Town agrees to partner with school on GOCO grant

Paonia High School has been trying to complete an athletic project for several years. They came to the Paonia Town Council meeting on Jan. 24 to ask the town to join with them and the junior high in a GOCO partnership agreement.

"Ultimately we know the high school is not going to keep leasing for $10,000 a year the football field at town park," Mayor Neal Schwieterman told the board of trustees. "If we can get high quality athletic fields that hold everything they need up there, it would be a real asset to the community."

Right now the high school's track team runs both their meets at Kremmling because there isn't a place here.

"There's a huge economic advantage by having a sports complex capable of having all these events. Then you start doing invitational track meets. If you have an invitational track meet, you'll fill every restaurant this town has to capacity, and more so," Schwieterman said. "There are a lot of benefits to the town overall."

Principal Randall Palmer told the council the schools had received an invitation for a GOCO grant application. A government entity must carry the grant to the state. "What we are looking for is a partnership so that we can have that kind of entity in you to help make that presentation to the Colorado Great Outdoors." The schools are looking for a grant to help with planning costs, not including the construction costs. They need to have a feasibility study completed.

"Along with the sports complex," Palmer continued, "we also have quite a bit of acreage right along the river frontage that is not being used."

They would like to have a wildlife viewing area, even some raised gardens that would be on site, some kind of educational and ecological entity to go along with it. They would like to have connecting river trails.

The principal asked the council to be their government entity so the schools can have the feasibility study. The study would help them to determine the budget, landscape and facilities for the track and football field.

Cindy Swartzendruber, who retired last year from Paonia High School, explained that because the school district doesn't have money, they are seeking the funds elsewhere. "We were given the go ahead by the district to pursue upgrading our facilities in other ways," Swartzendruber said. They are getting private donations for matching funds. "We are not looking for any money [from the town], and that is important," she said.

The mayor said that the town was being asked to be the sponsoring agency and they would pass the funding through to the school group. This is the role the town had for the Paonia River Park.

Barbara Peterson, town clerk, said the town was re-applying for the Apple Valley tennis courts improvement grant. "We may be competing with ourselves."

Swartzendruber said their grant would just be for planning at this time.

Scott Leon, police chief, said the two projects could go hand-in-hand. The school would provide a letter of support for the Apple Valley tennis courts project. Palmer added he had just hired a tennis coach that morning. Leon wants to integrate the Apple Valley and Paonia High School projects.

"The day of putting forth any grant request by yourself is long gone," Schwieterman said. With all the talk about integrating the community, "this is a great way to do that."

Jim Briscoe, town attorney, said, "Planning grants are reviewed separately and independently from project grants. And frankly, planning grants are more apt to be approved because of the feasibility aspect of it."

The council approved the town partnering with the school on the planning grant.