Township agrees to collaborate with Lions Club on Trillium grant for Ripley’s Lewis Park

Two bylaws passed by Huron-Kinloss council may boost the chances for an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant application of $48,000 for the Lewis Park, however council is considering $12,000 in the 2008 budget for playground equipment for the park if the grant application is turned down.

Huron-Kinloss council passed the bylaws at its meeting on Oct 15 in Ripley.

The first of the bylaws, (#2007-106) states “the Township of Huron-Kinloss deems it expedient to enter into an agreement with the Ripley and District Lions Club for the use of Lewis Park.”

The second bylaw passed (#2007-107) states that “the Township of Huron-Kinloss deems it expedient to enter into an agreement with the Ripley and District Lions Club for the purpose of making an Ontario Trillium Foundation application.”

If the grant applications are turned down, the township has been asked to put $12,000 towards playground equipment in its 2008 budget, already expected to contain a tax hike to cover the cost of what many believe is badly needed beach clean up efforts.

Deputy mayor and the township’s chairperson on the Lewis Park revitalization committee Wilf Gamble told council that the playground equipment at the park was “out dated” and needed either replacement or up grading. “Even if there was no redevelopment plan, we would still have to bring it up to standards at a cost of $12,000.”

Administrator Mary Rose Walden said that, “the committee asks that the township put money towards it.”

Councillor Don Murray said, “I think they should just raise it another $12,000 and not ask council.”

Walden explained that the Lions Club, with the township as a collaborator would make a $48,000 Trillium grant application and “that may cover the $12,000.”

Council asked if the application for Lewis Park would interfere with any other Trillium applications, as applicants are normally only allowed one grant per year. There are already several projects in the work that may require Trillium grants. Walden replied “no.”

She said that the Lions Club would make the application for the park in Ripley itself and the township could still apply for its own Trillium Grant for playground equipment for the park in Lucknow. As well, she said Huron-Kinloss can still apply for grant money for the Lucknow Library and the Lucknow Community Centre.

Information is sketchy other than what was discussed at the meeting, as requests for the “Lewis Park report” given to council at the meeting have as yet been unanswered as of Oct 18 and the minutes of the committee meetings have not been updated on its website since July 10.

Councillor Jim Hanna asked if the $12,000 would be considered pre-budget approval if no funding is available to which Walden replied that it wasn’t so much pre budget approval they were after, but that the money be considered in the 2008 tax budget in case the grant applications were turned down.

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