The Live Oak Economic Development Corporation, or EDC, has submitted over $2.4 million in expenditures for a variety of endeavors, mainly concentrated at the Main City Park at 18001 Park Drive.

At the Sept. 30 meeting of Live Oak City Council, the dais approved nine resolutions to authorize Live Oak EDC expenditures related to city parks, with three other resolution items approved on Oct. 14.

Zooming in

Eight items going toward the Main City Park, and another going toward the city's Municipal Pool, were approved on Sept. 30, totaling $1,854,121. The expenditures were budgeted in the 2025-26 fiscal year Economic Development Fund.

According to the city’s adopted FY 2025-26 budget, projects were identified by the city’s Parks Commission after the creation of a city Parks Master Plan.

"This is something we do every year, we fund some kind of quality of life projects, and we just had this master park plan completed ... [we felt] we could help out in a big way, that way," Donna Lowder, Live Oak economic development director, told Community Impact.

The largest expenditure is $522,690, going toward the basketball pavilion and court at the park.

Lowder said the funds would go toward a new, covered court to protect the court from weather elements. She said the city is attempting to secure grant funding for the project, but if it is not procured, the expenditure would be fully covered by the EDC. Other expenditures include $405,900 toward Erosion-Beautification Design and $131,800 toward park picnic stations.

What else?

According to agenda documents, the three EDC resolutions that were approved on Oct. 14 were:

• An expenditure of $300,000 to purchase water rights for future business development
• An expenditure of $150,000 for the Business Improvement Grant for the promotion of new or expanded business and economic development
• An expenditure of $100,000 for the Visual Improvement Program for the promotion of new or expanded business and economic development

Lowder said water rights are strictly for commercial development and are an incentive so that developers do not have to face overhead costs. She said the city now has $900,000 in its reserves.

The Business Improvement Grant, Lowder said, is budgeted up to $50,000 for up to three businesses each year for larger building-related projects, reimbursed by the city after completion. In FY 2024-25, Perilous Times Restoration and The Forum at Olympia Parkway were selected for the grant. The Visual Improvement Grant is for business exterior improvements up to $5,000.

According to the resolutions to pass the expenditures, the funding can be used after Dec. 2.