As Ted Kourousis, Northwest Iowa Planning and Development executive director, noted, "The deadline for the Federal Recreational Trails (Grant) looms Dec. 1." As such, the Clay County Board of Supervisors took action to approve the 20 percent match for the joint grant application between Clay County and the city of Spencer. As previously discussed, this grant would be used for a mile-long section of the Iowa Great Lakes Connection Trail, extending from West 10th Street in Spencer to County Road B17.

Kourousis plans to submit a total request from the county in the amount of $264,516, making the county's 20 percent contribution $66,129.

Kourousis also expanded on a funding choice made by the city.

"Their construction costs for their one-mile stretch that goes from the intersection of U.S. (Highway) 18 up to the corporate boundaries is $365,425. The city has done a fair share of match to this. They've kind of upped their match quite a bit. They're around 46 percent when they could be at 20 percent. The reason that we're doing that is to make this application competitive. If we went 80-20 with both entities, that'd put our application request at $565,000, and the lady at the state said they've never made it that large with this fund before," Kourousis said.

Kourousis went on to say that the city will be requesting $156,340, which will be matched by $73,000 in city funding. Between the two entities, the grant request will total $420,856.

Kourousis indicated that the city would be continuing with its own trail projects, which would essentially connect the 4.2 miles between West 10th Street and B17.

"At that time, we're going to be looking at other things. We've got $450,000 in local transportation alternatives program funding that we've had freed up from projects that didn't use it," Kourousis said. "We're looking to address that and hopefully get all the way up to Fostoria."

Kourousis said this could potentially leave only a half-mile to complete before meeting the Dickinson County line.

The board of supervisors considered where the county contribution would come from.

"If we would take it from property tax, the city residents would get hit with city property tax and county property tax. If we took it from local option sales tax, it wouldn't be either one," Supervisor Burlin Matthews said.