PRIEST RIVER — The city plans to seek a $139,256 Idaho Community Development Block Grant to complete the second phase of the City Park improvement plan.

The council unanimously approved the motion in a 4-0 vote to approve the grant application as part of an effort to improve Priest River's City Park.

Roughly 3 acres in size, the city-owned park is open to both residents and visitors, with the site being a popular spot for family get-togethers, community gatherings and local events.

The project's first phase added a 50-foot double-track zip line, swing sets, a merry-go-round, an obstacle course and a toddler structure, as well as ADA-accessible features.

The second phase centers on a large main playground structure with shade canopies. Other smaller pieces of equipment are planned to be added later using local funds, not through the grant. Professional installation and grant administration are included in the grant budget.

While the first phase of the project was completed without grant funding, City Planner and Administrator Jake Gabell said the city is seeking a federal Community Development Block Grant, administered by the Idaho Department of Commerce, to help fund the second phase.

The grant application is due Sept. 21, with awards expected in October, Gabell said.

"I think we've crossed most of the Ts and dotted most of the Is," Gabell told the council.

The project has the support of the local library and school districts, as well as community members, who have contributed to the park as part of the multi-year effort.

The project's scope was narrowed for the grant application to the main structure itself, moving several shades over the top and a handful of smaller pieces to potential community match efforts.

Most of the site preparation work was completed as part of the project's first phase.

As part of the grant process, the city must hold two public hearings, including Monday's pre-application hearing and, if the grant is awarded, a second hearing after the project is completed to report how the money was spent.

Gabell told the council that he expects the city could learn whether it will receive the grant by mid- to late October.

Priest River Mayor Jeff Connolly told the council that Gabell and City Clerk Laurel Thomas have put in hours of work writing the grant and working to improve the city's parks.

"It's a big deal," he said, noting the amount of work involved. "Sadly enough, especially for the smaller communities which the grant is supposedly designed for, they act like you have an on-staff grant writer that's just going to blow this thing out. That's just not the reality of it at all."

The project drew no written comment and limited public comment, with one resident speaking in support of the grant application.

That speaker, resident Anne Wilder, said older children feel the new playground equipment is geared more toward younger kids and ADA-accessible play and asked the city to consider adding features for older youth as the park expands.

With about $20,000 in local funds remaining from phase one, the total cost of the second-phase playground structure is estimated at $159,731, including installation and grant administration, according to Gabell.

If approved, the grant would follow a $7,500 Placemaking Grant from the Selkirk Association of Realtors received by the city in late August. Like the block grant, the funds from the Placemaking Grant are being directed to improvements at City Park.

Through the initiative, SAR officials said their aim is to support the city in the second phase of the City Park playground area, working collaboratively on a project that reflects local needs, community input and shared stewardship.