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Charlestown seeks federal earmarks for stormwater study, ADA access and Happy Retreat upgrades
Summary
Consultant Matt Ward urged Charlestown to prepare congressional earmark requests for a stormwater master plan, ADA/accessibility work and historic-site upgrades at Happy Retreat; council agreed to staff-led letters of support and a planned visit to D.C. to tailor requests to individual members of Congress.
Consultant Matt Ward told Charlestown City Council on April 7 that the town should prepare targeted congressional directed-spending requests as congressional offices finalize guidance for FY2026. Ward laid out three priority projects the town previously pursued: a stormwater master plan (about $360,000 pending last year), $135,000 for ADA accessibility and sidewalks, and a $250,000 West End Connector streetscape project. He said offices typically prioritize projects that were pending in prior years and urged the city to assemble project costs, potential local matches and letters of support before deadlines arrive.
Why it matters: Ward said federal community project funding often requires a local match and two letters of local support, and that “you want to prioritize and say, Congressman Riley Moore, this is what we really believe you could be the champion of.” He recommended staff coordinate with each congressional office to tailor requests and suggested a delegation visit to Washington to make the case in person.
Council members debated prioritization. Some members said stormwater should be top priority because of recurring flooding; Ward and staff advised submitting separate requests across funding categories (EPA, DOT, HUD) rather than combining asks that would compete within a single account. Ward also proposed folding an earlier $135,000 earmark for African American cemetery work into a broader ADA/accessibility request so design and engineering could cover multiple corridors.
On historic preservation, Ward described a proposed exterior upgrade at Happy Retreat estimated at $2.65 million and proposed a $100,000 passthrough to the Charles Washington office funded by the Friends of Happy Retreat. Council asked whether the city would carry liability for privately owned components; Ward said if the nonprofit is the grant recipient, “there would be no liability” for the city, but recommended an amended memorandum of understanding to clarify maintenance responsibilities.
The council voted to authorize staff to work with Ward and Sustainable Strategies to draft prioritized community project requests and letters of support for submission when deadlines are announced. Mayor Pearson and staff said they will coordinate a visit to D.C. and tailor letters to individual members of Congress.
