Beaufort County to help Washington Harbor District apply for state preservation grant

Beaufort County commissioners agreed at a special-call meeting to let county staff assist the Washington Harbor District Alliance in submitting an application to the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.

County manager Brian told the board the Harbor District previously received funds to install sprinklers, HVAC and work on a commercial kitchen, and that the district wants to reapply for funding to finish the upstairs commercial kitchen. “The grant’s actually due tomorrow,” Brian said. He added that Michelle Rose is writing the application and the county will submit it on the Harbor District’s behalf; “there’s no county money involved,” he said.

The board’s approval authorizes staff to work through the application process and to sign the necessary documents later if the project is awarded funds. Brian said the Harbor District applied previously for roughly $230,000 and received about $100,000; he did not specify how much the new application requests. He also said the earlier grant had been closed out after a recent inspection by Mr. Woodward.

Supporters said the earlier award funded building upgrades that have already been installed; county staff and the Harbor District Alliance will manage any new award the same way. John Jessel, identified in the meeting as the Washington Harbor District Alliance interim director, had asked county staff to assist because applicants who previously received the grant are viewed favorably by the funder.

Commissioners voted by voice to authorize county staff to assist with and submit the application on the Harbor District’s behalf. The vote was taken by a raised-hand voice count; no roll-call tally was read into the record.