3/19/14 - The county is chasing after hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding to create new amenities at Fillmore County Park. The County Board of Commissioners approved applying for a $344,000 grant from the state Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund at its regular meeting Monday. Municipalities from all over Michigan are going to be applying for a piece of that grant money before the deadline on April 1st, and Mike Arens from the Parks and Open Spaces Advisory Committee says although the local application is neither a sure thing nor a long shot. Plans for the park include the construction of multi-purpose ball fields suitable for softball, kickball, lacrosse, soccer, and other sports. They also hope to install a drive, parking lot, picnic shelter, waterless restrooms, and a trail through the park, possibly a 5k. Local matching for the potential state grant came with the help of contributions from surrounding townships, the City of Howell, and the Livingston County Foundation, which was set up to manage the finances of county parks. Arens expects to find out if the application was successful sometime in late 2014, and a grant agreement would be put together by early 2015. If the application is approved, construction on the new features could begin as early as mid-2015. (TD)
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