By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Grayson Mayor Troy Combs updated the Grayson Tourism Commission on the status of grants during their last regular meeting.
“The most important thing to relay is that we have confirmed we have three projects that have been preapproved,” Combs told the commission.
The three projects, he said, totaled approximately $400,000.
“These are matching funds,” Combs explained. “Which means that for every dollar we are given we have to contribute a dollar. Therefore, if we were to proceed with accepting the funds and to utilize them, our liability would be $400,000.”
“It’s often perpetuated in this community that this commission is sitting on half a million dollars and not doing anything,” Combs told the commission in the public meeting. “That in fact is false,” he continued. “The commission has been building up their reserve in anticipation of utilization of the grant money.”
Combs said there were other reasons, giving an example of the commission potentially losing revenue based on what he called cataclysmic circumstances.
Combs said the question that is being asked, and that had been addressed in a recent Department of Local Government meeting, was about what the priorities of the tourism commission were.
“So, this commission will be left to decide what actions need to be taken,” he said.
Some of the priorities which the commission is expected to address are the sensory garden (at $187,000), shade for the amphitheater, the walking trail and bridge, walking trail enhancements, and shade structures and benches on the trail.
“The next project is an inclusive swing set,” Mayor Combs discussed. “And two regulation basketball courts with lights and fencing, (and) four pickleball courts with lights and fencing (at $125,000).”
“At this time the obstacle that was discussed that is prohibiting us from accepting these funds is the Land and Water Conservation Funds. In essence, what we were told is because the City of Grayson is the grantee for these funds, we must be the ones to restrict these funds.”
Combs said that if the tourism commission had been the grantee of the funds, the situation would not exist.
Combs said the recommendation the tourism commission’s attorney had given at the previous meeting was a lease of the property, which would allow the City of Grayson to incorporate the restrictions as needed, Combs told the commission. Two years were recommended to be added to the proposed twenty-five-year lease to allow for the application process.
The final recommendation from the Department of Local Government, Combs said, was that these projects be combined into one application to the federal government. Combs told the commission that Lashawna Miller of FIVCO had agreed to handle the application process for the commission.
Combs also told the commission that the city had leased a building from Jim Bentley (formerly housing Marcum Motors) and would like to offer the use of that building to the commission at no cost. Combs suggested the commission could set up an office in that building.
“I really appreciate all the work that you do,” Combs told the commission. “And I really think you need an office. And you could utilize the entire garage for your storage needs.”
A motion was also made after executive session requesting the commission attorney develop a policy for the commission regarding sick time, vacation, and holiday time, and requirements of the commission for all tourism and Sports Park employees. The request for the policy draft was in keeping with the tourism commission’s move toward greater clarity and transparency, and the policy would be reviewed at the regularly scheduled October meeting.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
