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Public commenters ask city help for arboretum projects and report community‑aid results
Summary
Representatives of a local community arboretum and a community resource center addressed council during public comment asking for grant‑coordination help and reporting distribution of groceries, diapers and toys funded in part by a city grant.
Two speakers during the Jan. 9 public‑comment period urged the city to support community programs: a representative of the Mix and Assembly Association described its accredited public community arboretum and asked for help identifying city grant funding, and a Community Resource Center leader reported distribution figures tied to prior city funding.
Trevor Abman, identifying himself as a founder and director of Mix and Assembly Association and a North Charleston resident, said his community governs roughly 31 acres and about 10 acres are dedicated to preservation spaces, parks and gardens. He said the association recently earned a level‑1 arboretum certification and described efforts to reintroduce species such as the American elm and American chestnut. He asked the council to provide access to the city grant coordinator to help identify funding for projects.
Louis Smith told the council that the Community Resource Center received $100,000 from the city to address gun violence and community needs, and he reported results: more than $1,000,000 in groceries distributed (the food bank reported 800,000 pounds), 250,000 diapers distributed, and 10,000 toys given to Lowcountry children with 35.5 percent allocated to North Charleston. Smith attributed that work in part to city funding and thanked the council.
A member of city staff directed the grant coordinator (named Dallas in the transcript) to follow up with Mix and Assembly.
