Item:
Title
Environmental Enhancement Grant Memorandum of Understanding
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: December 12, 2022
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to authorize the Chair to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the North Carolina Attorney General's Office accepting the 2022 Environmental Enhancement Grant in the amount of $225,000 for the Neal Middle School Bioretention Project.
The North Carolina Department of Justice's Environmental Enhancement Grant program began after a 2000 agreement between the Attorney General's Office and Smithfield Foods. Under that agreement, Smithfield provides $2 million to the state every year to be distributed among environmental projects across North Carolina. Including the 2022 grants, the Attorney General Office's has awarded more than $41 million to more than 210 projects in the state.
County Stormwater is responsible for selecting and constructing water quality projects to meet the County's requirements under the Falls and Jordan Nutrient Management Strategies. Staff presented potential projects at the October 3, 2022 Work Session. The Neal Middle School project was selected as our first stormwater project to meet the Falls Rules' requirements and will provide both water quality improvements and an educational opportunity for students at the school. The total grant project cost is $450,000 and includes funds for construction of the bioretention pond and downstream channel stabilization, water quality sampling before and after installation, and curriculum development around water quality. The grant funds will be matched by $225,000 of Stormwater Utility Fee dollars. This grant amounts to an approximate savings of $200,000 towards the cost of the project and furthers our program's guiding principle of Efficiency.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This agenda item supports Goal 4: Environmental Stewardship and Community Prosperity.
Resource Persons: Ryan D. Eaves, PE, Stormwater...
Click here for full text