A $25,000 project to revitalize Boulder’s softball fields and a $50,000 project to extend the city water main to property that could accommodate 21 half acre city lots were discussed by the Boulder Development Fund Board March 7.
Mayor Rusty Giulio said the playing field project would include a new backstop, fencing and dugouts at Centennial Park fields and new rails and posts at the Little League fields.
The water main project would add the city cemetery, now on a separate well for irrigation, on the city water system and enable city water at now-vacant property that could add new residential building sites to town, he said.
Both projects would be sponsored by the city, he said.
The BDF Board, charged with recommending expenditures out of a $500,000 state grant approved last year, asked Giulio to get the approval of the city council to be the applicants for the two projects. They also asked him to find out from the state Department of Commerce whether the two projects would be acceptable uses of the grant money. They said that could serve as a test of the funding process.
Board member Erika Morris also advised Giulio to check with the board that oversees the little league fields.
The board has devised an application form for non-profit or governmental groups to ask for short term project funds from the state grant. That application form was sent out to many civic organizations and is available at city hall.
Other possible projects discussed included improving the lot between the city pool and Main Street, adding playground equipment to the city parks, and building a pavilion at Veteran’s Park. No action was taken on those ideas.
The board asked that completed applications be sent to all board members ahead of the meeting so they can be better prepared to address them.
The board also discussed a need to keep the total funding in mind so that some foundational documents needed to apply for other matching funds can be completed.
In other business, the board:
• heard a report from fair board chair Terry Minow on the recent open house on the fairgrounds master plan. Some of the top needs cited by attendees included parking and lighting. Cited as among the greatest assets were the carousel, the rodeo, the barns and the location. Information obtained at the open house will be used to develop a draft master plan.
• heard that a contract with the state on the $500,000 grant funds is still under review;
• heard a report on the recent meeting on the city growth policy update and downtown master plan;
• heard an update on the rest area project, which Commissioner Leonard Wortman said he plans to pursue with a highway department committee;
• heard from Mayor Giulio that a full price cash offer had been made by someone wanting to purchase a lot the city had considered for a parking lot;
• learned that the Chamber of Commerce was awarded a $1000 Southwest Montana grant for website improvements, and an $8000 marketing grant was also awarded by that group, which will be meeting at the Boulder Hot Springs March 22;
• and heard that a delegation from the county is traveling to North Dakota soon to learn about the facility there comparable to the western heritage center and cowboy hall of fame.
