Ways and Means committee approves $11.7M pump-station budget, $5M drainage award and multiple grants and contracts

The City of Charleston Committee on Ways and Means voted on April 15 to approve an $11.7 million project budget for the MUSC Courtney Street pump station and to execute a $5 million resiliency award agreement for the Cooper Jackson drainage improvement project, along with several other grants, contracts and budget actions.

The committee’s most substantial vote raised the pump-station project budget to $11,700,000 and increased the city’s commitment under an existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers design and construction agreement from $1,000,000 to $8,100,000 — an additional $7,100,000 in city funds — while the Army Corps’ pledge would rise from $3,000,000 to $4,000,000. The chair described the item as “a crazy project” and noted the pump station’s location behind the hospital district. Funding sources cited included the city’s drainage fund and the stormwater utility fund.

The committee also approved executing a South Carolina Office Resiliency Reserve Fund award agreement for $5,000,000 toward the Cooper Jackson drainage improvement project. The committee-recorded estimated city contribution for that project is $1,000,000 to be drawn from Cooper River TIF funds; the award had been previously approved by Public Works.

Other approvals included an after-the-fact HUD CDBG MIT grant application requesting $4,600,000 to acquire and demolish structurally at-risk residential properties in West Ashley through a voluntary buyout program (no city match required); acceptance of an unsolicited $60,000 Bloomberg award to fund an additional Love Your Block fellow; an after-the-fact application for $1,122,000 in School Resource Officer grant funding to continue four existing and to fund four new SRO positions (no match required); and a $175,000 addendum to the procurement contract with Bonafide Productions to expand the scope of the “Recovery is a Reality” PSA campaign, funded by the SCORF grant.

The committee voted to approve a change order extending the McGee Ratcliffe design-build contract for temporary Fire Station 23 residences by 60 days, and approved the construction contract for Fire Station 18 on Daniel Island, which obligates $984,000 of the project’s $1.2 million budget from the general fund. The committee also approved substantial playground equipment for Brittlebank Park and an after-the-fact $10,000 grant application to Lowe’s Hometown for Keep Charleston Beautiful projects in the Westchester neighborhood on James Island.

On the meeting’s fourth agenda item, a council member moved to defer consideration of an executive special adviser contract pending a more detailed breakdown of expenses to date, anticipated future expenses and the specific funding sources. That mover praised the consultant firm, saying “Sartile and Steel has been a great help to the city on … a very large number of capital projects,” but said more documentation is needed before the committee acts. The committee voted to defer the item for follow-up at a future Ways and Means meeting.

All recorded motions on the agenda carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition; the chair repeatedly announced "the ayes have it" after the committee’s roll calls.

The committee’s real estate report, presented by Chairman Tinkler, was adopted; Tinkler said several items had passed first reading and additional memos on budget and finance would be available before second reading. The chair adjourned the meeting by acclamation.

Actions at the meeting covered grant submissions, contract approvals and project budget increases; several items were described as "after-the-fact" submissions that had already been filed with grantors. No formal dissenting votes were recorded in the committee transcript.