SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Officials in the Town of Surfside Beach say there isn’t enough money to deal with the town’s flooding and drainage issues.
There are six major upcoming or on-going stormwater projects which need funding. Those projects and their costs are:
Phase II North Side Drainage Project: $900,000
Myrtle Swash Northern Bulkhead (underway now): $200,000
Floral Swash Bulkheads: $350,000
Dogwood Swash Bridge Replacement: $450,000
Myrtle Swash, Bridge replacement and west-side swash permitting and re-engineering: $550,000
Elimination of discharge into Garden City in the Melody Basin: $1,000,000
The total cost for the projects is $3,450,000. The town already uses part of property taxes to pay for stormwater projects, but officials say that money isn’t enough to cover the large price tag.
“We have many priorities that we need to do with our infrastructure and stormwater,” said Councilman Ron Ott. “They should’ve been done years ago. Now we can’t hand it off anymore. We must address these problems.”
A proposal discussed on Monday night would create a monthly fee to bring in more money. Someone who owns at single-family home would pay around $5.50 per month.
Most residents at the public workshop said they do not agree with the fee, and many council members agreed.
“What we don’t want to do is raise taxes,” added Ott. “We want to look into the possibility of getting some grants, maybe some low-interest loans and bonds. And lastly what we’re looking at is adding a storm water fee to the utilities. We’re the only area that doesn’t have a utility fee.”
Many council members said they need to re-evaluate how much these major projects will cost before making any final decisions.
