossing Park $150,000  
23 40 Sudan Sudan Splashpad $71,450  
24 40 Atlanta Atlanta City Park $150,000  
25 36 Matador JoEtta Bumgardner Memorial Park $69,937  
26 36 Lucas Kenneth R. Lewis Park $55,770  
27 35 Cross Plains Butterfly Garden $100,000  
Totals $3,327,429 $1,795,272
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Local Park Grants Funding – Request Approval of Proposed Funding Recommendations

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