Washington is seeking $26,000 to help build a kayak/canoe launching area at the Havens Gardens boat ramp.

During its July 13 meeting, the Washington City Council authorized the city’s recreation manager to apply for a Recreational Trails Program pre-application grant. The launching area would provide access to the Tar-Pamlico Blue Trail and connect two existing kayak/canoe trails. If awarded, the city must provide a 25-percent match, either with money or in-kind work and/or material.

If the pre-grant application is approved, the city would be invited to complete and submit a full application. Grants would be awarded in December, according to a memorandum from Kristi Roberson, the city’s parks and recreation manager, to the mayor and council.

“The Recreation Department has been working diligently with Sound Rivers Inc., formally PTRF, the (Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce Foundation), and the Tourism Development Authority. We have applied for this grant and similar funding sources,” reads the memorandum. “The project is ready to build and we already have the (Coastal Area Management Act) permit for this project.”

Previously, the city sought up to $10,000 funding from the Adopt-A-Trails grant program to build a kayak launch at the Havens Gardens site, and it was approved to receive a grant for that project. Before the city received the funds, those funds were no longer made available through the program to complete that project and other projects the grant program had approved for funding.

The foundation is working with the city’s parks and recreation division and other organizations such as the Blue Trail project to move forward with building the kayak launch. The boat ramps were renovated by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission several years ago.

Another memorandum, written earlier this year, indicated the foundation is seeking funds for the project from the Jonathan Havens Charitable Trust.

In other business, the council approved spending $148,066 for a new EMS truck from Select Custom Apparatus by way of a piggyback purchase through the Florida Sheriffs’ Association. This purchase uses the same method and vendor used to by the replacement vehicle for another city EMS vehicle.