By VICKI BROWN
vbrown@lowcountry.com
The Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary is in need of major repair work, and the Walterboro City Council has made plans to find ways to pay for the upgrades.
City officials plan to submit a grant application to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s Undiscovered Grant program in the amount of $200,000.00 that will help replace and refurbish boardwalks in the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary.
Additionally, council voted to commit $1.5 million toward the project.
The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism is offering grant opportunities through the Undiscovered SC Grant program to “promote assets, including both cultural and natural tourism attractions,” according to the grant application. As a part of this program, the City of Walterboro will be submitting a grant application in the amount of $200,000.00 to replace and rehabilitate the boardwalks in the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary.
To participate in the Undiscovered SC Grant Program, city council must also commit city funds toward the project. Therefore, during their Dec. 7th council meeting, council members voted the endorse the boardwalk renovation project and to also commit $1.5 million toward the project.
The $1.5 million in funding is coming from the Series 2022 Hospitality and Accommodations Fee Improvement and Refunding Revenue Bond.
But these funds will not completely cover expenses related to the repairs.
Council also discussed approving $4 million that would cover the remaining boardwalk repairs in the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS).
According to city officials, time, the environment, the weather, and major storms have taken their toll on the boardwalks throughout the sanctuary. Council voted to consider the “2022 Series Ordinance" to fund the repairs.
The ordinance provides for the issuance and sale of a $4 million hospitality and accommodations fee improvement and refunding revenue bond, series 2022 of the city of Walterboro, and providing for the issuance of bond anticipation notes.
According to council members, tourism is an effective way of redistributing wealth in a community, and the Wildlife Sanctuary brings in tourists from all over the country. They shop, dine and stay in local hotels, bringing in revenue.
Previously, the council enacted an Amended and Restated General Bond Ordinance (the “Bond Ordinance") on June 5, 2018, providing for the issuance of Hospitality and Accommodations Fee Revenue Bonds. City Council has now determined that it is in the best interest of the city to finance the costs of reconstruction and rehabilitation to the City’s Wildlife Sanctuary, which constitutes both a “tourism-related cultural and recreational facility” as provided in the Accommodations Fee Act and the Hospitality Fee Act.
“In the simplest terms, the City will be borrowing money to make improvements in the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary to include replacing and rehabilitating the boardwalks.
“The debt will be paid over a period of 10 years from local hospitality tax revenue and local accommodations tax revenue,” said Jeff Molinari, city manager.
The public has a right to a hearing regarding this bond; therefore, the City Council will hold a public hearing in its chambers on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 6:15 p.m.
The public hearing will occur during the City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting.
