Commission Approves Additional Funding For Sokol Park Lighting Project

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa County Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved an additional allocation of federal aid money to cover a funding shortfall for the installation of new LED lighting at Sokol Park.

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Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Executive Director Gary Minor made the request of the county on Wednesday, with PARA facing a financial gap of approximately $333,000 on the project.

Once completed, the initiative will see new lights installed for six baseball/softball fields and one soccer field. Minor also said the new light poles would not be available until December, due to ongoing supply chain issues.

The Commission ultimately approved $183,295 in funding from the county's allocation of aid money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

District 1 Commissioner Stan Acker also pointed out that the City of Tuscaloosa had committed $150,000 toward the project as part of its fiscal year 2023 budget.

"I think [the funding shortfall] is just a symptom of rising costs that's engulfed us all," Acker commented.

As Patch previously reported, the County Commission approved $1.3 million in March to fund the new lighting upgrades after the lights were damaged in a storm, resulting in the entire system being shut down roughly five years ago.

The current defunct lighting system is roughly 30 years old, making repairs less practical than a wholesale replacement of the system with new-age LED lighting that PARA officials say would provide a better product and a worthwhile longterm investment.

"I think it’s important we get this done now," said District 3 Commissioner Mark Nelson. "The community has waited long enough for this to be repaired and fixed and to short-change this would have been a disservice to the community."

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