Council gives key blessing to Ninety Six athletic complex project
The J.C. “Fox” Boozer Athletic Complex in Ninety Six received support from Greenwood County Council.
Council granted its blessing Tuesday for the bidding process to begin on the complex although there was discussion about the estimated price tag.
“Close on the estimates but a little bit over budget,” said Josh Skinner, Capital Project Sales Tax coordinator. “We have figured out ways as far as bidding, adding alternates and options to get that concept closer within budget.”
The complex was one of a number of projects approved through the Capital Project Sales Tax in 2016. The starting budget for the project was about $1 million.
“I think once we put it out to bid and we use these alternates as sort of like a la carte menu,” Skinner said. “We can pick and choose what we can do within our budget.”
The cost of “Design D,” which was approved by Ninety Six Town Council in August, with all alternates is estimated at $1.2 million.
Greenwood County Manager Toby Chappell suggested the county start the bidding process to see what the actual cost will be and then look at adding any alternates.
“I have concerns that we are going to go bid something we can’t afford to build,” Councilman Mark Allison said. “I don’t know if it makes a lot of sense to go to the trouble to do bids on something we already know we can’t afford to do.”
Chappell said once the bids come back Skinner can go back to Ninety Six Town Council and ask what alternates the town wants to include that would fit in the budget. Chappell said Skinner could then come back to council with feedback from Ninety Six to get final approval on the project.
Chairman Steve Brown asked if any on council had opposition to the plan going forward and no one spoke in opposition.
Council also took up an appointment to the Upper Savanah Workforce Development Board.
“Greenwood County is part of a consortium that receives about $1.2 million each year to train and place people,” said Ann Skinner, workforce development director for the Upper Savannah Council of Governments.
Skinner asked council to consider appointing Matt Wiggins, regional workforce advisor for SC Department of Commerce, to fill an at-large spot on the board.
Council voted unanimously to approve the appointment.
Council also voted to approve on second reading an amendment to the zoning ordinance for C-2 to allow for wineries and vineyards to use other materials for parking areas. The C-2 zoning ordinance requires parking lots to be constructed using asphalt or concrete. Winery and vineyard owners would still be required to pave handicap accessible parking with concrete or asphalt.
Greenwood County Treasurer Cathy Miller acknowledged Steffanie Dorn who was recently hired as assistant county treasurer. Dorn spent more than 21 years as the City of Greenwood’s finance director and clerk to council.
Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Sep 17, 2020
By JAMES HICKS jhicks@indexjournal.com