During its meeting today, the City Council will consider authorizing the city manager to sign the Historic Preservation Commission’s application for grant funds to update the walking- tour book and related brochure.

The book is available to those taking the self-guided walking tour in the city’s historic district.

The application would be sent to the State Historic Preservation Office for consideration. The money would come from the Historic Preservation Fund, a federal matching program that supports state and local historic preservation programs and projects.

In the past, the book could be purchased at the city’s Visitor Center, now housed in the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce on Stewart Parkway on the city’s waterfront. The book features more than 30 sites, including historic homes, churches and businesses.

Under grant terms, a local entity must provide a minimum of 40 percent of a project’s cost to receive HPF funds.

A $4,500 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office, a $1,700 contribution from the city, a $1,100 contribution from the Washington Tourism Development Authority and a $200 contribution from the Washington Area Historic Foundation would pay for the updated brochure, estimated to cost $7,500. The new books would cost $6,400 for 4,000 books. The cost for 3,000 brochures would be $1,100, according to a city document.

In February 2014, the council authorized a HFP grant application for funds to update the booklet, but it was not submitted because the inventory of historic structures being conducted at that time would not be completed by the deadline to submit the application, and the necessary information for a new booklet would not be available, according to a city document.

“Over the past several months many groups have expressed interest in updating and reprinting the walking tour (booklet) of the Washington Historic District. It appears as though there may be inaccurate information in the current book and it does not appear to be inclusive of the entire district,” Emily Rebert, the city’s historic preservation planner, in a memorandum to John Rodman, the city’s director of community and cultural services. “Therefor, it has been proposed to research and write an updated walking tour brochure. Due to the fact that much of the information already exists, the walking tour (brochure) would not be recreated, just updated.”