Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arpa Budget Amendment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Beaufort council approves FY2025 ARPA budget amendment, staff outlines project contracts and cost pressures
Summary
The Beaufort City Council on Dec. 19 approved a second-reading ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 budget to obligate remaining ARPA capital-project funds. City staff reported contracts and contracts-awards for multiple projects and warned Duke Street work has come in over budget; staff will use available ARPA interest and unobligated balances to cover shortfalls.
BEAUFORT, S.C. — The Beaufort City Council approved a second-reading ordinance Dec. 19 amending the fiscal year 2025 budget to obligate remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for capital projects, and city staff outlined the status and contractors for several ARPA-funded projects.
City staff provided the council with a list of active ARPA projects and recent contract actions, saying the city has approved a contract for window replacement and repairs, has an Arsenal wall restoration design underway, and has executed a memorandum of understanding with Beaufort County for Battery Shores paving scheduled for January. "The Carnegie Library roof and repairs and restorations have also gone under contract, with Luna Roofing, so we are expecting that to get started as soon as the materials arrive," the staff presenter said.
Staff also reported that the Pigeon Point Landing first-phase contract with Quinn Marine covers parking, a boat ramp and floats, and that the Pigeon Point playground contract with Cunningham Playgrounds is expected to start after the new year. Engineering plans for a waterfront park relieving platform are under contract with Mac Sweeney, while Otter Circle drainage plans are being prepared and will go out for bid; bids for that drainage work were noted as due Friday the 20th.
Council members pressed for cost details on larger projects. "It was over a million for Duke Street," one council member said after reviewing the Streetscape estimate. City staff and another council member identified ARPA interest earnings — described in the meeting as approximately $550,000 — as a source the city can carry forward and apply, noting the original budgeted amount for Duke Street was $600,000 and that interest earnings did not need to be obligated by Dec. 31.
A council member summarized the budget amendment’s purpose: to appropriate about $243,000 in remaining unobligated ARPA balance by year-end so the city would not return money to the U.S. Treasury. The presiding official called the question on the ordinance and the council approved the second reading by voice vote.
The meeting record shows some cost estimates remain pending: staff said Battery Shores stormwater numbers were not yet available and that final Duke Street costs await utility coordination and final DOT approvals. The council did not vote on individual project contracts at the meeting beyond acknowledging the project updates and approving the budget amendment to obligate the remaining ARPA funds.
The council opened and closed the meeting with the customary invocation and pledge, accepted the agenda by motion at the start of the meeting and adjourned after about a dozen minutes.
