MOUND, Minn. — The Mound City Council on Tuesday voted to allow a volunteer-led planting and stormwater project at Edgewater Park to proceed using a county grant and a small city commitment, after residents and commissioners debated whether the park should remain under city ownership.

The project manager, Tyler Piper, told council members he has already begun coordinating planting orders and volunteer labor and asked the council to remove Edgewater from a list of parks the city is considering selling. "I'm not begging, but asking you to help me move forward with this so I can make the community better," Piper said during public comment.

Why it matters: Council members said they were sympathetic to Piper's effort and to the goals of repurposing underused parkland. But several raised fiscal and legal questions about whether accepting the grant — and the multi-year maintenance commitments the grant carries — would constrain future city decisions if the city later decided to sell the parcel.

Council discussion and outcome: Council reviewed the grant application and related county documents, and debated whether the city could accept the grant while the park remained on the sale/consolidation list. The council heard that the grant package is relatively small — Piper said the total grant is about $7,000 with a city commitment of about $1,500 — but that it requires a multi-year maintenance commitment and the county requires recordkeeping and access for six years.

After discussion the council voted in favor of proceeding with the grant. The council approved a motion to proceed with the Edgewater grant by voice vote; the motion carried.

Details and next steps: Piper said the grant work would be volunteer- and manager-led, and that planting and other activities are timed. He said he has discussed the project with the county grant manager but had not yet received a firm answer about whether the grant could be moved to another park if necessary. Council members asked staff to confirm the county's timelines and the city attorney to review the legal obligations in the grant agreement before the city signs any contract. The council's vote authorizes staff to proceed; the city will complete a legal review and finalize execution steps before reimbursements begin.

Community context: The Edgewater item came after a parks workshop where councilors discussed the future of multiple small parks as they balance long-term maintenance costs and capital needs across the system. Several council members expressed concern about setting precedent if the city accepted grants that require long maintenance commitments while parks remain under consideration for sale.

Looking ahead: Staff said they will return with the final paperwork and a summary of any legal or fiscal obligations tied to the grant. Piper and his volunteer group said they plan fall plantings if the city finalizes acceptance.