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County staff cite paused grants and call for county budget support to sustain outreach and weatherization work
Summary
Charleston County staff reported about $8.3 million in potential grants (some paused) and urged the advisory committee to help prioritize strategies and identify local funding to keep projects such as weatherization and community education moving.
Charleston County staff told the advisory committee they had identified about $8.3 million in potential grant funding supporting resilience and climate projects, but several federal grants were paused, prompting a request for county budget support to maintain momentum.
“Currently right now for, I I guess, until the end of this fiscal year, we have about $8,300,000 potentially in grants,” Molly Cajano said while reviewing a grants slide. Cajano and other staff flagged two paused awards from the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy among the funding items.
Walt Smalls, deputy county administrator, and committee members discussed a paused weatherization and audit grant that staff said had been awarded but placed on hold by a federal funding freeze. Smalls referenced an award figure in the neighborhood of $75,000 tied to outreach and weatherization audits and guidance; staff said the project relied on partner organizations such as Palmetto CAP and that the pause prevented contract finalization.
Committee members urged staff to identify which of the Climate Action Plan’s 53 strategies could be advanced without additional county funding (through regulatory tools, incentives, or partner efforts) and which would require a county budget allocation. Members suggested the advisory group compile a prioritized list that staff could use in budget discussions and recommended interim working sessions to target near-term “easy wins,” such as development incentives or density overlays that do not require large capital outlays.
Staff outlined outreach plans including composting workshops and community education about resilience and the Climate Action Plan. Committee members recommended posting a simple, interactive calendar and a single-page outreach summary online to recruit partners and community groups.
Ending: Staff asked the committee members to do homework—review the 53 strategies, indicate where they can assist, and return at a late‑April meeting with prioritized recommendations for the county budget process.
