Kalona takes lead on trail grant application

The city of Kalona is taking the lead on securing funds for trails in the Southtown area of the city.

At Monday’s meeting, the City Council agreed to submit a grant application to pave more than two miles of trails in the new development.

The city is partnering with the Washington County Conservation Board (WCCB) to apply for the grant.

“We’re doing the grant application with us as the primary,” Kalona City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said. “This was the city’s formal action.”

“The Conservation Board has signed off on it, and the Board of Supervisors has given us a letter of support.”

Schlabaugh said that they are seeking $1.25 million to pave 2.25 miles of trails in the new development.

The grant would cover the cost of paving the trail from the trailhead off 133rd Street, south through existing timber to the former Shiloh church swimming area and looping back.

The grant would come from $5 million in federal CARES Act money that the state received earmarked for trail development.

“We haven’t asked for any financial support from anybody,” Schlabaugh said. “We’re using funds from the developer’s agreement for grading and other work. We’ll have a substantial amount of in-kind contribution to the project.”

Last week, Conservation Executive Director Zach Rozmus told the Board of Supervisors that receiving this grant would accelerate trail plans that are already in place.

“Part of our five-year plan was to have paved trails,” Rozmus said. “This could expedite that timeline.”

At the same meeting, Adam Kos of CJ Moyna and Sons, the developer of the Southtown area of Kalona, said the trails have always been part of the plan for the property.

“Pre-COVID, this was already in the plans,” Kos said. “We spent some time this fall carving out some of the trails.

“It makes the application more attractive because we already have the plans in place.”

Schlabaugh said that the state is looking at a “pretty quick turnaround” in awarding the trail grants.

“They want projects as close to shovel ready as possible,” he said.

The deadline to submit the grant application is May 17.

Schlabaugh said that the city would expect to receive a pre-award notification in about 60 days.