Board approves four DCR flood‑mitigation grants, including $946,000 for Richlands Elementary

The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors voted to approve four Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) flood‑mitigation grant agreements aimed at study and implementation work in the county.

Staff presented the agreements and said three of the four grants primarily require study work while one involves construction or implementation. The board approved a $257,000 grant for a downtown Bluefield flood study, a $194,000 countywide stream obstruction study, and a $946,000 implementation grant to carry out flood mitigation measures at Richlands Elementary School. The board also approved a grant for a Raven/Dorian Bottom Road study; that item was moved and seconded but the amount was not specified in the meeting transcript.

Staff said three study agreements will be performed by an engineering firm (RES) contracted in 2022 and that one project may require a separate bidding process because it involves implementation and construction. A county attorney and other staff reviewed the agreements; the language was described in the meeting record as substantially verbatim across projects with only project identifiers changed. The motions passed on voice votes.

Why it matters: the grants fund planning and construction activities meant to reduce flood risk to downtown Bluefield, school property and other county stream corridors; the largest single award, $946,000, is intended for on‑the‑ground mitigation at an elementary school.

What’s next: staff will complete required legal reviews and contractor procurement as laid out in the grant agreements; three of the projects are described as engineering studies, and one will proceed to implementation after the county completes bidding and contracting steps.

Sources: county meeting presentation of DCR grant agreements and subsequent voice votes.