10 August 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CITY OF SOUTHPORT
CITY OF SOUTHPORT AWARDED $250,000 IN GOLDEN LEAF FOUNDATION FUNDING
Southport, NC – On August 3, 2023, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $1,158,333 to support five projects through the Open Grants Program, $3,150,518 in funding for 10 projects through the Flood Mitigation Program, and $2,778,721 in funding for 24 projects through the Food Distribution Assistance Program.
Of the 10 projects funded through the Flood Mitigation Program, the City of Southport was awarded $250,000 to perform a city-wide asset inventory and assessment of the condition of the stormwater system, mapping of the system, and modeling to support development of a capital improvement plan to reduce flooding throughout the town.
“The Golden LEAF Foundation was entrusted by the N.C. General Assembly to administer a program for local governments working to mitigate flooding in their community,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “We are pleased to support the City of Southport’s efforts to alleviate flooding by funding the necessary components for a stormwater plan.”
On receiving notification of the award, City Engineer Tom Zilinek states, “We are excited and grateful for this funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation. This will help Southport make educated decisions to alleviate flooding economically and expeditiously in the City.”
City Manager Bonnie Therrien also notes that “This project is a high priority for the citizens and Board of Aldermen of Southport. The Board, as a part of the Budget Adoption process, set aside $250,000 in the City budget to start a Master Plan of Stormwater issues around the City. This has needed to be done for many years. Now that we also have this grant, then we will not only be able to develop our plan but start implementing this program to help with stormwater issues throughout Southport. A big shout out to City Engineer Tom Zilinek who worked very hard in getting this grant for the City. I also want to thank the Golden LEAF Foundation for recognizing the great need we have for this study and allowing us to double our funding.”
Flooding has become a common occurrence in Southport. This is due to the lack of stormwater control measures in place, an aging existing stormwater system that is both undersized and deteriorating, and the minimal elevation change to convey water to an ultimate discharge point. The Stormwater Planning study will evaluate projects with the main purpose to address and reduce flooding. The projects will evaluate the capacity increase and efficiency of the system. Projects that have the most benefit to the vulnerability of future conditions will have higher priority. These projects will then be placed into the City’s Capital Improvement Plan.
The following will be conducted throughout the planning study and prepared for the City of Southport:
Surveying/Mapping of Entire System:
As a first step, the City will complete a full inventory of the stormwater system surveying the system components, to be incorporated into the City’s GIS. This survey will include location, pipe size, basin type, and material. It will also evaluate conditions such as collapsed pipe, debris clogging the basins/pipe, and root intrusion. Given that majority of the system is decades old, the condition needs to be assessed to determine if it remains viable. Elements that are no longer viable can fail or cause significant reduction in capacity. This ultimately leads to street flooding or worse, making conditions unsafe for residents.
Modeling and System Evaluation:
This information gathered will be vital in assessing the system through modeling efforts and ultimately determining solutions to address system issues. Similarly due to the system age, some portions may be undersized and not able to handle the typical storm event due to different design standards and increased rainfall intensities. In this situation many of the same safety issues caused by deteriorated facilities will be realized. Deficient portions of the system need to be evaluated to determine if pipe sizes are adequate and if not, what sizes are needed by today’s standards.
Preparing an Engineering Report/Capital Improvement Plan:
This information will be used to develop a Capital Improvement Plan to help guide City decision on improvements and understand the costs involved. It will also analyze which areas are the most critical priority and present a phased approach, if required. A capital improvement plan will give the City a guide on how to approach and budget for improvements that will be needed.
ChyAnn Ketchum
Communications/Public Information Officer
Department of Community Relations
[email protected]
O: (910) 457-7927 ext. 1040
C: (910) 267-7300
###
