County council cast their lines out Tuesday evening, reeling in opinions from fishermen, business owners and lake enthusiasts of all kinds, speaking out in favor or against building a new public access point to the water at the Highway 72/221 bridge over Lake Greenwood.
Early on in the meeting, Greenwood County Council Chairman Steve Brown opened the floor for a public hearing, first allowing County Engineer Rob Russian to explain the goals with a new, public lake access point.
As part of the capital projects sales tax, $810,000 were earmarked for making improvements to the lake, and the Lake Master Plan Committee was formed to help decide the county’s long-term goals for its aquatic resource. One of their highest-identified priorities, Russian said, was public access.
The committee toured access areas along the South Carolina and Georgia border, noting that successful access points had ample parking for boat trailers, bathrooms and other amenities and facilities that could be used for recreation. When thinking about access to Lake Greenwood, however, Russian said one element jumped out at him.
“In my mind, it’s all about location. Location, location location,” he said. “We really want to target the middle of the lake.”
With ramps at the Lake Greenwood State Park and two near Buzzards Roost covering the south end and two other ramps near the north end of the lake, the central area has been left without access, he said.
The site the committee identified for a new boat ramp is a 2.9-acre stretch of land beside Highway 72/221 and would share an entrance from the highway with Break on the Lake. There, Russian said an access point could fit about 50-60 parked boat trailers, with enough space for two ramps and possible bathrooms, pavilions and other facilities.
Through the process, Russian said he’d heard some concerns regarding the possible ramp. He said some have asked why money isn’t being spent to install amenities at existing ramps, and he said he’d like to see some of the money go to that. Congestion on the lake was a top concern.
“This is probably one of the largest concerns around this proposed boat ramp,” he said. “Boat capacity on the lake is very subjective.”
He said a fisherman out for the day might want to see fewer boats around, while someone partying on a pontoon might not mind other boaters nearby. A boat count during Lights on the Lake noted about 280 boats and personal watercraft on the lake, and Russian said assuming a comfortable capacity of 15 acres of water per boat, max capacity on the lake is 528 boats. During Lights on the Lake, Lake Greenwood was at about half capacity, he said.
Heather Vahjen, with Connect Lake Greenwood, was first up to speak. She shared with council that the group put out a survey and respondents voted more than 2-to-1 in favor of the boat ramp. Kevin Prater, managing partner at Break on the Lake, said there’s a need for a ramp there, despite critics saying there’s a ramp across the bridge on the Laurens County side of the lake.
“If you ask anybody who’s been over there, it’s not a good place to put your boat in,” he said.
One of the goals in the lake master plan is to make the Highway 72/221 bridge feel like the “Main Street of Lake Greenwood,” said Jimmy Peden, who served on the master plan committee. But Beth Satterfield, who lives on Pebble Lane near the proposed site, said developing that lot would disturb critical habitats and construction could harm the pristine lake that Greenwood takes so much pride in.
The other ramps and access points would be more popular, Grant Blair said, if the county spent this money building amenities and upgrading existing sites.
Several people spoke in favor of the site, citing its potential for use in fishing tournaments. Greg Sorrow said the Upstate has more than 30 high school fishing teams, and tournaments can bring in hundreds of boats, along with relatives of the competitors who are coming to cheer them on. Jeff Graham, whose son fishes for the Ninety Six High School Wildcat Anglers, said there’s a great need for a new ramp with complete amenities.
“It’s a problem when you drive two hours to a fishing tournament and there’s nowhere to use the bathroom,” he said.
Tournaments, he said, could have a major economic impact, with visitors spending cash on lodging, food, fishing equipment and other expenses. When a recent championship tournament brought about 80 boats and somewhere between 450-600 people to the state park’s ramp, Graham said he was elated to see the attention it brought to Greenwood.
“The sad part of that story is we were told when they left that the Palmetto Trail would not be returning to Lake Greenwood,” he said.
That ramp had no cellphone service for the tournament to live-stream the weigh-in, didn’t have enough parking for guests and had limited amenities. A new ramp could bring in tournament attention, he said. As Kelly McWhorter with Discover Greenwood said, from 2016-2019, fishing tournaments had an estimated $1 million economic impact on Greenwood — a figure that could grow with more access.
Other critics asked why a ramp couldn’t be built at another location to avoid traffic on the highway, or if the county wants to commercialize the lake rather than help preserve its natural beauty. In the end, council heard from everyone and will vote on whether to move forward at their next meeting. The next step, if approved, would be to send out a request for proposal for designers to actually plan out the details of the proposed site.
In other business:
Council voted to authorize the third and final reading of one or more fee-in-lieu of taxes and special source revenue credit agreements dealing with the solar farm projects by Pine Gate Renewables LLC.
Council unanimously voted to accept ownership of about an acre of land on Carter Road, which will be used for a new volunteer fire station.
By unanimous vote, council approved moving forward with an intergovernmental agreement dealing with a joint medical examiner service for multiple area counties.
Council approved a resolution transferring funds from the special appropriation fund to the EMS operating fund, to allow interim EMS Director Derek Oliver to remount ambulances.
Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Nov 6, 2019
By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ ddominguez@indexjournal.com
Article Link: https://www.indexjournal.com/news/new-boat-ramps-supporters-critics-share-views-with-county-council/article_910e0292-8b0e-575a-8cc5-73123e62819e.html
County takes step toward securing Highway 246 widening funds
/in UncategorizedOfficials have moved toward securing about $38 million for the widening of S.C. Highway 246 South as part of the Capital Project Sales Tax projects.
Greenwood County’s voters in 2016 approved the county spending nearly $12 million of the CPST funds toward the estimated $50 million widening project.
The decision not to fund the entire project through the CPST was by design, County Manager Toby Chappell said at a called County Council meeting Thursday. Instead, the county is seeking a grant from the state Transportation Infrastructure Bank, but first council needed to address some concerns the bank had about the grant application.
The bank wanted to know how Greenwood County will pay for the pre-construction costs of the project, estimated at about $6 million, and how the county will deal with any additional costs if there’s any unexpected increase in the project’s price tag.
The resolution council gathered Thursday to vote on would allow them to move funds from an upcoming collection for the North Greenwood Industrial Park project to the highway widening to cover the $6 million — then replace those funds when the county is refunded part of that cost. This would allow the county to pay the $6 million cost before the highway project’s first fund collection in October.
In the event that the price tag unexpectedly increased, the resolution explains that Greenwood County currently has zero debt and a $15.2 million bonding capacity. Chappell said this will explain to the infrastructure bank that Greenwood County has the financial strength to handle unexpected costs.
County Engineer Rob Russian said this grant is the best probability of funding the $38 million needed for this project and said he’s confident in the county’s application. The bank also has enough money allocated to fund all 11 projects currently being considered, he said. County council unanimously approved the resolution, allowing officials to address the bank’s concerns over the application.
The highway widening will cover 4 miles of Highway 246 South, stretching from Highway 221 in Coronaca to about Highway 702. This stretch of highway includes truck traffic for several industries and industrial projects, such as Teijin, Ascend Performance Materials, Fujifilm, Lonza, Enviva, Medtronic and Velux, as well as traffic from residents in the area and daily commuters.
Currently, the highway carries about 7,200 vehicles per day, the resolution said, and is estimated to carry more than 10,000 by 2045.
The January collection for the Capital Projects Sales Tax came in at $2,422,793, stemming from sales in August, September and October. It marks a more than $10,000 increase from the previous quarter, according to numbers provided on the county’s website.
Collections for the Highway 246 widening project won’t happen until October, but the county is moving funds from an upcoming collection in April to begin paying up-front costs on the project.
Engineers seek feedback on early proposed park upgrades
/in UncategorizedRenovating Greenwood County’s parks is no walk in the park, but on Thursday, the engineering firm that is drawing up plans for several park renovations took the first step in gathering community feedback and input on the proposed upgrades.
As part of the capital project sales tax approved in 2016, money has been earmarked for upgrades to existing parks and the construction of new parks. Improving the Grace Street Park, Magnolia Park and the Ninety Six town park, along with building new parks in Hodges, in Troy and at 1801 Foundry Road were among the 27 approved projects.
On Thursday, representatives from Davis and Floyd engineering firm invited the public to the Greenwood Arts Center to show off concept drawings of the proposed parks, featuring elements and fixtures that they included based on preliminary talks with residents from each community. The goal, said County CPST coordinator Josh Skinner, is to get feedback on these early mock-ups and get a better understanding of what residents want to prioritize at each park.
At Magnolia Park, for instance, replacing the pavilion that has a damaged foundation and is in need of a new roof will likely be a high priority. The drawing also showed an emphasis on ADA-accessible walking paths and a bathroom, along with replacing defunct playground equipment for children.
The Ninety Six town park would also likely see its pavilion and bathroom replaced, and moved to be close to a central splash pad that many in the community were enthusiastic about in initial talks.
“I know for me, those restrooms need to be replaced,” said Ninety Six Councilman Mickey Goodman. “And I don’t know how old that gazebo is out there, but I know it needs to go, too.”
There were no cost estimates with these initial drawings, as they’re supposed to be early concept art that will be steered toward a more concrete drafts based on the feedback received. Town parks, such as the ones in Troy and Hodges have signature pavilions are planned that fit specific interests in the communities, with the proposed one in Hodges having an outdoor fireplace and grilling area built in beside it.
Along with parking, signage, lighting and benches, most park mock-ups include walking trails that feature light exercise equipment in stations along the paths.
Billy Nicholson, president of the Greater Greenwood Parks and Trails Foundation, said these concepts and the feedback gathered are a good first step toward these renovations.
“It feels like we’re moving forward with getting something done here,” he said.
Two of the larger projects include the construction of Foundry Park, beside the John G. Lamb Community Center, and the continuation of the Grace Street Park project.
At Grace, improvements to the water quality and aesthetics of the pond would come with the building of a wetlands overlook area beside it that could serve as an outdoor nature classroom, complete with a treehouse-themed overlook tower. A trail network would connect the pond and dog park areas to a new northern park entrance that leads in from Grace Street and in toward the now derelict water treatment buildings. Those buildings would be removed to make way for the trailhead, Nicholson said.
Skinner said in the coming weeks, county officials hope to present these preliminary thoughts to Hodges, Troy and Ninety Six’s town councils to get feedback from people who weren’t able to attend Thursday’s event.
Public Meetings
/in Index-JournalTHURSDAY
GREENWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL
TIME: Noon.
LOCATION: Park Plaza Rm 104, 600 Monument Street
AGENDA: New Business: Resolution 2020-04 expressing Greenwood County’s support for the widening of South Carolina Highway 246 South and its application for funding from the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank. – Josh Skinner, CPST Coordinator. Executive Session: Discussion of employment, appointment, compensation, promotion, demotion, discipline, or release of an employee, a student, or a person regulated by a public body or the appointment of a person to a public body; however, if an adversary hearing involving the employee or client is held, the employee or client has the right to demand that the hearing be conducted publicly. Nothing contained in this item shall prevent the public body, in its discretion, from deleting the names of the other employees or clients whose records are submitted for use at the hearing. Discussion of negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements and proposed sale or purchase of property, the receipt of legal advice where the legal advice relates to a pending, threatened, or potential claim or other matters covered by the attorney-client privilege, settlement of legal claims, or the position of the public agency in other adversary situations involving the assertion against the agency of a claim. Discussion of matters relating to the proposed location, expansion, or the provision of services encouraging location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body.
Council approves contract for new fire station near Ninety Six
/in UncategorizedGreenwood County’s fire service is a step closer to having another new fire station after Tuesday’s county council meeting.
County council unanimously voted to move forward with a contract with The Gordon Group to build a new volunteer fire station at 1901 Carter Road, southeast of Ninety Six.
The fire station would be 2,700 square feet, have two truck bays and be a metal structure similar to the fire station underway in Bradley. This station would also have a public well and a septic tank installed.
The county requested bids for the station’s construction in September, but only The Gordon Group submitted a bid. The station’s construction will cost $257,000, shy of the budgeted $260,000 for the project.
The station’s construction is part of phase one of the $14 million Fire Service Master Plan, funded by the Capital Projects Sales Tax. The first phase includes payments on the county’s new fire trucks, along with the construction of this station and the one in Bradley, while phase four extends to 2023.
Council also unanimously approved the distribution of $52,000 of accommodations tax funds, following 14 requests from various agencies. The total requested amount was $91,216.
In other news:
Council approved appointments of several commissioners and board members, including endorsing County Councilwoman Melissa Spencer to the GLEAMNS board representing the low-income sector; appointments of Ella Wham, Eddie Baylor, Diane Lee and Billy Rodgers to the Greenwood County Farmers Market Board; reappointing James Williams as the tax commissioner for the Virgin Heights Subdivision; and reappointing Laura Bushinski as the Accommodations Tax Advisory Board member representing the cultural center.
Council authorized a joinder agreement between Greenwood County, Teijin Holdings USA, Teijin Carbon Fibers and Duke Energy, allowing the last two groups to join in the fee agreement between Teijin Holdings and Greenwood County.
Council had first reading on an ordinance approving a fee-in-lieu of taxes agreement between the county and a group listed as “Project Gold Rush” in the ordinance.
Public Meetings
/in Index-JournalTUESDAY
GREENWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE COMMITTEE
TIME: 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Greenwood County Library
AGENDA: New Business: Consideration of Contract with The Gordon Group for the Carter Road Volunteer Fire Station. – Josh Skinner, CPST Coordinator. Consideration of appointment of GLEAMNS Commissioner representing the Low-Income Sector for Greenwood County. – Shunna Vance, GLEAMNS Chief Executive Officer. Consideration of appointments to the Greenwood County Farmers Market Board. – Tom Brant, Clemson Extension Coordinator. Consideration of the appointment of Special Tax District Commissioner for the following Subdivision. – Cathy Miller, County Treasurer: Virgin Heights — James Williams (reappointment), District Seven. Consideration of reappointment of Accommodations Tax Advisory Board member. – Julie Latham, Deputy Treasurer. Consideration of Accommodation Tax Commission’s recommendations for distribution of funds. – Julie Lathan, Deputy Treasurer. Resolution 2020-02 regarding Accommodations Tax Budget Disbursements. – Julie Lathan, Deputy Treasurer. Resolution 2020-03 authorizing the execution of a Joinder Agreement by and between Greenwood County and Teijin Holdings USA, Inc., Teijin Carbon Fibers, Inc. and Duke Energy One, Inc. wherein Teijin Carbon Fibers, Inc. and Duke Energy One, Inc. shall join the Fee Agreement between Teijin Holdings USA, Inc. and Greenwood County as Sponsor Affiliates. – Elizabeth Taylor, County Attorney. First Reading: Ordinance 2020-02 authorizing (1) pursuant to title 12, Chapter 44 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976, as amended, the execution and delivery of a Fee-in-Lieu of Ad Valorem Taxes Agreement, by and between Greenwood County, South Carolina and Project Gold Rush, as sponsor, and one or more sponsor affiliates to provide for a Feein-Lieu of Ad Valorem Taxes incentive and certain special source revenue credits for the benefit of a project in the county; (2) the inclusion of certain property located in Greenwood County, South Carolina now or to be hereafter owned and/or operated by Project Gold Rush, or one or more companies related thereto, in a joint county industrial park; and (3) other related matters. (Title Only). – Elizabeth Taylor, County Attorney. District Reports. Attorney Report. Executive Report. Executive Session: Action may be taken on items discussed in executive session. Discussion of employment, appointment, compensation, promotion, demotion, discipline, or release of an employee, a student, or a person regulated by a public body or the appointment of a person to a public body; however, if an adversary hearing involving the employee or client is held, the employee or client has the right to demand that the hearing be conducted publicly. Nothing contained in this item shall prevent the public body, in its discretion, from deleting the names of the other employees or clients whose records are submitted for use at the hearing. Discussion of negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements and proposed sale or purchase of property, the receipt of legal advice where the legal advice relates to a pending, threatened, or potential claim or other matters covered by the attorney-client privilege, settlement of legal claims, or the position of the public agency in other adversary situations involving the assertion against the agency of a claim. Discussion of matters relating to the proposed location, expansion, or the provision of services encouraging location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body.
GREENWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Greenwood County Library
AGENDA: Presentation: Employee Recognition of the Fourth Quarter of 2019. Public Comment (Sign-In Only). New Business: Consideration of Contract with The Gordon Group for the Carter Road Volunteer Fire Station. – Josh Skinner, CPST Coordinator. Consideration of appointment of GLEAMNS Commissioner representing the Low-Income Sector for Greenwood County. – Shunna Vance, GLEAMNS Chief Executive Officer. Consideration of appointments to the Greenwood County Farmers Market Board. – Tom Brant, Clemson Extension Coordinator. Consideration of the appointment of Special Tax District Commissioner for the following Subdivision. – Cathy Miller, County Treasurer: Virgin Heights — James Williams (reappointment), District Seven. Consideration of reappointment of Accommodations Tax Advisory Board member. – Julie Latham, Deputy Treasurer. Consideration of Accommodation Tax Commission’s recommendations for distribution of funds. – Julie Lathan, Deputy Treasurer. Resolution 2020-02 regarding Accommodations Tax Budget Disbursements. – Julie Lathan, Deputy Treasurer. Resolution 2020-03 authorizing the execution of a Joinder Agreement by and between Greenwood County and Teijin Holdings USA, Inc., Teijin Carbon Fibers, Inc. and Duke Energy One, Inc. wherein Teijin Carbon Fibers, Inc. and Duke Energy One, Inc. shall join the Fee Agreement between Teijin Holdings USA, Inc. and Greenwood County as Sponsor Affiliates. – Elizabeth Taylor, County Attorney. First Reading: Ordinance 2020-02 authorizing (1) pursuant to title 12, Chapter 44 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976, as amended, the execution and delivery of a Fee-in-Lieu of Ad Valorem Taxes Agreement, by and between Greenwood County, South Carolina and Project Gold Rush, as sponsor, and one or more sponsor affiliates to provide for a Feein-Lieu of Ad Valorem Taxes incentive and certain special source revenue credits for the benefit of a project in the county; (2) the inclusion of certain property located in Greenwood County, South Carolina now or to be hereafter owned and/or operated by Project Gold Rush, or one or more companies related thereto, in a joint county industrial park; and (3) other related matters. (Title Only). – Elizabeth Taylor, County Attorney. District Reports. Attorney Report. Executive Report. Executive Session: Action may be taken on items discussed in executive session. Discussion of employment, appointment, compensation, promotion, demotion, discipline, or release of an employee, a student, or a person regulated by a public body or the appointment of a person to a public body; however, if an adversary hearing involving the employee or client is held, the employee or client has the right to demand that the hearing be conducted publicly. Nothing contained in this item shall prevent the public body, in its discretion, from deleting the names of the other employees or clients whose records are submitted for use at the hearing. Discussion of negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements and proposed sale or purchase of property, the receipt of legal advice where the legal advice relates to a pending, threatened, or potential claim or other matters covered by the attorney-client privilege, settlement of legal claims, or the position of the public agency in other adversary situations involving the assertion against the agency of a claim. Discussion of matters relating to the proposed location, expansion, or the provision of services encouraging location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body.
PIEDMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE AREA COMMISSION
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Administration Building, Room 222
AGENDA: Declarations – Conflict of Interest. Review of Minutes of Meeting Held on November 19, 2019. Introduction of Dr. Keli Fewox, Vice President, Academic Affairs, Ray Brooks. Policies for Approval Donna Foster: 1-1-2010 Accreditation and Substantive Change, 1-6-1000 Institutional Research and Effectiveness, 3-1-1012 Development and Delivery of Distance Education Courses, 8-7-1000 Employment Practices and 8-7-1061 Supplemental Pay for Academic Administrators. Proposed Logo Presentation Josh Black, Russell Martin. Financial Review, Paige Childs: Proposed Budget Request by County FYE2021, Paige Childs and Chad Teague. For Approval: Highlights and Budget Status Report; Revenue and Expense. Facts Sheet. Other. President’s Report 25: Academic Affairs, Keli Fewox; Economic Development/Continuing Education, Rusty Denning; Facilities, Chad Teague; Foundation, Fran Wiley; Human Resources, Alesia Brown; Institutional Effectiveness, Donna Foster; Off-Campus, Darrin Campen; Student Affairs & Communications, Josh Black. Chairman’s Comments.
MCCORMICK COUNTY COUNCIL
TIME: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Administration Center, 610 South Mine St.
AGENDA: Speakers: Sidney J. Evering, II – Parker Poe and Clarke Stearns – Sheriff. Decision Items: Council to consider authorizing the Administrator to purchase a metal detector from Patriot Metal Detectors Inc. in the amount of $5,599.95 for the courthouse utilizing funds from the Economic Development account. Council to consider authorizing Administrator to set aside funds for Projects 2 & 3 and proceed with Project 4 according to CPST Act. Council to consider authorizing Administrator to pay for Emergency Repair for McCormick Senior Center Pool in the amount of $7,000 from the County Council Special Project Account. Council to consider approving the McCormick County Library 2020 Holiday Schedule. Proclamation: McCormick County School Choice Week. Council to set location and time of regular scheduled council meetings for 2020. Information: Executive Order from the Office of the Governor concerning appointment of Auditor. Executive Session: Council may go into Executive Session, Pursuant to 30-4-70(1)(1) of the SC Code of Laws, 1976, as amended, to discuss contractual and personnel matters and to receive legal advice. Council will go into executive session to receive legal advice concerning the Speculative Building Agreement at McCormick Eco-Industrial Site.
THURSDAY
COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC WORKS
TIME: 10 a.m.
LOCATION: Boardroom, 121 West Court Ave.
AGENDA: Financial Reports: Countybank Report and Financial Statement (Pages 7-26). Business: Consideration of Compact Trencher (Pages 27-28). Consideration of 2” and 4” Plastic Gas Pipe (Pages 29-30). Consideration of Substance Abuse Plan Changes. Other Business: Executive Session to Discuss Personnel and Contractual Matters per SC Code 30-4-70(a). Following Executive Session, the Commissioners may return to Open Session to take action on matters discussed in Executive Session.
Greenwood County given clean bill of financial health
/in Index-JournalGreenwood County is in good financial health, according to its most recent audit report.
Josh Garvin, of Greenwood-based accounting firm Manley Garvin LLC, presented the county the firm’s unmodified opinion of the audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. An unmodified opinion, he explained at Tuesday evening’s County Council meeting, means the audit came back clean. It’s the highest-level opinion an auditor can give.
In the finances, he noted a net increase of $1.4 million in the county’s general fund, putting the account at a balance of about $10.2 million. Historically, Garvin said governments are recommended to have four to six months’ worth of expenditures in the fund balance, and Greenwood has a little more than six months’ worth.
During the meeting, Capital Projects Sales Tax Coordinator Josh Skinner asked council to consider a contract between the county and THS Constructors, the company selected to construct a speculative building in the North Greenwood Industrial Park. The building would be a part of the larger industrial park project, and THS’s bid came in below the estimated cost of about $5 million.
“The main emphasis is to attract industry, especially manufacturing,” Skinner said.
THS wants to start work immediately, with estimates the work would be done by November. Skinner’s request to council was to begin making payments to THS through the county’s general fund, which would be reimbursed late this year from collections from the CPST.
Skinner said from April to October, CPST collections are estimated to be at about $4.6 million. Agreeing to the contract now and accepting THS’ low bid would save the county money, Council Chairman Steve Brown said, rather than bidding the project again at a later date once the CPST funds have been collected.
After a closed-door session where council spoke further about the contract, they voted to approve the contract and a resolution to transfer funds totaling $4 million, as needed, from the general fund to the CPST fund to pay the payment schedule of THS.
Greenwood Mayor Brandon Smith spoke to council to pitch a new penny tax aimed at lowering people’s property taxes throughout the county. The Local Option Sales Tax would increase sales tax by 1 cent and in exchange provide funding for property tax credits.
This tax, he said, comes with the added benefit that, unlike the CPST, a portion of the funds collected can be used without restriction. Of the tax’s collections, 71% have to be used to reduce property taxes, while the remaining 29% would be split between the county and its municipalities as unrestricted revenue.
“As local governments, we don’t have the option to just make up revenue streams on our own,” Smith said. “Even if we wanted to raise property taxes to fund things, we’re limited by Act 388.”
He said the tax would have to be proposed as a referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot for county voters to decide on. Brown said he’d like to hear from the mayors of the county’s other towns, and that county council would look into their deadline to decide on a referendum ordinance.
In other news:
Council voted 6-1 to approve $12,000 of hospitality tax funds for Greenwood Water Ski Events LLC, which has agreed to host a regional water-skiing tournament in July. Scott Snape, of Greenwood Water Ski Events, said the event could draw in hundreds of competitors and will have a minimum estimated economic impact of $150,000.
Councilwoman Melissa Spencer presented a proclamation to Grand Master Darnell Leak, a local martial arts expert who has trained and worked with local young people to provide structure and discipline.
Council voted unanimously to approve an annual airport capital improvement plan, which outlines possible upgrades to the airport for the coming years.
Council appointed two new special tax district commissioners: William Kimler for Centre Court and John Hasting for Idlewood.
Council unanimously approved a revision to a county policy regarding special tax districts that ensures the policy matches state law.
Council heard first reading on an ordinance to extend and tweak an agreement between Greenwood County and Cole Mountain Greenwood SC LLC — the company behind the property currently housing Kohl’s. No action was taken beyond reading the ordinance.
Year in review: Three years after referendum, CPST is center of attention
/in Index-JournalAs more than 200 civic and business leaders lunched on chicken and a broccoli salad medley during a late August afternoon, Greenwood County Council chairman Steve Brown ensured the meal would be a memorable one.
It was at that State of the City/County luncheon at Harris Baptist Church where Brown revealed publicly for the first time that projected revenues for a voter-approved 2016 capital project sales tax could come in below the $87.9 threshold that appeared on ballots.
“The money seems to be increasing somewhat. There’s been some changes, not that significant, but whether some of those projects are going to be funded, we’ll just see what happens a number of years from now,” Brown said. “I think for years to come, you’ll be pleased with how that money has been spent, and the positive impact it will have had on this community.”
On the heels of Brown’s announcement, the Index-Journal asked county officials to put figures behind the words, learning on Aug. 28 that revenue actuals were lagging as much as $20 million behind expectations, imperiling 10 of the 27 projects.
What went wrong? Could it really be that a third of the planned investments floated to voters in 2016 are now off the table?
The newspaper endeavored to answer those questions, devoting almost 6,000 words to the topic in an unprecedented “special report to the taxpayers of Greenwood County” that ran on Sept. 8.
While county officials have said in the past the final collection number might not match what was on the ballot, no indication was ever made public about what that would look like. As far back as the summer of 2016, County Manager Toby Chappell said projects near the bottom of the list of 27 might not come to fruition.
“The collection of the tax has to end at either the collection of the amount identified or eight years, whichever comes first,” Chappell said during a meeting of the Capital Project Sales Tax committee on June 22, 2016. “However, it is almost certain that some of the later, more involved projects will not be finalized at the end of eight years.”
Ahead of the vote, no county official gave a range of how many projects might end up zeroed out — instead only saying some might have faced that prospect.
On Sept. 16, Chappell presented to the County Council for the first time an update on capital project sales tax collection rates, emphasizing the unlikelihood of coming up with just $67.9 million over the life of the eight-year assessment.
“Is it possible that the 2016 capital project sales tax will be $20 million short in 2025? The short answer is yes. However, it’s also possible that you win the South Carolina Powerball at 1 in 292 million odds, and it’s possible that FERC may approve our fuse plug issue, but it’s not likely,” Chappell said.
So how did the county come up with the $87.9 million figure that went to referendum in November 2016?
Two dates in September 2015, plus the final year outcome of a 2007 capital project sales tax answer that question, Chappell said.
In August 2015, county leaders asked the state’s Office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs for a projection of how much Greenwood could collect through a second penny sales tax.
On Sept. 10, the office responded with an estimate of $5.81 million in first-year collections.
But since Greenwood County brought in $8.4 million worth of sales tax dollars in 2010 through a 2007 penny tax initiative, officials asked for a second look at the numbers.
And on Sept. 30, 2015, Chappell said, the state came back with an updated projection of $9.5 million.
Extrapolating that across eight years, Chappell said, gave the county a baseline figure of $76 million.
As a hand-picked committee waded through applications, the costs of projects making the cut were recalibrated to take into account inflation and annual growth, adding about $11 million to the number, for a cap of $87.9 million.
For the county to perform at a clip that ends with only $67.9 million being realized, it would mean zero growth for the remaining life of the collection.
Soon after Chappell’s outline, the county on its website posted quarterly collection rates for the 2016 sales tax, along with updates on the status of projects.
FERC, county find
common ground on
spillway projectGreenwood County’s seemingly constant battle with federal regulators over design parameters for construction of an emergency spillway at the lake took a turn for the harmonious in 2019.
On Sept. 20, County Engineer Rob Russian said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, gave its blessing to a 60% design threshold for the project — the closet Greenwood has been in more than 10 years to finally getting the work started.
The county has $21 million earmarked for the venture — funds generated through a 2007 voter-approved capital projects sales tax initiative that can be used for no other purpose under state law.
In early December, County Manager Toby Chappell and Russian spent two days meeting with a Board of Consultants and FERC representatives to go over specs for a project that was nearly ready to launch, until federal regulators put the brakes on at the last minute.
In January 2017, the County Council learned FERC would not approve plans to build the contraption — known as a fuse plug — until local leaders either took part in the agency’s Risk Informed Decision Making process or convened another consultants’ board to evaluate the proposal for a second time since March 2012.
Russian said in January a preferred design came out of those talks — but several more rounds of negotiations will be needed until work can finally begin.
FERC mandated the spillway because diverting waters through the structure would not only protect the lake’s earthen dam but a 15-megawatt hydroelectric facility less than a mile away.
Russian said additional hydrological modeling will be needed as the design progress, and he’ll ask the county in October for a transfer from the hydro project fund to cover those costs.
Our View: Keep a clear, purposeful vision for Lake Greenwood
/in UncategorizedIt was a catchy headline about a serious matter on Wednesday’s front page. “Ramping up support” was in reference to the future of Lake Greenwood. More specifically lake access for boaters and sport fishermen.
Clearly, Lake Greenwood is one of the jewels in Greenwood County’s crowns. We must not only preserve it, but also ensure it meets the needs of residents and those who use it for recreation. And in a controlled fashion.
Fortunately, that seems the goal of Greenwood County leaders in unison with groups such as Connect Lake Greenwood and Preserving Lake Greenwood. No doubt there will be differences of opinions, but we can and should hope that today’s contentious and divisive national political climate doesn’t trickle down to our lake and those who manage it, use it, live on it.
The county’s Lake Master Plan Committee, given the task of assembling long-term goals for the lake, includes as a top priority the need for more and improved public access. And, in fact, Greenwood County’s voters supported the capital project sales tax initiative that included in its 27 identified projects making improvements to the lake.
More access points, adequate parking for trucks and trailers and the need for restroom facilities are a significant part of that goal, and well should be. No doubt many residents who line the lake’s shore would prefer to maintain the status quo. To an extent it is understandable that the lake is to them what a homeowner’s pool is to them. Not everybody and anybody ought to use it. But Lake Greenwood is not only supported by the taxpayers as it belongs to the county, it is also a destination point for a good number of visitors. The lake has also been a popular spot for fishing tournaments and campers who regularly come to the state park on the southern end.
It really is a shame that as one reaches a primary causeway connecting Greenwood County to neighboring Laurens County, essentially at the lake’s midpoint, there is no public facility. Sure, once people get their boats in the water they can dock at Break on the Lake and enjoy that restaurant’s amenities or head to a couple of other destinations, such as Harris Landing, but initial access is greatly restricted.
Lake Greenwood has grown in purpose. It’s not just a means of generating power. It’s no longer where a few cabins and trailers were put up by residents who wanted to use the lake during the summer for recreation. It is a resource that serves many purposes, many people, businesses and industries.
Our hope is that a brain trust will keep all of that in mind moving forward so that Lake Greenwood can remain a vibrant resource for business, residents and visitors for generations to come.
New boat ramp’s supporters, critics share views with county council
/in UncategorizedCounty council cast their lines out Tuesday evening, reeling in opinions from fishermen, business owners and lake enthusiasts of all kinds, speaking out in favor or against building a new public access point to the water at the Highway 72/221 bridge over Lake Greenwood.
Early on in the meeting, Greenwood County Council Chairman Steve Brown opened the floor for a public hearing, first allowing County Engineer Rob Russian to explain the goals with a new, public lake access point.
As part of the capital projects sales tax, $810,000 were earmarked for making improvements to the lake, and the Lake Master Plan Committee was formed to help decide the county’s long-term goals for its aquatic resource. One of their highest-identified priorities, Russian said, was public access.
The committee toured access areas along the South Carolina and Georgia border, noting that successful access points had ample parking for boat trailers, bathrooms and other amenities and facilities that could be used for recreation. When thinking about access to Lake Greenwood, however, Russian said one element jumped out at him.
“In my mind, it’s all about location. Location, location location,” he said. “We really want to target the middle of the lake.”
With ramps at the Lake Greenwood State Park and two near Buzzards Roost covering the south end and two other ramps near the north end of the lake, the central area has been left without access, he said.
The site the committee identified for a new boat ramp is a 2.9-acre stretch of land beside Highway 72/221 and would share an entrance from the highway with Break on the Lake. There, Russian said an access point could fit about 50-60 parked boat trailers, with enough space for two ramps and possible bathrooms, pavilions and other facilities.
Through the process, Russian said he’d heard some concerns regarding the possible ramp. He said some have asked why money isn’t being spent to install amenities at existing ramps, and he said he’d like to see some of the money go to that. Congestion on the lake was a top concern.
“This is probably one of the largest concerns around this proposed boat ramp,” he said. “Boat capacity on the lake is very subjective.”
He said a fisherman out for the day might want to see fewer boats around, while someone partying on a pontoon might not mind other boaters nearby. A boat count during Lights on the Lake noted about 280 boats and personal watercraft on the lake, and Russian said assuming a comfortable capacity of 15 acres of water per boat, max capacity on the lake is 528 boats. During Lights on the Lake, Lake Greenwood was at about half capacity, he said.
Heather Vahjen, with Connect Lake Greenwood, was first up to speak. She shared with council that the group put out a survey and respondents voted more than 2-to-1 in favor of the boat ramp. Kevin Prater, managing partner at Break on the Lake, said there’s a need for a ramp there, despite critics saying there’s a ramp across the bridge on the Laurens County side of the lake.
“If you ask anybody who’s been over there, it’s not a good place to put your boat in,” he said.
One of the goals in the lake master plan is to make the Highway 72/221 bridge feel like the “Main Street of Lake Greenwood,” said Jimmy Peden, who served on the master plan committee. But Beth Satterfield, who lives on Pebble Lane near the proposed site, said developing that lot would disturb critical habitats and construction could harm the pristine lake that Greenwood takes so much pride in.
The other ramps and access points would be more popular, Grant Blair said, if the county spent this money building amenities and upgrading existing sites.
Several people spoke in favor of the site, citing its potential for use in fishing tournaments. Greg Sorrow said the Upstate has more than 30 high school fishing teams, and tournaments can bring in hundreds of boats, along with relatives of the competitors who are coming to cheer them on. Jeff Graham, whose son fishes for the Ninety Six High School Wildcat Anglers, said there’s a great need for a new ramp with complete amenities.
“It’s a problem when you drive two hours to a fishing tournament and there’s nowhere to use the bathroom,” he said.
Tournaments, he said, could have a major economic impact, with visitors spending cash on lodging, food, fishing equipment and other expenses. When a recent championship tournament brought about 80 boats and somewhere between 450-600 people to the state park’s ramp, Graham said he was elated to see the attention it brought to Greenwood.
“The sad part of that story is we were told when they left that the Palmetto Trail would not be returning to Lake Greenwood,” he said.
That ramp had no cellphone service for the tournament to live-stream the weigh-in, didn’t have enough parking for guests and had limited amenities. A new ramp could bring in tournament attention, he said. As Kelly McWhorter with Discover Greenwood said, from 2016-2019, fishing tournaments had an estimated $1 million economic impact on Greenwood — a figure that could grow with more access.
Other critics asked why a ramp couldn’t be built at another location to avoid traffic on the highway, or if the county wants to commercialize the lake rather than help preserve its natural beauty. In the end, council heard from everyone and will vote on whether to move forward at their next meeting. The next step, if approved, would be to send out a request for proposal for designers to actually plan out the details of the proposed site.
In other business:
Council voted to authorize the third and final reading of one or more fee-in-lieu of taxes and special source revenue credit agreements dealing with the solar farm projects by Pine Gate Renewables LLC.
Council unanimously voted to accept ownership of about an acre of land on Carter Road, which will be used for a new volunteer fire station.
By unanimous vote, council approved moving forward with an intergovernmental agreement dealing with a joint medical examiner service for multiple area counties.
Council approved a resolution transferring funds from the special appropriation fund to the EMS operating fund, to allow interim EMS Director Derek Oliver to remount ambulances.
Guest Column: Why is the Capital Project Sales Tax so important to Greenwood County?
/in Index-JournalThere have been a couple of articles recently written trying to update the status of the 2-year-old Capital Project Sales Tax. I feel it is time to take a moment to recap why the CPST was and continues to be so critically important to the current and future success of Greenwood County.
My wife Denise and I have always felt very blessed to call Greenwood home for the past 20-plus years. During this time we have seen many positive changes; however, we have also felt that Greenwood’s potential was so much greater.
During our time living here in Greenwood, I have had the unique opportunity and honor to serve on many local business and nonprofit boards of directors. Through my experiences of serving on the Greenwood Partnership Alliance board, Piedmont Tech board, the Self Regional board, The Humane Society of Greenwood board, or the LPGA/Symetra Tour tournament, I had found myself actively engaged in working with both Greenwood County and City councils.
As a result, I had quickly learned just how challenging and difficult it is for our elected leadership to balance a yearly budget. Once all the necessary operating expenses,such as fire and police protection to name a few, are totaled there is very little left if it at all to address our future needs. A few cases in point were our continued important economic development activities to recruit new businesses and industries were rapidly becoming hampered because of a lack of buildings, infrastructure product to sell. A further challenge or opportunity was for having or helping to produce a trained and ready work force. And finally, of equal importance, continued quality of life improvements or enhancements.
How do these very necessary needs get addressed when there is little to no know extra money in producing a balanced budget each year? Well, like many other progressive and forward-thinking counties, they have successfully used a capital sales tax, also known as a penny tax, to raise the necessary funds to help address these critical needs.
So now, just after a short two years of our capital sales tax being collected, we can immediately measure our success or return on investment by several big wins such as the announcement of Tejin coming to Greenwood and building a major new facility and producing initially 300-plus new jobs with an upward projection of more than 1,000 new jobs. The announcement and construction started at Piedmont Tech’s O’Dell Center for manufacturing training excellence, critical countywide necessary infrastructure improvements, many other quality of life initiatives such as parks and recreation areas throughout the county and now significant new home construction. None of this would have been possible or happened without the passing of our Capital Project Sales Tax initiative.
We are firm believers that Greenwood County’s future remains very bright for all us to enjoy. Denise and I are proud to call Greenwood home.