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By EMILY SPARACINO | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The Shelby County Commission has approved a new wave of grants for park and recreation projects throughout the county.

On Monday, Jan. 24, the Commission approved Fiscal Year 2022 funding for the Shelby County Park and Recreation Grant Program to improve facilities in several communities.

“All of these projects have a match component tied to it,” Shelby County Manager Chad Scroggins said. “They have to be a nonprofit or public entity of some sort.”

The grant funding award per applicant may not exceed the maximum amount as outlined in the grant guidelines, and is limited to one award per fiscal year.

Each application in the current cycle was limited to $100,000 and also required a 50-percent match by the applicant.

The Commission approved the following FY 2022 financial awards totaling about $296,920:

• Shelby Elementary School – $15,225 for playground improvements.

• Calera Elementary School – $46,978 for playground improvements.

• City of Montevallo – $38,150 for a restroom at Stephens Park.

• City of Columbiana – $82,925 for fencing and bleachers at the softball fields, plus playground equipment.

• Boys & Girls Club of Central Alabama – $56,350 for improvements to the building.

• Oak Mountain Youth Baseball & Softball Association – $57,291 for replacing bleachers at nine baseball and softball fields at Heardmont Park.

In addition, the county is assisting the cities of Vincent and Calera with lighting and track equipment projects, respectively.

“It’s a good disbursement, and we were able to utilize most of the $300,000 that was budgeted,” Scroggins said. “This grant program allows us to make our dollars go further.”