Richland parks commission recommends $4,000 and $6,000 Park Partnership grants to two local groups

The Richland Parks and Recreation Commission voted April 11 to recommend that the City Council fund two Park Partnership grant applications: $4,000 for the Purple Sage Riders chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington and $6,000 for Tri City Radio Control Modelers.

The Purple Sage Riders asked the commission for roughly $8,000 in combined materials and contingency to support small capital work at W. E. Johnson Park, including purchasing and installing a single-arm gate at a parking area used by the Kolyak bowhunters, additional day pens for horses, signage to encourage manure pickup, and built trail obstacles for equestrian training. The group said volunteers will contribute much of the labor and that some site maintenance work has already been accomplished with city coordination.

Guillermo, representing Tri City Radio Control Modelers, asked for funding for six items prioritized by the club: an automated external defibrillator (AED), a weather station and webcams tied to a new bulletin-board/internet hub, road repair (concrete), a Conex ramp for equipment storage, and two small cement helipads. He said the club’s membership skews older and the site is 5–15 minutes from first responders, which informed the AED request.

“I move that the Parks and Recreation Commission recommend that the Richland City Council fund the park partnership program applications from Purple Sage Riders Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington in the amount of $4,000 and the application from Tri City Radio Control Modelers in the amount of $6,000,” Commissioner Biltz read when making the recommendation. Vice Chair Gutierrez seconded the motion; the commission voted in favor and the motion passed.

Commissioners asked applicants and staff clarifying questions about eligible expenses (capital improvements versus routine cleanup), permitting and wind-rating requirements for a self-built bulletin board, AED maintenance and ownership, and safety/training for horse obstacles. Deputy City Manager Schissel said the city’s permitting and building-review processes would apply for any engineered structure and that the fire department has been using a risk-based approach to decide park AED locations.

The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Richland City Council for final approval. The commission did not alter the dollar amounts presented in the motion; the council will consider the recommended amounts at a future meeting.

The commission heard both applications in a single agenda block and combined its recommendations into one motion; no amendments or roll-call vote counts were recorded in the minutes beyond the passing of the motion.