With Greenwood’s future on their minds, the local legislative delegation and city and county government officials sat down for lunch Friday and a discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing Greenwood County.
The Greenwood SC Chamber of Commerce hosted the meeting, called a legislative luncheon, at Harris Baptist Church’s social hall. Chamber President and CEO Barbara Ann Heegan said she was honored to host the elected officials, heads of local law enforcement, CPW representatives and officials from major local stakeholders and chamber partners.
The panel of guests set up to speak included county, city and state officials. Heegan asked them all a series of questions fielded from Chamber members about their priorities and plans for Greenwood’s future.
A clear priority across all levels of government was expanding broadband internet services throughout the county. State Sen. Billy Garrett said federal and state funds are on their way to pay for internet infrastructure.
“I think that broadband right now is something we all need to be working on,” he said. “Most importantly, it’s something we need to be doing for our students.”
State Rep. Anne Parks agreed, and said as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, classrooms aren’t equipped to allow for social distancing. Quality broadband service for all students is essential for providing virtual education, she said.
“Our children are our most precious commodity, and with the virus continuing they need to be in class,” she said.
County Council Chairman Chuck Moates said Greenwood suffered a great loss with the death of the councilman Steve Brown. Still, the work initiated under his tenure will go on, including Capital Project Sales Tax projects, the expansion of the county’s fire service plan and the Lake Greenwood Master Plan.
“Even though his leadership will be missed, the work will continue,” he said.
Public safety has been a clear priority for the city, said Mayor Brandon Smith. License plate reading cameras have made it easier for law enforcement to find offenders, and he praised Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin’s approach to policing.
City Manager Julie Wilkie said the city is hoping to use federal American Recovery Plan Act funds to hire on six additional police officers for the department’s Crime Suppression Unit. This team spends time in neighborhoods building relationships and trying to halt crime at its source by connecting with and providing resources to their community.
“They don’t answer 911 calls, they are a proactive unit,” she said. “We live in a wonderful place. We just have to show people that there’s more to crime than these 15 ‘bad guys’ shooting back and forth,” Wilkie said.
Across the board, everyone agreed infrastructure investments are needed — funds are set to be allocated to broadband internet infrastructure, roads and bridges. Many of these funds will come from one-time federal programs, said state Sen. Mike Gambrell. South Carolina has $2.5 billion from those funds, but Gambrell joked his requests alone were up to $3.5 billion.
Gambrell serves on the state Senate Finance Committee.
“Last year we were fortunate to have more funds than normal, but if you remember last year that was really a two-year budget,” he said.
Because these are one-time funds, Gambrell said governments have to be cautious not to fund recurring costs with these dollars unless they have a revenue stream to maintain the cost moving forward. State Rep. John McCravy said it’s unclear whether the federal government plans to follow up this wave of funds with another, and he’d like to see dollars go toward Lander University and Piedmont Technical College, the Greenwood Pathway House and infrastructure projects.
State Rep. Stewart Jones said the money needs to go to local governments, who will know best how to spend them. Still, he cautioned against this flow of federal dollars, saying people will pay for them in increased costs of goods and services. Parks agreed, saying while broadband and infrastructure are well agreed-upon projects, the state can’t tell local governments where to spend their portion of these funds.
On matters of economic development, Wilkie said Greenwood is working with the development cooperative Greenwood Together and looking at expanding housing options in the city. This year’s festivals were successes, she said, and they’ll continue to play a major role in Greenwood’s economy.
“I think the Festival of Discovery and Festival of Flowers are huge hits in our community, and we’ve seen how we can safely return to events as we come out of this, I hope,” she said.
Moates said for the county, economic development is not a synonym for industrial recruitment. While enticing industry is a part of it, the county’s model is more holistic. It includes providing public transportation, bringing in housing development and ensuring a high quality of life for residents.
“We had six wins — six different companies expand or come to Greenwood, which totaled about $238 million,” said County Manager Toby Chappell.
Greenwood’s partnership with McCormick Area Transit to provide busing services was an effort to ensure people had transportation options for getting to work. It was funded through a $150,000 match grant with the state Department of Transportation, and recently expanded to include more of the county and more locations it will take travelers.
Greenwood County is about halfway through with fund collections for the 2016 Capital Project Sales Tax, and 14 of its 27 projects have been completed, Chappell said. Next year, much of the funds are going toward building up the Wilbanks Sports Complex, located at the site of the former civic center.
“I think we’re in a tremendous position here in Greenwood,” Garrett said.
Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Oct 15, 2021
By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ ddominguez@indexjournal.com
Article Link: https://www.indexjournal.com/news/greenwoods-future-a-lunchtime-topic/article_86d2c866-8a0c-518c-aade-c498774cf6f2.html
Public Meetings
/in UncategorizedMONDAY
WARE SHOALS CALLED COUNCIL MEETING
TIME: 5 p.m.
LOCATION: Town hall
AGENDA: Discuss renting out the top floor of Town Hall building.
GREENWOOD CITY COUNCIL LEGISLATIVE SPECIAL CALLED BUSINESS MEETING
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: 520 Monument St., Room 207
AGENDA: Consider ordinance number 21-031 amending ordinance number 20-027 the city of Greenwood general fund and hospitality fund budgets for 2021. (First reading)
TUESDAY
GREENWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL
TIME: 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Greenwood County Library
AGENDA: Executive session. Beginning of regular public meeting, 5:30 p.m. Presentations: Presentation of shadow box and veteran display to the family of Steven J. Brown — Rosalind Burge, Veterans Affairs Officer. Public comment. Old business: Third readings — 1. Ordinance 2021-22 to amend the Wingert Road/Milford Springs Road PDD being Ordinance 01-95, as and if amended, to allow for a pull-a-part as an allowed use, Phil Lindler, planning director, third reading. 2. Ordinance 2021-30 to amend the Greenwood County zoning ordinance, being ordinance 13-86, as and if amended to create standards for the building of accessory dwelling units, Phil Lindler, planning director. Third reading. Public hearing: Third reading — Ordinance 2021-28 authorizing the execution and delivery of a Fee in Lieu of Tax and Incentive Agreement by and between Greenwood County, South Carolina and WC Fiber, LLC, acting for itself, one or more subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, assigns, lessors, and/or other project sponsors (collectively, the “Company”), pursuant to which the county shall covenant to accept certain negotiated fees in lieu of ad valorem taxes with respect to the establishment of certain facilities in the County (the “Project”) and other matters relating thereto — James Bateman, economic development director. Third reading. B. Consideration of boundary line agreements — Rett Templeton, county engineer. New business: A. Quarterly update of Capital Project Sales Tax projects — Josh Skinner, CPST coordinator. B. Resolution 2021-35 to amend section 4-1-29 (a)(13) of the Greenwood County Ordinance Official County Holidays for the approval of the 2022 Official county holidays — Toby Chappell, county manager. C. Resolution 2021-36 amending 911 surcharge fund budget for fiscal year 2021 — Steffanie Dorn, county treasurer. D. Ordinance 2021-31 to approve the request by Magnolia Place special tax district to dissolve (title only) — Steffanie Dorn, county treasurer. First reading. District reports. Manager’s report. Attorney’s report.
SALUDA TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
TIME: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Saluda Town Hall
AGENDA: Reports from municipal officers: Administration, building codes, finance, court, CPW, fire, police, streets/sanitation. Reports of standing committees. Unfinished business. New business. Council comments.
SALUDA TOWN COUNCIL CALLED MEETING
TIME: 6:45 p.m.
LOCATION: Saluda Town Hall
AGENDA: Business — Presentation and discussion with Lakelands YMCA.
THURSDAY
MCCORMICK COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: 610 South Mine St.
AGNEDA: Old business — Update on zoning ordinance. New business — Welcome new member Valerie Yarbough-Jones, George Selfridge to discuss proposed zoning ordinance changes. Reports: County council report, economic development report. Next meeting: Dec. 2, 2021, at the County Administration Center.
Public Meetings
/in Index-JournalMONDAY
WARE SHOALS CALLED COUNCIL MEETING
TIME: 5 p.m.
LOCATION: Town hall
AGENDA: Discuss renting out the top floor of Town Hall building.
GREENWOOD CITY COUNCIL LEGISLATIVE SPECIAL CALLED BUSINESS MEETING
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: 520 Monument St., Room 207
AGENDA: Consider ordinance number 21-031 amending ordinance number 20-027 the city of Greenwood general fund and hospitality fund budgets for 2021. (First reading)
TUESDAY
GREENWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL
TIME: 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Greenwood County Library
AGENDA: Executive session. Beginning of regular public meeting, 5:30 p.m. Presentations: Presentation of shadow box and veteran display to the family of Steven J. Brown — Rosalind Burge, Veterans Affairs Officer. Public comment. Old business: Third readings — 1. Ordinance 2021-22 to amend the Wingert Road/Milford Springs Road PDD being Ordinance 01-95, as and if amended, to allow for a pull-a-part as an allowed use, Phil Lindler, planning director, third reading. 2. Ordinance 2021-30 to amend the Greenwood County zoning ordinance, being ordinance 13-86, as and if amended to create standards for the building of accessory dwelling units, Phil Lindler, planning director. Third reading. Public hearing: Third reading — Ordinance 2021-28 authorizing the execution and delivery of a Fee in Lieu of Tax and Incentive Agreement by and between Greenwood County, South Carolina and WC Fiber, LLC, acting for itself, one or more subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, assigns, lessors, and/or other project sponsors (collectively, the “Company”), pursuant to which the county shall covenant to accept certain negotiated fees in lieu of ad valorem taxes with respect to the establishment of certain facilities in the County (the “Project”) and other matters relating thereto — James Bateman, economic development director. Third reading. B. Consideration of boundary line agreements — Rett Templeton, county engineer. New business: A. Quarterly update of Capital Project Sales Tax projects — Josh Skinner, CPST coordinator. B. Resolution 2021-35 to amend section 4-1-29 (a)(13) of the Greenwood County Ordinance Official County Holidays for the approval of the 2022 Official county holidays — Toby Chappell, county manager. C. Resolution 2021-36 amending 911 surcharge fund budget for fiscal year 2021 — Steffanie Dorn, county treasurer. D. Ordinance 2021-31 to approve the request by Magnolia Place special tax district to dissolve (title only) — Steffanie Dorn, county treasurer. First reading. District reports. Manager’s report. Attorney’s report.
SALUDA TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
TIME: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Saluda Town Hall
AGENDA: Reports from municipal officers: Administration, building codes, finance, court, CPW, fire, police, streets/sanitation. Reports of standing committees. Unfinished business. New business. Council comments.
SALUDA TOWN COUNCIL CALLED MEETING
TIME: 6:45 p.m.
LOCATION: Saluda Town Hall
AGENDA: Business — Presentation and discussion with Lakelands YMCA.
THURSDAY
MCCORMICK COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: 610 South Mine St.
AGNEDA: Old business — Update on zoning ordinance. New business — Welcome new member Valerie Yarbough-Jones, George Selfridge to discuss proposed zoning ordinance changes. Reports: County council report, economic development report. Next meeting: Dec. 2, 2021, at the County Administration Center.
Greenwood County officials open Wilbanks EMS-fire station
/in UncategorizedWith a fully equipped kitchen, three laundry machines and private bedrooms, the new Wilbanks EMS-Fire station has all the amenities emergency staff could need.
That’s not what excited County Fire Chief Steve Holmes during the station’s grand opening Thursday, however. This station is about to be one of the county’s busiest. Built at 1610 Highway 72/221, it’s nestled between two fire districts that each get about 1,900 calls each year.
“That station is going to be within five miles of 75 percent of my calls, and that’s a hard figure to imagine being true as big as Greenwood County is,” Holmes said.
The Wilbanks station is the new home for the Medic One ambulance unit as well as a fire engine. It’s centralized location should shave five minutes off response times to medical calls in the area, said EMS Director Derek Oliver.
“This station actually fills a very vital role in the county and community when you’re talking about response times and you’re looking at both EMS and the fire side,” he said. “We did build it with the future in mind. It is able to mirror what this side of the building looks like on the opposite side, so that in the event we have to increase staffing, we can build off that end of the building.”
The bay is large enough to house two EMS and fire units each in its bay, although it only holds one of each right now. The bay features a laundry area, and inside the station there’s a kitchen, restroom and multiple private bedrooms, as well as office space.
The staff that will work that station isn’t likely to spend a lot of downtime there, however.
“Young firefighters love to answer calls, and this is going to be a busy station,” Holmes said. “The thing I like most about this station myself, it’s the first fire station in the county that has a fire sprinkler system in the station. As a proponent of fire safety, I’m all the time encouraging — or making people, by code — put a sprinkler system in.”
The station is in County Councilwoman Melissa Spencer’s district, but she wasn’t able to attend the grand opening because of illness. Council Chairman Chuck Moates said the Wilbanks station was paid for using county operating funds, and joins the six stations built using Capital Project Sales Tax funds. These include the refurbished Medic 30 EMS station, which had a fire station bay built and connected to it, making the Wilbanks station the county’s second joint EMS-fire station.
Moates said its location makes it a prime spot for the firefighters to assist with any calls they’re needed for within city limits, as well. With each of the new stations built and being built, Holmes said by early next year 99% of homes and businesses in Greenwood County will be within five mils of a station — a metric required by the Insurance Services Office, which rates fire services for insurance purposes.
“This station represents yet another step in improving coordination and collaboration between the city of Greenwood and the Greenwood County Fire Service,” Moates said. “I hope and pray that one day we can see a unified county fire service for all of Greenwood County.”
State Rep. Anne Parks said the station represents a progressive step forward for Greenwood, and Councilwoman Edith Childs said former Councilman Gonza Bryant wanted a fire station there. Though he’s no longer on council, she said the project came through in the end.
State Rep. John McCravy said the station saves on people’s insurance rates and helps with economic development because investing companies will know Greenwood invests in its safety infrastructure.
“But more than all that, this is going to save lives for many years to come,” McCravy said. “It’s a great building, these are great trucks, but the real fire stations are the people.”
Life on the Lake Summit teases new master plan
/in UncategorizedThe future seems bright on Lake Greenwood.
Those living on its shores came out Thursday night to celebrate and hear updates on their water-centered communities at the sixth Life on the Lake Summit, hosted by Connect Lake Greenwood.
The fundraising event featured silent auctions, door prizes and nearly 30 vendors with tables set up highlighting lake-area businesses. It’s become the lake’s social event of the year, even if the 2020 summit was canceled because of COVID-19, CLG Chairman Jimmy Peden said.
Tony Curreri with Lakelands Realty said business and leisure on the lake felt like it came to a standstill for a few weeks during the early days of the pandemic in 2020. Then the floodgates opened; people sheltering at home took to the lake’s waters for recreation, and city-dwellers started looking to relocate to the area as shutdowns and the virus spread.
“Buyer demand went way up, and supply-side went way down,” Curreri said. “Part of what makes Lake Greenwood special is we’re far enough from the interstate that we’re not subject to the same overcrowding other areas are.”
The lake is also a big attractor for talent and industry, said Barbara Ann Heegan, Greenwood SC Chamber of Commerce president and CEO.
“People want to live and work in communities that have a great outdoors,” she said. “The lake is an anchor keeping people in our community and economy.”
She spoke with area businesses and said many cited the lake as a great value-add for locating their businesses in Greenwood.
In 2015 the county formulated the Lake Greenwood Master Plan, and now most of the items on that to-do list have been checked off. The county passed an erosion ordinance requiring lakeside property owners to notify the county before moving earth along the shore, and a septic tank policy requires tanks to be inspected every time a building permit is requested.
County Engineer Rhett Templeton said the county is working with state park officials to create a public park space near Lake Greenwood State Park, and upcoming Capital Project Sales Tax funds are dedicated to building a new boat ramp with on-site facilities near the Highway 72/221 bridge. CPST Coordinator Josh Skinner said the county is working with the state Department of Natural Resources in hopes of securing a $650,000 grant that could improve the new boat ramp and docks.
Craig Stuckey with Preserving Lake Greenwood said he hopes county engineers will continue to pay close attention to protecting the lake’s natural beauty with any additional development by its waters. He also said PLG is concerned about the Lake Conestee dam in Greenville, which holds back toxic sediment that could flow into Lake Greenwood should the dam ever fail.
But Peden said he has hope for the future of Lake Greenwood. With much of the existing master plan complete, he said a new master plan is on the horizon. The projects for it are still up in the air, but he said discussions have already started over the new community park near the state park.
“Lake Greenwood isn’t exactly a hidden gem anymore, but it’s a jewel enjoyed by everyone,” Curreri said.
Greenwood’s future a lunchtime topic
/in UncategorizedWith Greenwood’s future on their minds, the local legislative delegation and city and county government officials sat down for lunch Friday and a discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing Greenwood County.
The Greenwood SC Chamber of Commerce hosted the meeting, called a legislative luncheon, at Harris Baptist Church’s social hall. Chamber President and CEO Barbara Ann Heegan said she was honored to host the elected officials, heads of local law enforcement, CPW representatives and officials from major local stakeholders and chamber partners.
The panel of guests set up to speak included county, city and state officials. Heegan asked them all a series of questions fielded from Chamber members about their priorities and plans for Greenwood’s future.
A clear priority across all levels of government was expanding broadband internet services throughout the county. State Sen. Billy Garrett said federal and state funds are on their way to pay for internet infrastructure.
“I think that broadband right now is something we all need to be working on,” he said. “Most importantly, it’s something we need to be doing for our students.”
State Rep. Anne Parks agreed, and said as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, classrooms aren’t equipped to allow for social distancing. Quality broadband service for all students is essential for providing virtual education, she said.
“Our children are our most precious commodity, and with the virus continuing they need to be in class,” she said.
County Council Chairman Chuck Moates said Greenwood suffered a great loss with the death of the councilman Steve Brown. Still, the work initiated under his tenure will go on, including Capital Project Sales Tax projects, the expansion of the county’s fire service plan and the Lake Greenwood Master Plan.
“Even though his leadership will be missed, the work will continue,” he said.
Public safety has been a clear priority for the city, said Mayor Brandon Smith. License plate reading cameras have made it easier for law enforcement to find offenders, and he praised Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin’s approach to policing.
City Manager Julie Wilkie said the city is hoping to use federal American Recovery Plan Act funds to hire on six additional police officers for the department’s Crime Suppression Unit. This team spends time in neighborhoods building relationships and trying to halt crime at its source by connecting with and providing resources to their community.
“They don’t answer 911 calls, they are a proactive unit,” she said. “We live in a wonderful place. We just have to show people that there’s more to crime than these 15 ‘bad guys’ shooting back and forth,” Wilkie said.
Across the board, everyone agreed infrastructure investments are needed — funds are set to be allocated to broadband internet infrastructure, roads and bridges. Many of these funds will come from one-time federal programs, said state Sen. Mike Gambrell. South Carolina has $2.5 billion from those funds, but Gambrell joked his requests alone were up to $3.5 billion.
Gambrell serves on the state Senate Finance Committee.
“Last year we were fortunate to have more funds than normal, but if you remember last year that was really a two-year budget,” he said.
Because these are one-time funds, Gambrell said governments have to be cautious not to fund recurring costs with these dollars unless they have a revenue stream to maintain the cost moving forward. State Rep. John McCravy said it’s unclear whether the federal government plans to follow up this wave of funds with another, and he’d like to see dollars go toward Lander University and Piedmont Technical College, the Greenwood Pathway House and infrastructure projects.
State Rep. Stewart Jones said the money needs to go to local governments, who will know best how to spend them. Still, he cautioned against this flow of federal dollars, saying people will pay for them in increased costs of goods and services. Parks agreed, saying while broadband and infrastructure are well agreed-upon projects, the state can’t tell local governments where to spend their portion of these funds.
On matters of economic development, Wilkie said Greenwood is working with the development cooperative Greenwood Together and looking at expanding housing options in the city. This year’s festivals were successes, she said, and they’ll continue to play a major role in Greenwood’s economy.
“I think the Festival of Discovery and Festival of Flowers are huge hits in our community, and we’ve seen how we can safely return to events as we come out of this, I hope,” she said.
Moates said for the county, economic development is not a synonym for industrial recruitment. While enticing industry is a part of it, the county’s model is more holistic. It includes providing public transportation, bringing in housing development and ensuring a high quality of life for residents.
“We had six wins — six different companies expand or come to Greenwood, which totaled about $238 million,” said County Manager Toby Chappell.
Greenwood’s partnership with McCormick Area Transit to provide busing services was an effort to ensure people had transportation options for getting to work. It was funded through a $150,000 match grant with the state Department of Transportation, and recently expanded to include more of the county and more locations it will take travelers.
Greenwood County is about halfway through with fund collections for the 2016 Capital Project Sales Tax, and 14 of its 27 projects have been completed, Chappell said. Next year, much of the funds are going toward building up the Wilbanks Sports Complex, located at the site of the former civic center.
“I think we’re in a tremendous position here in Greenwood,” Garrett said.
Tie vote denies C&C a pull-a-part
/in Index-JournalA tied vote shot down C&C Metal Recycling’s chance at getting approval for a pull-a-part at its Wingert Road facility during Tuesday’s Greenwood County Council meeting.
Cliff Redd, owner of C&C, had requested council approve an ordinance amending the planned development district for Wingert and Milford Springs roads to allow the metal recycling company to use a pull-a-part. The tool would allow the removal of spare parts from vehicles set to be recycled and shredded, then the parts could be sold to the public, providing a local vendor for used auto parts.
Redd spoke during public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, addressing a fire the company had that morning. A pile of “fluff” — the scrap material left over after a vehicle is shredded — caught fire at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Redd said he considered the fire suspicious, but had not had time to review all his security camera videos. The way it burned wasn’t consistent with previous fluff fires the company has had, including one in early September.
“It was not a typical fluff fire,” he said.
Steve and Charlotte Ehney, who live across C&C at 210 Wingert Road, spoke out in opposition to the allowance of a pull-a-part.
“This is the second fire in less than a month that has occurred,” Steve said. “If you grant this step today, what’s going to come tomorrow?”
He said with only one hydrant along the road at the corner of Milford Springs Road, he was concerned about the possibility of future fires. Charlotte said she was worried about an increase in traffic and noise.
When it came time to vote, council members Mark Allison and Robbie Templeton weren’t present at the meeting. Council members Melissa Spencer and Theo Lane voted to approve allowing a pull-a-part, while Councilwoman Edith Childs and Councilman Chuck Moates opposed it. The motion failed because of the tie.
Council approved several ordinances in 4-0 votes. They approved rezoning about 10 acres of property owned by Eaton at 5502 Highway 25 N. in Hodges from a rural development district to light industrial. Council approved an ordinance establishing the process for electing county council’s chairperson and vice chairperson in the event of an opening during unexpired terms.
Council lifted its 2018 moratorium on “tiny houses,” passing an ordinance that allows building structures less than 750 square feet and provides for permitting any residential structure that costs more than $1,000.
Council members also approved the final step in offering a fee-in-lieu-of-tax incentive agreement to Impresa Building Systems of Greenwood. Impresa is a modular home manufacturer that announced last month that it’s expanding into Greenwood, making a $9.1 million capital investment and creating 180 jobs.
County Treasurer Steffanie Dorn shared with council a plan to expand the public transportation options offered through Greenwood’s partnership with the McCormick County Senior Center’s McCormick Area Transit.
“We’re off to a really good start,” she said. “Each month we have increased our ridership.”
July saw 90 riders on the MAT bus, in August there were 134 and 183 in September, said County Manager Toby Chappell. Dorn said she was confident the county could expand the area and services the MAT offers, growing the area in which the MAT transports people from a 2.5-mile radius around the county courthouse to a 4-mile radius. Dorn also said the expansion would offer transportation to banks, schools and for employment. Council approved the expansion.
“Folks in Greenwood County are using this service, and I am so glad to expand it for them,” Moates said.
Council also voted to approve moving $60,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Capital Projects Sales Tax fund to help renovate the bathrooms in the Brewer Community Center. CPST Coordinator Josh Skinner said the renovation project had $27,636 of CPST funds budgeted, but the lowest bid on the work from MADCO in Lexington came out to more than $58,000 for the renovations, but the price tag rose to more than $70,000 to also replace the tiling in the bathrooms.
The budgeted CPST funds, along with $60,000 from the ARPA funds, would cover the costs of renovating the bathrooms, which Skinner said were from the 1950s. Council approved the transfer.
Trees grown on county land near the airport have matured and are ready to be harvested, County Engineer Rhett Templeton said, and council approved a plan to bid the lumber sale out. It also approved a resolution to transfer funds, if needed, from the Special Appropriations Fund to cover the anticipated costs of obtaining property near the airport for use of its airspace — a process called avigation easement. The funds will be reimbursed through a federal grant at 95%, Dorn told council.
In other business:
Council approved a resolution to allow work to start on a fee-in-lieu-of-tax and incentive agreement between Greenwood County and an unidentified company. The project is titled Project Premises and represents a $19 million minimum capital investment. The FILOT would last 20 years at 6% of the property’s assessed value.
Loy Sartin was appointed to a seat on the Accommodation Tax Commission. He joins recent appointees Claire Griffith, general manager of Inn on the Square and Hampton Inn General Manager Shanna Lance. Council postponed appointments to the joint planning commission because of Allison and Templeton’s absence at the meeting.
Council had first reading on an ordinance to allow “granny-flats,” or accessory dwelling units, to be built on existing properties. These buildings would be limited to 1,000 square feet and located on the rear or side yards if detached from the main structure.
Public meetings
/in UncategorizedMONDAY
GREENWOOD CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
TIME: 5 p.m.
LOCATION: 520 Monument St., room 207
AGENDA: New business: Consider executive session for the following: a. Discussion regarding the development of security personnel or devices. b. Discussion of negotiations incident to a proposed contractual arrangement with the Greenwood County Solicitor’s Office. Upon returning to open session, council may take action on matters discussed in executive session.
TUESDAY
GREENWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL
TIME: 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Greenwood County Library
AGENDA: Executive session. Action may be taken on items discussed in executive session. Regular meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. Third readings: Ordinance 2021-22 to amend the Wingert Road/Milford Springs Road PDD being Ordinance 01-95, as and if amended, to allow for a pull-a-part as an allowed use; Ordinance 2021-23 to amend the Greenwood County Zoning Ordinance, being Ordinance 13-86, as and if amended, so that one parcel of land totaling about 10 acres, owned by Eaton Corporation located at 5502 Highway 25 N. (GPIN #6930-118-548) which changes zoning classifications from RDD to I-1; Ordinance 2021-24 regarding the election of the Greenwood County Council chairperson and vice chairperson; Ordinance 2021-25 removing the moratorium on the permitting of residential structures below 750 square feet, imposed by Greenwood County Ordinance 2018-19, and providing permitting guidelines for residential structures costing in excess of $1,000 regardless of square footage, and other matters relating thereto; Ordinance 2021-26 authorizing (1) the execution and delivery of a fee-in-lieu-of-tax and incentive agreement by and between Greenwood County and Impresa Building Systems of Greenwood SC LLC and AACRE Impresa Greenwood LLC, companies previously identified collectively as Project iFactory, acting for themselves, one or more affiliates, and/or other project sponsors, pursuant to which the county shall covenant (a) to accept certain negotiated fees in lieu of ad valorem taxes with respect to the establishment of certain facilities in the County (the “new project”) and (b) to provide certain special source revenue credits in connection with certain existing property located in the County (the “existing project” and, together with the new project, the “project”) (2) the benefits of a multi-county industrial or business park to be made available to the company and the project, and (3) other matters relating thereto; Ordinance 2021-27 (1) amending the Master Agreement governing the Greenwood-Newberry Industrial Park dated Dec. 31, 2012 between Greenwood County and Newberry County, South Carolina so as to enlarge the boundaries of the park to include certain property now or hereafter to be owned and/or operated by Impresa Building Systems of Greenwood SC LLC and AACRE Impresa Greenwood LLC, companies previously identified collectively as Project iFactory, acting for themselves, one or more affiliates, and/or other project sponsors, and (2) authorizing other matters related thereto. New business: consideration of appointments to the Accommodation Tax Commission, Joint Planning Commission and Joint Board of Zoning Appeals; approval of plans to harvest timber on the airport property; Resolution 2021-27 authorizing a temporary transfer of funds from the Special Appropriations Fund to the Airport Operating Fund; Resolution 2021-28 amending the contract with MAT for transportation services; Resolution 2021-29 making a transfer of American Rescue Plan Act Funds to the Capital Projects Sales Tax Fund to complete the Brewer Community Center restroom renovations; Resolution 2021-30 authorizing the execution and delivery of a fee-in-lieu-of-tax and incentive agreement by and between Greenwood County (the “County”) and the company identified for the time being as Project Premises, acting for itself, one or more subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, assigns, lessors, and/or other project sponsors (collectively, the “Company”), pursuant to which the County shall, amongst other things, covenant to accept certain negotiated fees in lieu of ad valorem taxes with respect to the establishment of certain facilities to be located in the county and other matters relating thereto. First Readings: Ordinance 2021-28 authorizing the execution and delivery of a fee-in-lieu-of-tax and incentive agreement by and between Greenwood County (the “County”) and one or more companies identified collectively for the time being as Project Premises, acting for themselves, one or more affiliates, and/or other project sponsors (collectively, the “Company”), pursuant to which the County shall covenant to accept certain negotiated fees in lieu of ad valorem taxes with respect to the establishment of certain facilities in the County (the “Project”) and other matters relating thereto; Ordinance 2021-29 to amend the Greenwood County Zoning Ordinance, being Ordinance 13-86, as and if amended, so that one parcel of land totaling approximately 81.78 acres, located at 315 Chinquapin Road (GPIN #6835-681-777) which changes zoning classifications from R-1 to R-2; Ordinance 2021-30 to amend the Greenwood County Zoning Ordinance, being Ordinance 13-86, as and if amended to create standards for the building of Accessory Dwelling Units. District reports. Manager’s report. Attorney’s report. Executive session if needed. Action may be taken on items discussed in executive session.
SALUDA TOWN COUNCIL
TIME: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: 100 S. Jefferson St., Saluda
AGENDA: Appearance by citizens or others. Reports from municipal officers: Administration, building codes, finance, court, CPW, fire, police, streets/sanitation. Reports of standing committees. New business: A. Swearing in of new police officer B. Approval of town meting and holiday schedule for 2022 C. Discussion and approval of internal COVID policies and procedures. Council comments.
THURSDAY
MCCORMICK COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: 610 S. Mine St., McCormick
AGENDA: Old business: Update on zoning ordinance. New business: 1. Henry Wallace Martin — Discuss road acceptance from McCormick County for Wallace Town Road in Plum Branch off S.C. Highway 283. 2. New member application — Valerie D. Yarbough-Jones. 3. Continuing education training. Reports: 1. County council report. 2. Economic development report. New meeting: Nov. 4, 2021 at the county administration center.
Work underway to upgrade Grace Street, other parks in county
/in Index-JournalCrews tore down the derelict water treatment plant on the corner of Grace Street and the Bypass in preparation for the next phase of upgrades to Grace Street Park.
Greenwood County officials and towns throughout the county are readying for the next phase of Capital Project Sales Tax work on various parks, including Grace Street, Magnolia Park, the town parks in Hodges, Troy and Ninety Six and the construction of a new park on Foundry Road, said Josh Skinner, CPST coordinator.
“Phase-two funding will start this October,” he said. “They should get another $1.75 million just for Grace Street Park.”
The first phase of park improvements included the installation of signage at Grace Street Park, along with parking lot improvements, making new trails and tearing the old water treatment building down. In its place, Skinner said the park will have a parking lot as an entrance to the park from Grace Street, with a small playground near the bamboo forest and the trailhead nearby leading to the current park grounds along Merriwood Drive.
“But really, the actual design — the actual Davis & Floyd design — isn’t down on paper yet. It’s just conceptual,” he said.
Bidding for the first phase opened Sept. 21, and the low-bidder was Greenway Construction Group with a bid of $2.2 million for the work at Hodges, Troy, Foundry and Magnolia parks. The bid, Skinner said, was broken up so Hodges, Troy and Magnolia would cost less than $1 million, with Foundry costing about $1.26 million.
The bid is over-budget, however. Phase one’s budget is at about $2,053,000.
“Dwight (Funderburk) is looking at ways to reduce cost,” Skinner said. “Our main focus right now is Hodges, Magnolia and Troy.”
Troy and Hodges parks are supposed to see new signature pavilions to fit community interests there, and most park mock-ups include walking trails, lighting, benches and parking. The Ninety Six town park is set to see its pavilion and bathrooms replaced, as well. Troy, Magnolia and Foundry are set to see new playground equipment installed.
The new park on Foundry Road, to be in a swath of woods between South Main Street and the John G. Lamb center, has run into an ecological issue. A fuel leak from a nearby gas station tank has soaked through the soil toward Foundry Road.
“If you’re down there, you can smell the gas in the creek,” Skinner said. “The city has $150,000 from the EPA to clean up the soil from when it was an actual foundry.”
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control is helping stop and clean the leak, Skinner said.
Funds for phase two come in October, bringing an estimated $3.5 million for further work at Grace Street Park, the second phase of work at Foundry, the Ninety Six town park and walking and bicycle trails that run through Greenwood.
Skinner said if Greenway can get the price of the bid down by compromising on elements of the designs, work from phase one might start at the beginning of next year. If the price can’t come down, however, the county might have to re-bid the project.
“The issue, like we’ve seen at Boozer, is the building trades,” Skinner said.
The bathroom facilities drafted in the conceptual designs have had to get cut back, as material costs have inflated these park bids, he said.
Actual planning for phase two should start soon — Skinner said county officials will soon meet with Ninety Six Town Council to solidify their park’s design concept into an actual plan. There’s no contract yet for the design work.
Greenwood County updates hazard mitigation plans
/in UncategorizedPlan for the worst, hope for the best — the first half is part of George McKinney’s job in Greenwood County.
As emergency management coordinator, McKinney has worked alongside government officials, local organizations and private business owners to update the goals and strategies of the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The plan was developed to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s regulations and guidance to help reduce the human and economic costs of natural disasters. Planning like this involves assessing areas most at risk, analyzing their vulnerabilities, developing mitigation strategies and implementing a schedule for the county and its municipalities.
“For every dollar you spend on mitigation, you save four on the back-end,” McKinney said. “You can’t mitigate everything at one time, so we go through the process of identifying our goals.”
The 59-page mitigation plan is available online at bit.ly/3ERiyv7, and was recently updated from the previous 2018 draft. McKinney said he hopes to get feedback from the community and receive FEMA’s approval on the plan by the end of December. The county will host a public meeting Oct. 29 to discuss the plan and any recommendations for change, but the location and time have not been set yet as officials monitor COVID-19 case numbers and adapt for public safety.
For information or to share feedback on the mitigation plan, call McKinney at 864-942-8553 or email him at gmckinney@grenwoodsc.gov.
“There’s over 70,000 people here, and they see things we don’t see,” McKinney said. “We want to make sure we are getting those and including that in our plans.”
Some of the changes include an increase in the hazardous materials threat the county faces. McKinney said it partially arose because of past transportation of hazardous materials through the county and the probability of small events that could pose a risk.
The historic flooding that hit South Carolina in fall 2015 played into the updated plan, he said, and the county has seen an increase in flooding in low-lying areas.
“Over the years, we’ve continued to have impacts, with roads and bridges being topped and having to be closed,” he said.
Potential loss estimates in the event of a disaster increased because Greenwood has grown — loss estimates increase as more people move into the area, he said, and officials see estimates rise nearly every year.
Part of planning is identifying critical facilities and figuring out how to make them less vulnerable. Schools are vulnerable to tornados, so McKinney said the county can look at requiring certain construction materials or techniques for any new building to reduce the threat tornados pose.
A large part of prevention is community education, so McKinney said the county provides weather radios and smoke detectors through grant funding. An upcoming capital project sales tax project will involve studying the watershed of several creeks that have flooded repeatedly over the years, and efforts to mitigate flooding such as digging drainage trenches or building retention ponds.
Greenwood County Council hosts first meeting after Chairman Brown’s passing
/in Index-JournalSteve Brown was missed dearly at Monday’s Greenwood County Council meeting.
The meeting was previously set for Aug. 17, but Councilman Chuck Moates, now serving as chairman following Brown’s death, said they rescheduled it.
“Council felt out of respect to Mr. Brown’s family and him that we would not conduct a public meeting until after his funeral service,” he said. “Monday was the first time we could do it, and do it respecting his family.”
In their district reports, each council member paid their respects to Brown, a longtime public servant who spent nearly four decades in service to Greenwood city and county. But Moates said he would serve as council chairman according to procedure until Brown’s District Five seat is filled in a special election, then council will elect a chairperson and vice chairperson. Until then, he said members will continue to serve Greenwood County to their utmost capacity, like Brown would have wanted.
Humane Society of Greenwood Executive Director Connie Mawyer presented her quarterly update, sharing that the trap-neuter-return program for reducing feral cat colony populations has been a success. The group trapped, neutered and released 62 cats in the area of Crosscreek Connector, and through the past year the colony reduced to 16 total cats. HSOG has provided shelters and food for cats in the area that keep them away from heat and food sources from area businesses.
The animal shelter has struggled to handle its increased population, but Mawyer said HSOG is working on adoption events and working with pet owners to reduce the number of surrendered animals that come into the shelter.
“The strategies that we’ve put in place, we call them managed intake, but really it’s about managing sometimes the intake, the output and the in-between because of the population,” she said. “Typically from June to the end of August is our peak season.”
Many shelters are facing a crisis as populations expand. This year has seen fewer owner-surrendered animals, though, and Mawyer said she wants to target lowering the number of public strays in the following year. Last year featured about 1,000 animal adoptions, with a 90% live release rate, she said. Council members Theo Lane and Mark Allison complimented Mawyer on her work, and the HSOG and shelter staff for their smooth and effective operation.
Capital Project Sales Tax Coordinator Josh Skinner had two requests for council. His first was to spend an additional $10,000 on the Promised Land Walking Track project, which was originally budgeted at about $66,000. The Promised Land Community Association asked for the additional funds to rubberize the surface of the walking track, but Lane expressed concern about giving additional funds for an expense not included in the approved project application.
The request was shot down, and Councilwoman Edith Childs suggested to her constituents a community fundraiser to finance the rubberizing.
Later, Skinner gave an update on the work at the J.C. Fox Boozer Complex in Ninety Six. Funds from the first phase of construction are spent, but additional costs arose for the work at this county property when the county had to re-bid renovations for the park’s restrooms, along with the addition of LED lighting, overflow parking and irrigation.
The county has reached its original $1 million budget for the current site work, he said, but it will cost an additional nearly $600,000 to complete the remaining work. Skinner requested transferring $150,000 from the special appropriations fund to the CPST fund, along with an additional up to $500,000 from phase two of the Greenwood County Athletic Facilities project budget.
Councilman Robbie Templeton said some of these funds are being redirected from a project to put an all-inclusive playground at the Wilbanks Sports Complex — the site of the former civic center — and that funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will be secured to cover the playground. Council unanimously approved the funds transfer.
Council had first readings on two ordinances: One to allow the Lost Lure Special Tax District to dissolve, the other to rezone 28 acres on Sagewood Road from R-1 to R-2. For the first, County Treasurer Steffanie Dorn said there are only six or seven people in the Lost Lure tax district, and none objected when she asked about dissolving. The rezoning ordinance would allow for 10,000-square-foot lots on the property, potentially adding up to 40 units there. County Planning Director Phil Lindler said that many units is unlikely, given the geography of the land, and the owner said they weren’t intending to develop all of the property.
The state Regulator and Fiscal Affairs Office will help the county with its upcoming redistricting, as council approved a resolution to have the state agency serve as an impartial third party in the process. County Council’s districts will be redrawn based on the 2020 federal census data set for release next month. The fiscal affairs office will have public hearings and help with the process, although council will have the final vote for approval of the changed maps.