The Austin City Council accepted a $425,000 donation from the Hormel Foundation during its regular meeting on Monday.

The council was asked to review and prioritize nine grant applications in August. City Administrative Services Director Tom Dankert said the Hormel Foundation would evaluate how the council ranked the applications.

The Hormel Foundation approved seven grant applications in the following amounts:

• Pickleball Courts – $38,500

The funds will be used for the addition of six pickleball courts in Rotary Park. Pickleball players currently use tennis courts at Neveln Elementary to play.

The total is one-third of the initial request of the initial request for $115,000. Dankert said the remaining two-thirds is expected to be raised by those involved in pickleball.

• Riverside Arena Boiler Replacement – $50,000

Funds will be used to replace the Riverside Arena boiler, which is original to the building’s construction in 1972.

• Library Hotspot Data Plans – $45,000

The funds will be used to expand the Austin Public Library’s internet hotspot program, which allows library patrons to check out hotspots for internet access beyond the hours and location of the library.

• Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Master Plan for Regional Significance – $45,000

The funds will be used to develop the Nature Center’s master plan to achieve regional significance classification from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trail Commission. The classification would allow the city to annually apply for facility, trail and habitat maintenance/improvement project funding from the Minnesota Clean Water and Land Legacy Amendment funds.

• Poured-in-Place Surface for an Existing Playground – $45,000

The funds will be used to replace the wood fiber surface of a playground at Todd Park with a poured in place material. The current surface shifts and material must be added annually.

• Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Education Programs – $40,000

The funds will provide financial support for Mower County students, non-profit and public, to attend the Nature Center’s environmental education and outdoor education programs. The funds will account for nine percent of the Nature Center’s 2019 budget.

• Fire Prevention and Education – $5,000

The funds will be used to provide free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and batteries to Austin homeowners as well as teach fire safety awareness and home prevention education to first and fourth grade students.

The Hormel Foundation also provided $36,500 for quality of life costs and $120,000 for Riverside Arena upgrades, which was the second donation part of a two-year agreement.

The council’s highest prioritized grant application, $300,000 for targeted area redevelopment was not funded. The funds were requested for a project to redevelop areas through the voluntary acquisition of blighted properties; however, Dankert said there was not enough cash for all grants to be funded, thus the targeted area redevelopment application did not receive any money.