Staff recommends City Council accept the grant donation for a value-in-kind of $100,000 awarded to the Billings Skatepark Committee for lighting improvements at the Skate Park.

The Billings Skatepark Committee (BSC) is a group organized to promote improvements to the Skate Park and increase activity at the park.  They have organized events and training sessions for local skaters to help encourage more people to utilize the park and increase positive activities there.  One of the improvements is to apply CPTED principles and use lighting to illuminate the park and skateboarding areas.  BSC has been awarded a value-in-kind grant from Musco Sports Lighting from the National Recreation and Park Association to install such lights at the Skate Park.  The lights are an important part of the overall plan to improve safety in the park and increase positive activities, as well as make the park more visible for the Police Department to patrol.

Billings Skatepark Committee, City of Billings, PRPL, users of the Skate Park

City Council may:

• Approve; or,
• Not Approve and lights will not be installed at the Skate Park.

There are no City funds used for accepting the grant.  The Billings Skatepark Committee has been awarded the grant to cover the purchase and installation costs for lights at the Skate Park.  There will be a cost to the City for electricity usage of approximately $3-5K annually, which will be paid from PRPL's annual operating budget.  PRPL anticipates the reduction in vandalism repair, graffiti removal, litter removal, and restroom building maintenance will offset the additional electricity costs.