.tif.jpg)
Manning City Council took the next steps Tuesday toward construction of a new well on Dinkins Street, committing local funding and accepting a $1.62 million Community Development Block Grant for the project.
Council met in a special called meeting Sept. 1 to consider three items related to the Dinkins Street Well Project: committing the city's required local match, authorizing Mayor Julia Nelson to sign the grant award and contracting with the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments to administer the grant.
City Administrator Scott Tanner initially told council the local match would be approximately $183,000 before the amount was corrected during the meeting. Council unanimously approved committing approximately $214,000 toward the project.
The $1,620,508 grant was awarded July 13, according to correspondence from Esmonde Levy, government services director for Santee-Lynches. The overall project is estimated at $1,834,532, including engineering, permit application fees, construction and grant administration.
The city plans to construct the well at 215 Dinkins St. to primarily serve the northwest area of Manning and address aging groundwater supply capabilities as the city works to meet current water demands.
Plans call for a 12-inch well drilled approximately 660 feet deep with a targeted production rate of 800 gallons per minute. The well would connect to the city's existing 10-inch water main along Dinkins Street. The city already owns the property, and the project is expected to be completed within two years, according to information Levy provided.
The grant follows the community needs assessment process conducted earlier this year as part of CDBG requirements. The process is intended to gather feedback from residents, local officials and other stakeholders before projects are developed for federal funding. Manning's 2026 needs assessment identified economic development, elimination of slum and blight and community services as its three highest overall priorities.
The assessment process also considers infrastructure needs as officials determine which projects are eligible for available grant programs.
Council also authorized Nelson to sign the grant award and enter into a contract with Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments for technical and professional services associated with administering the grant.
Tanner said contracting with Santee-Lynches to administer the grant is a CDBG requirement. The contract is for approximately $50,000.
Santee-Lynches will handle the day-to-day grant management associated with the project, while engineering work will include detailed design, construction drawings, technical specifications and regulatory permit applications.
All three grant-related actions passed without opposition Tuesday.
