Charleston’s rain garden program to continue

If you blinked a few times on April 9, you might have missed the part of the Charleston City Council meeting in which the city clarified how its rain garden water sequestration program isn’t dead.

“It will be expanded, and the (city’s) resiliency office had already developed a plan for improving the program, such as targeting and concentrating rain gardens in different neighborhoods as well as trying to pull into the mix lower-income neighborhoods,” Councilman William Dudley Gregorie said today.

“In time, it will be bigger and better than it is now with a search for increased funding. I went to Amsterdam. I was a part of that Dutch Dialogues. I know how important rain gardens were in the Netherlands because every drop counts.”

The city estimates that the program diverts 820,000 gallons of water per year away from public infrastructure.

So what happened? A communication breakdown, according to Gregorie.

“I think there was a communication glitch, and when the administration talked about cutting funding, I did not look at that as killing the program because killing the program would require council approval.”

How did we get here?

Earlier this month, media outlets reported the city would cut the $10,000 a year program that awards $200 grants to 50 people for installation of rain gardens to sequester water on private property to help control flooding.

“The intent of this program is admirable, but using public funds for private gain is something governments should try to avoid if possible,” Logan McVey, the Cogswell Administration’s chief policy officer said in a statement reported April 1. “Making improvements to private properties with little oversight is not a good use of the city’s finite resources.”

But just a few days later — and after a blistering City Paper editorial calling for the rain garden program to be expanded — came a mea culpa from Charleston Mayor William Cogswell during the council meeting.

Cogswell recognized Gregorie about 30 minutes into the meeting. Gregorie then noted he and Cogswell had extensive discussions about rain gardens.

“I think it’s simply a matter of our looking at our policy and seeing whether or not that policy is interpreted appropriately,” he told council members. “And the mayor has already guaranteed to me (that) once that is done, the rain garden program will continue. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.”

Cogswell replied, “Thank you, Councilman Gregorie, and I appreciate your education for me on this program and thanks for your leadership.”

And that was that.

How it works

In 2023, the city and Charleston County each contributed $5,000 to a new rain garden program. This year, the city boosted its contribution to $7,500 and the county is expected to do the same in its budget, which is currently being debated.

According to the city’s published program, grantees must undergo two hours of training so they can design and install the best rain garden possible. Grantees buy their own supplies and the $200 grant was to “be deducted when you purchase native plants and supplies at a designated location.”

Grantees then had six weeks to design, buy supplies and install the rain garden. They then were to report efforts to the city by sharing pictures, dimensions and more via an online form.