County Parks & Recreation Committee Gearing up Efforts to Secure Grants

April 17, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

The newly created DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Committee is gearing up its efforts hoping to form a partnership between the county and the cities in search of grant opportunities

“I recently met with Meagan Reagan, Community Development Planner of the Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) to begin organizing the committee’s efforts,” said committee chairman Tony Luna.

“Our first priority is to develop a comprehensive master plan, which is a prerequisite for securing state and federal grants. A significant opportunity is available through a grant that provides up to $80,000 to initiate this planning process. As a collaborative effort, the grant requires a 20% match, totaling $16,000, to be shared equally among participating municipalities and the county,” he said.

The committee is seeking participation from each city and the county in this effort in order to move forward with this initiative.

Funding Opportunity Overview:

• TDEC is funding a Parks and Recreation master planning grant.

• Two funding options:

• County applies individually for up to $60,000 with a 20% match.

• County partners with cities to apply for up to $80,000 with a 20% match.

• Funding is solely for the master plan, not for implementation work.

• The master plan can enhance eligibility for additional funding opportunities.

Grant Matching Requirements

• Individual county application requires a $16,000 match.

• For a partnership (e.g., county, Smithville, Liberty):

• Estimate is roughly $5,333 to $5,500 per partner.

• Discussion indicates Liberty may have budget constraints; potential collaboration with county and Smithville is preferable.

• Additional cities (e.g., Alexandria) may be considered to share the match despite uncertain interest.

Master Plan Development Process

• Engages pre-qualified consultants identified by the state.

• Consultant’s responsibilities:

• Inventory current assets, facilities, and recreational programs.

• Use GIS mapping, surveys, and public input.

• Analyze demographics, staffing, budget, and facility use (including facility lease agreements with entities like the Army Corps of Engineers).

• Public input process includes:

• Citizen workshops asking for the five most critical local issues.

• Collection of survey findings and community recommendations.

• Review of existing recreational infrastructures such as community centers, parks, and other facilities.

• Example shared from the City of Crossville (original in 2014, with simpler recent updates).

Additional Funding Opportunities and Grant Synergies

• A Parks and Recreation master plan may make the community eligible for:

• Local parks and recreation funds (e.g., ball fields, trail improvements).

• Healthy built environment grants (up to $80,000 for projects like water fountains, lighting, sidewalk or playground improvements).

• Other funding opportunities such as the Department of Health’s Project Diabetes (up to $450,000 over three years).

• TDEC local parks and recreation program can offer up to $500,000 in state funding (with federal funds possibly raising amounts substantially).

• Existence of other smaller grants that benefit from having a comprehensive master plan in place.
Key Stakeholders and Contacts

• Mayor Matt Adcock introduced the funding opportunity.

• Mention of discussions with Mayor Audrey Martin (Liberty) and Mayor Josh Miller (Smithville) for partnership and contribution confirmation.

• Discussion of potential challenges in engaging Alexandria.

Time Frame and Implementation Considerations

• The preparatory work on the master plan typically takes from one to one and a half years once funded.

• The planning draft stage is sufficient to begin applying for other grants.

• Coordination needs:

• Confirm city and county collaboration.

• Organize a meeting with stakeholders (Mayor Miller, Mayor Martin, and potentially others) to finalize partnership and matching funds.

• Budget integration is important; aim to include plans and proposals in the current fiscal cycle to position for summer grant awards (applications open around June 12 with award announcements by end of July 2025).

Next Steps

• Confirm internal support with relevant city and county officials (e.g., discussions with Mayor Miller and outreach to Mayor Martin).

• Decide on partnership approach (county-only versus county and cities collaborating).

• Apply for the planning grant for $80,000.

• Send and review the Parks and Recreation master plan document (example from Crossville provided, approximately 395 pages; only key sections likely to be printed for review).

• Begin the application process with support from a designated consultant once funding is secured.

• Use the master plan as a foundational document to leverage further funding opportunities (e.g., for facility improvements, staffing such as hiring a Parks and Recreation Director, and potential public-private partnerships).

Additional Considerations for Long-Term Planning

• Even if immediate improvements are limited (e.g., cosmetic upgrades like playground surfaces), a long-term plan creates a pathway for:

• Hiring a full-time Parks and Recreation Director.

• Upgrading and revitalizing underused or outdated community centers.

• Broadening programming beyond traditional parks (including theaters, community centers, and public art).

• Possibility to improve environments and create a forward-looking recreational agenda that sustains future community growth and program development.

April 16, 2025
By:

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the $50,000 Three Star Grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) to support the Digital Media and Marketing Program at DeKalb County High School (DCHS).

TNECD’s Three Star Director Jody Sliger recently visited DCHS to see firsthand the new high-end equipment made possible by the grant funding. This grant, applied for by the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber, provides students access to cutting-edge technology designed to enhance learning in digital media, audio-visual production, and marketing.

Chamber Director Suzanne Williams shared her excitement for the project:

“What a great opportunity to provide students with the capability to better learn how to use digital media and audio-visual production equipment in marketing by creating promotional videos and social media content for the school and the community. One of our goals is to connect students with local businesses to learn real marketing skills while promoting our county.”

Elijah Cross, instructor for the Digital Media and Marketing class, has been putting the new tools to work. He and his students launched a podcast called TigerNation, learning essential communication and technical skills for modern marketing careers. The new equipment —including high-quality laptops, podcasting tools, and a 3-in-1 Snapmaker system—will allow students to develop advanced media and marketing content.

Brad Leach, DCHS STEM Instructor/Career and Technical Education Director, added:

“Our goal is to prepare learners for careers in planning, managing, and performing marketing activities, as well as managing the movement of people, materials, and products. Many jobs in the marketing career cluster have a bright outlook and are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.”

Equipment Purchased with the Three Star Grant Includes:
2 Drone Systems
5 Canon Rebel Camera Kits with Lenses
1 Studio Camera with Studio Lighting Kit
1 Zoom Podcast Studio Setup
1 Snapmaker 3-in-1 3D Printer, Engraver, and Router
20 Dell Laptops with Adobe Creative Cloud Photo & Video Editing Software
24 Student Chairs/Stools
8 WorkPro Student Worktables

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber serves as the official county administrator for the state’s Three Star Program, which recognizes communities that meet rigorous standards in areas such as planning, leadership, workforce development, education, and economic growth. Certified communities, such as DeKalb County, are eligible for additional incentives and support, including priority consideration in infrastructure, training, and community development funding.

Williams concluded, “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Brad Leach who handled all the purchasing, teacher Eli Cross, and the TN Department of Economic and Community Development. This grant ensures our students are equipped with the latest tools to learn in-demand skills and prepare for high-skill, high-wage jobs in our region or beyond.”

About the Three Star Program

ThreeStar is a strategic community development program developed to assist communities in preparing for a better future, for today and tomorrow – and for generations to come.

Participating counties (and cities in these counties) are eligible for a 4% discount (for eligible projects) on both the business development and community development ability-to-pay calculations (CDBG and FastTrack) each year the county fulfills the requirements of the ThreeStar program. CDBG also provides a bonus based on ThreeStar participation up to $25,000. Additionally, only cities and counties that are active participants in the ThreeStar program are eligible to participate in other select TNECD Rural and Community Development programs.

April 16, 2025
By: Dwayne Page

Surprise, Surprise!

After more than 30 years as a realtor in DeKalb County, Betty Lattimore of the Real Estate Team retired last fall, but she was treated to a surprise retirement reception in her honor Tuesday afternoon at the home of Gina Denman in Smithville.

Family, friends, and co-workers including some bearing gifts, joined Lattimore for refreshments and to wish her a happy retirement.

Lattimore began her career as a realtor with the Sunbelt Real Estate Company and worked there for about four years before founding The Real Estate Team in the 1990s.

Betty said she had no idea when she showed up at Denman’s home Tuesday that a reception had been planned for her. “I was very surprised but thankful,” she said.

Lattimore said she worked with a lot of good real estate agents over the years and together they found homes and properties for many people in DeKalb and surrounding counties. Betty said she had no particular plans for retirement other than to perhaps do some traveling.

She is the mother to Dana Turner and Deddie Johnson and a grandmother.

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