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ALTON – Alton is officially applying for grant funds from Madison County as the city seeks to update its Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan.
City Council members gave final approval on Wednesday for the city to apply for a grant under the Metro East Parks and Recreation District’s (MEPRD) Community Planning Grant program.
If approved, the grant could cover up to 40% of the cost to update the city’s current parks plan, which was prepared in 2012 by Heartlands Conservancy. The resolution states the 13-year-old plan is now “outdated and in need of replacement.” Alton would agree to contribute at least 60% of any awarded amount in local matching funds towards the new plan, which will also be prepared by Heartlands Conservancy.
At Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Alderwoman Rosetta Brown suggested city officials gather feedback from community members about improvements they’d like to see in their local parks. Stakeholder meetings and other forms of public feedback will reportedly be major parts of the planning process as the city develops a new parks plan.
Brown spoke at Wednesday’s City Council meeting in support of the city moving forward with the MEPRD grant application, noting how frequently the city’s parks are used by local families and the important role they play in shaping neighborhood and community identity.
A full recording of the Oct. 8, 2025 Alton City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
