City Receives MDNR Grant for Community Dog Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 30, 2021. Watervliet, MI – Earlier this afternoon Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the City of Watervliet will be one of just 16 communities to be awarded a MDNR Passport Recreation Grant for the creation and installation of a new dog park.

The MDNR introduced the program in 2010 and is funded via. a purchase program tied to the renewal of license plate registrations. In total, the state will award a total of $2 million bringing the total amount awarded year to date to just over $14.6 million since its inception.

The matching grant will assist in funding 80% ($71,600) of the total cost of the project, with the City using money from its general fund balance to pay for the remaining 20% or roughly $24,000. The new dog park will be installed along the river on the east most portion of Hay’s Park. The dog park was listed as a top priority amongst respondents to the City’s 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan survey that took place last year.

The City was approached by Coloma Township in 2019 and received park benches, a dog fountain, and trash receptacles amongst other equipment as well as financial support totaling $5,000 after a fundraising attempt by a local Coloma resident was completed. However, Coloma was unable to utilize the generous donation and offered the City the equipment in hopes of bringing the park to the Tri-City Area.

“This is a big win for our community. Anytime we can bring in grant dollars to help bolster our parks system and equally provide something the community has stressed a desire for it’s a big deal. I applaud our friends at Abonmarche and City staff for helping to make this possible,” said Watervliet Mayor Deah Muth.

The City will now work with Abonmarche to ensure the grant guidelines are being followed and begin setting timelines for the dog parks completion. “There’s still some work to be done here as getting the grant was the first of many steps, but it was the most important step, and the biggest one” said City Manager R. Tyler Dotson. “We’ll get going on this and our hope is to hold a ribbon cutting sometime early this summer” he added.

For a copy of the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan or more information about the proposed dog park, please visit www.watervliet.org or contact City Hall at 269-463-6769.
 

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