Needs assessments identified

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The Community and Economic Development Department (C&ED) presented the results of the Needs Assessment at the Colleton County Council meeting last week.

The C&ED meets at least annually with staff and the community in a formal public hearing process to prioritize community and economic development needs for member governments, which results in a list of projects that a community wants to pursue.

The needs of the community are then matched to the grant funding available.

Colleton County and Walterboro were held last week. Williams is scheduled for February 5. Smoaks and Cottageville dates have not yet been confirmed.

Each community discusses and decides on its needs in the community, and the C&ED Department matches the needs with the funding available through grant programs. Some common community needs include the following:

Housing

Infrastructure (water, sewer, drainage, roads)

Public Facilities (library, workforce, recreation, greenway)

Public Safety (fire, law enforcement, medical)

Economic development

Workforce development

Neighborhood revitalization

Downtown revitalization

Local governments are allowed only three open grants at a time. For Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), a 10 percent match must be met.

Walterboro latest CDBG projects are:

1) Gadsden Loop Neighborhood Revitalization (awarded November 2016); Old High School Football Stadium Demolition (awarded December 2018); and East Side Water Upgrades (awarded June 2019, with City of Walterboro).

The Venture Park and Commerce Park grants are funded through different sources.