Trail project comes to fork in road
RANDOLPH – The path to get a new walking trail in Randolph has been a tough, uphill climb.
It’s been so steep that the Randolph Area Foundation (RAF) is pausing to catch its breath before deciding whether or not to continue the journey.
The city was awarded a Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (NGPC) grant for $92,000 last year to develop a recreational trail at the Randolph Area Veteran’s Memorial Park.
However, the amount was well below the requested amount and total project cost, said Josh Rayford, interim city administrator and RAF president.
At that time, a downscaled design was resubmitted and approved by NGPC which ultimately shortened the length of the trail.
The plan then was for RAF to make up the cost difference for the $250,000 project.
Since that time, RAF has encountered many stumbling blocks along the way.
Although NGPC is the state granting agency, the funds provided are through the Federal Highway Administration’s portion of federal motor fuel excise tax paid by users of off-road recreational vehicles.
Using federal dollars comes with a strict set of rules which requires projects to have specific engineering, wildlife and other studies completed. More requirements equals higher cost, Rayford said.
“The initial grant amount provided wasn’t going to be enough to offset how much the costs were even for engineering alone which left a very large burden for the foundation to cover, much larger than anticipated,” he said.
As part of the process, Rayford said RAF was informed engineering costs could make up 15 to 18 percent of the total project.
He contacted a dozen different engineering companies and the lowest bid received added up to more than double.
Timing may have been a problem, Rayford said, as many companies had work backed up due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, RAF decided to withdraw from the grant funding and pursue alternatives.
One of those alternatives could be re-applying for the same NGPC grant with the hopes of being awarded the full amount. The application is due in the fall.
Another option would be for RAF to fund the project entirely or through some fundraising, Rayford said.
“We’re hopeful we can find a solution in the future because this is something the community has pointed out as important as an additional amenity and it does promotes a healthy outdoor environment,” he said.
For the last 30-plus years, RAF has served the community through its own grant program and acts as a source to allow people to contribute with potential tax-deferred amounts. More than $1 million has been contributed for community betterment.
Currently the organization is accepting applications for its annual community improvement grants.
An online application can be found at https://randolphareafoundation.com/ grant and are due March 31.