(Atlantic) The Atlantic Splashpad Fundraising Committee provided an update to the City Council Tuesday evening.
Committee Member Ali Pieken said they are currently sitting at $405,390 in the bank with $12,500 in signed pledges on the way. She said they have applied for a Cass County Community Foundation Grant and if that and the CAT grant comes through, the total would be $571,890. The estimate for the project is $673,000, leaving a gap of $101,185. Pieken also noted that Rolling Hills Bank said in addition to their $10,000 donation they would be willing to carry a loan at two-percent interest.
City Councilman Mike McDermott asked if the committee has applied for any other grants. Committee Chairman Jeremy Butler said they were told that any of the grants the city was going to apply for needed to go through SWIPCO and they have respected and complied with that request.
Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett said the phone call made to SWIPCO in April of 2023 was in reference to what happened at the City Council meeting on April 5th. She read the minutes from that meeting.
Garrett said the phone call was made to SWIPCO asking them not to move forward because the fundraising committee had to do work in order to get certain grants. Garrett then shared a number of email communications between the City, fundraising committee members and SWIPCO.
Ali Pieken questioned why that information was never communicated with the Committee.
Jeremy Butler said now the grant they are applying for is being thrown together in ten days when it should have been worked on for months.
Councilman Gerald Brink said this is all in the past now and it’s time to proceed and get this splash pad accomplished.
To move forward, the City Council approved submitting a letter of support for the Splash Pad CAT application.
Update:
To hear the full audio from the discussion, click here: Atlantic City Council – Splash Pad Fundraising Committee
