By Jim Wilkerson
On Tuesday, September 7, the Lincoln Parish Police Jury held a public hearing to update Parish citizens on the Jury’s attempts to obtain Louisiana Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus (LCDBG-CV) “Love Louisiana Outdoors” funds to give to the Lincoln Parish Park.
In the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was allocated funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The State of Louisiana received $44,336,196 of those funds, $16,750,000 of which went to the “Love Louisiana Outdoors” program.
“This particular grant is exclusively for parks and recreation and cannot be used for any other projects,” Parish Administrator Doug Postel noted in an email. The funds are limited to construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of a park, playground, or green space owned or to be owned by the applicant – or acquisition, clearance, and demolition of those properties – as well as administrative costs. “Due to these parameters and the fact that Lincoln Parish Park is the only park owned by the Police Jury, this is where we will be applying to invest these grant monies,” Postel ended.
At the hearing, Postel told those present that the “Love Louisiana Outdoors” funds will go to the development of outdoor fitness and recreational parks in jurisdictions whose populations consist of at least 51% of low or moderate persons in terms of income, according to HUD data.
Lincoln Parish meets that requirement, making it a “Non-Entitlement Parish”. What this means is that Lincoln Parish is qualified to receive $750,000 from the “Love Louisiana Outdoors” program, all of which will go to the park. With those funds, the Police Jury hopes to make several improvements to the park, including:
- water and sewer;
- mountain biking trails;
- resurfacing of the playground at Legacy Park;
- and overlaying the asphalt on walking paths.
The Police Jury will convene next week Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Library Events Center for its scheduled monthly meeting.
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