Finance committee approves six resolutions; funds shifted to ADA ramps and contracts awarded for equipment, parks and infrastructure

The City of Charleston Finance Committee on April 7 approved six resolutions covering grant budget adjustments, equipment purchases and construction contracts.

Committee members voted by voice on each measure after brief staff presentations; all motions carried by voice vote with no recorded roll-call counts provided in the transcript.

The most immediate funding change was Resolution 25-28, which authorizes the finance director to amend Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) budgets from prior fiscal years to move contingency and a Recovery Point award into the fiscal 2024 CDBG budget to expand the city's ADA ramps program. Staff said the moved funds include leftover administrative contingencies from fiscal 2022 and 2023 and funds originally awarded to Recovery Point for a facility expansion that the vendor later declined; those funds were reallocated to ADA ramps. Committee discussion included a question about how many ramps could be completed; staff estimated ramp construction costs vary roughly $3,000–$5,000 per ramp but did not provide a total number of ramps expected to be completed with the transferred funds.

Resolution 25-29 authorizes the mayor and city manager to purchase a 2025 Ford F-450 from Nation Auto Fleet Group to tow a new Charleston Fire Department boat currently in production. Staff said the vehicle was budgeted this fiscal year and the purchase price came in under budget at just over $80,000 on a competitively sourced contract (staff said the budgeted amount was approximately $90,000). The fire boat delivery target is before the end of August; staff described procurement setbacks earlier in the boat purchase process but said they expect delivery this summer.

Resolution 25-30 awards a contract to Meadow Ridge Ranch Construction to replace the backstop netting at Gilmore Ballpark and extend protective netting along the first- and third-base foul lines to the end of the seated sections. The low bid reported by staff was $189,000 and the work will be funded from the stadium maintenance/capital improvements fund.

Resolution 25-31 approves a change order to the existing concrete paving contract with McClanahan Construction Company for stormwater installation and repair at the Ferry and Thayer Streets intersection. Staff said the change order adds $513,000 to address a stormwater system at the bottom of the South Side bridge ramp where recurring pooling has been observed; the city street department will purchase pipe and aggregate materials and McClanahan will complete the work and paving in the upcoming paving cycle.

Resolution 25-32 authorizes the mayor and city manager to contract with Davie Resource Group Incorporated for the first two phases of a citywide tree inventory, with an initial fee for phases one and two set at $97,470 and authorization to proceed up to $150,000 more for additional phases contingent on grant funding. Staff and municipal commission representatives described a multi-phase, GIS-based inventory of trees in the public right of way; several council members asked whether the database would be public, how state-owned road corridors would be handled, how removal or emergency response would be prioritized and whether the city can export the data after a three-year software subscription term. Staff said the first $50,000 tranche of grant funding will be finalized pending council approval and that the data belong to the city and can be exported.

Resolution 25-33 awards Paxton Construction Company Incorporated a contract to install two retaining walls at Gordon Drive and Mayflower Drive. Staff reported the low bid of $197,435 for pile-and-lagging retaining walls selected through competitive bid.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 25-28 (CDBG budget amendment; move prior-year contingencies and Recovery Point award into 2024 CDBG to support ADA ramps): Motion moved and passed by voice vote; vote counts not specified in transcript. - Resolution 25-29 (Purchase 2025 Ford F-450 from Nation Auto Fleet Group for Charleston Fire Department to tow new fire boat): Motion moved and passed by voice vote; purchase price reported at just over $80,000 (budgeted ~ $90,000). - Resolution 25-30 (Contract with Meadow Ridge Ranch Construction for Gilmore Ballpark backstop/foul-line netting): Motion moved and passed by voice vote; low bid reported at $189,000. - Resolution 25-31 (Change order with McClanahan Construction Company for stormwater installation at Ferry & Thayer): Motion moved and passed by voice vote; additional funding $513,000. - Resolution 25-32 (Contract with Davie Resource Group Inc. for city tree inventory phases 1–2, initial fee $97,470; up to $150,000 more contingent on grants): Motion moved and passed by voice vote; grant funding awarded in $50,000 tranches per staff. - Resolution 25-33 (Contract with Paxton Construction Co. Inc. for two retaining walls at Gordon Drive and Mayflower Drive): Motion moved and passed by voice vote; low bid $197,435.

Why it matters Together these measures fund street and drainage fixes, park safety improvements, municipal asset inventories and equipment that the city says will support public safety and capital maintenance work in the coming year. The tree inventory resolution triggered extended discussion about how city resources and grant funds will be used to prioritize hazardous removals and planting.

What the committee said Staff presenters described the CDBG amendment as a reallocation of unused contingency and a Recovery Point award to accelerate ADA ramp work. For the fire department purchase staff noted the truck purchase was budgeted and came in under the budgeted amount. For the paving change order staff said the work addresses a long-standing pooling problem near the South Side bridge ramp and will be coordinated with the upcoming paving cycle. For the tree inventory staff and commission members explained the inventory will create a searchable GIS database of right-of-way trees, can be made partially public at city discretion, and will be used for risk management, maintenance planning and future budget requests.

Next steps Most contracts and purchases will proceed under awarded agreements; the tree inventory contract requires execution and is contingent on the first grant tranche being finalized.