City finance approves resolution committing matching funds for grant

By Pamela Permar-Shierling

Yesterday, Monday, Sept. 28 the City of Brunswick Finance Committee approved a resolution committing the City to up to $750,000 in matching grant funds for a Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP) grant of $3 million.

The resolution will go to the full City Commission for approval.

As a continuation of the City of Brunswick’s efforts to manage stormwater on the south end of the city, a stormwater wetland has been designed as part of the Lanier-Glynn Middle School Flood Mitigation project.

The City’s Stormwater Master Plan, completed in 2020, identified and prioritized 15 flooding and storm drainage capital improvement projects throughout the city. The area around Glynn Middle School was listed at #6 on the final priority listing.

Two parcels on the west side of Lanier Boulevard between Glynn Middle School and Fourth Avenue once served as a site for an iron and metal recycling facility.

The facility moved several years ago and the site has remained vacant and undeveloped since. There was a recent attempt to rezone the property to develop a multi-family housing development, but the rezoning request was unsuccessful.

The City has worked closely with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources – Coastal Resources Division (CRD) and the Glynn County Board of Education in an effort to secure funding for improvements within this drainage basin which will help to reduce or mitigate the flooding concerns along Lanier Boulevard and the southern end of the city near Glynn Middle School.

CRD was recently awarded a grant from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) for the purchase of the property on Lanier Boulevard. Following the purchase, the property was deeded to the City. The grant included funding for the purchase of the property and full design and permitting of the stormwater improvements on the property.

Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) has completed the design of a constructed stormwater wetland on the property. This feature would provide storage capacity for stormwater runoff from the roadside ditches and other properties in the area.

The project design will also incorporate an accessible area for the GMS science classes to study ecosystems, habitats and other natural resources.

Finally, the project design will incorporate an access for the public to be able to use the improved property as a passive recreation area with boardwalks, walking trails and viewing areas.

The engineer’s opinion of probable cost for construction of the stormwater wetland is approximately $3 million.

The GOSP grant requires a 25% local match which can be met through cash or in-kind services. The funding application will include the full $3 million request. SPLOST – Storm Drainage funds will be used to provide the local matching funds up to $750,000 depending on the funding award.

In other business the committee authorized moving forward to the commission:

• repair of four windows in both City Hall and Old City Hall for $56,000 by Austin Historical. (SPLOST 2022 funds)

• HVAC repairs at the Roosevelt Harris Jr. Center – $34,800 (Air Adjusters) and Public Works – $9,240 (TLC) (SPLOST 2022).