Category: Government

RIDGEWAY – With the cons outweighing the pros by about half, the townspeople of Ridgeway had their say Tuesday night about whether or not Town Council should ask County Council to consider locating a recreation facility, currently targeted for Highway 21 S. near Smallwood Road, to the center of town at Church and Means streets, the site of the former Ridgeway School.

While some speaking out against the move cited the potential noise and traffic the facility would bring to the residential neighborhood surrounding the in-town site, Angela Harrison, Chairwoman of the Town Planning Commission, told Council that putting the facility on the old school property would violate several of the Town’s ordinances.

“It is just a metal building,” Harrison said. “This breaks with the Town ordinance code 506.1, letter D.”

Harrison said the ordinance requires buildings to “contribute to the image of the town and its unique visual character. This metal building will not achieve that process.”

Harrison said letter P of the ordinance requires new buildings to be compatible with surrounding structures, which in this case are of brick and wood construction. Harrison also said the setback of the building would not meet the ordinance, and the building would impede scenic views, also contrary to the ordinance.

“Not only does the old school site break the ordinances that Town Council has set in place, it breaks the Town’s comprehensive plan as well,” Harrison said.

Cal Harrison, meanwhile, told Council that the 4.8 acres of the old school property would not allow for growth or expansion of recreation opportunities, while the current site on Highway 21, which is approximately 30 acres, would.

While several citizens said they were concerned that the facility on the old school site would mean the destruction of the archway – the last remaining vestiges of the old school – Councilman Russ Brown said that was not the case.

“In the last meeting, everybody on Town Council agreed that we want to preserve and enhance that arch,” Brown said. “So the arch isn’t going anywhere.”

The minority speaking in favor of relocating the facility into town cited the value of recreation for youth and adults, especially within walking distance of much of Ridgeway. An in-town facility would also be an attraction for industry, they said.

“Where we have the (Rufus Belton Park) down in Longtown, that’s too far for us to go to carry our children,” Doretha Hannah said. “Proceed with your plans and see if we can accommodate our center here in Ridgeway.”

The new recreation center, as part of the County’s comprehensive recreation plan to spend $500,000 in each of the seven voting districts, is designed to serve all of District 1. Noting that, Councilman Donald Prioleau suggested Council and District 1 County Councilman Dan Ruff hold another public forum for the district at-large. Council agreed, but set no date Tuesday night.

“I think you’re going to have to learn to share that area,” Brown said. “You’ve got 5 acres over there. It’s going to have to be shared. People are going to have to understand that. You’re talking about a 4,400-square-foot building, which can be improved, be changed and made attractive.”

BLYTHEWOOD – While Mayor J. Michael Ross reported that expenses ($9,056) at the Manor continue to outrun revenue ($3,885) this month, Town Administrator Gary Parker said a yearly comparison of the shortfall is looking better.

“From July 1 to Jan. 1, 2014 the shortfall was $34,000-plus,” Parker said. “That same period from July 1 to Jan. 1, 2015, the shortfall was $25,000-plus. This is a big improvement.”

Parker said it looks like things might continue in that direction in the coming fiscal year.

A-Tax Disbursements

Town Council approved several recommendations by the Accommodations Tax (A-Tax) Committee for disbursements of A-Tax revenue on Monday evening. The Voice was not notified of the meeting, which was held on Jan. 29. The following disbursements were approved:

• $15,000 to the Blythewood Historical Society to establish Phase 2 of the outdoor historical museum at the Langford-Nord House. The Society’s budget for the museum is $100,000 and it estimates 2,000+ people will attend the museum in 2015.

• $5,000 to the Blythewood High School JROTC to help fund a 5K Run during April in downtown Blythewood. The JROTC has budgeted $11,000 for the event and expects 1,000+ in attendance.

Another disbursement of $750 of A-Tax revenue was approved by the mayor for a luncheon for the USC equestrian team and certain invited town government officials prior to the team’s meet on Jan. 31.

Parker recommended that all the requests be approved. He said the A-Tax fund has a balance of $50,000. Parker said all of the Town’s media would be notified of A-Tax meetings in the future.

Doko Meadows Foundation

Council approved up to $3,000 for start-up costs for the Doko Meadows Foundation, which was organized to seek financial donations for the completion of the Doko Park. Those start-up costs would include fees for filing the corporation and the organization’s 501(c)(3) status, insurance, administration and bookkeeping. Parker said the Foundation met on Jan. 22 to discuss organizational structure, goals, the amphitheater, potential funding sources as well as the need to draft proposed by-laws.

Industry Appreciation Week Breakfast

Council members approved up to $1,000 for an invitation-only breakfast on March 31 at the Manor to recognize industry in the community and surrounding areas, including Fairfield County. The Town’s Economic Development consultant, Ed Parler, suggested inviting about 60 people from industries, Town officials, the Chamber members and Town and County officials from neighboring Fairfield County and the S.C. Department of Commerce.

BLYTHEWOOD – After months of wrangling with developer D.R. Horton over a proposed amendment to the zoning of Cobblestone Park where a majority of the members of the Town Council live, Council won out. It was announced at the meeting on Monday evening that the developer has agreed to Council’s final demand – to conduct a traffic impact study on the anticipated changes in traffic from Cobblestone Park onto Syrup Mill Road and any impact it might have on Blythewood Road.

This came after D.R. Horton gave in earlier this month to Council’s demands that the developer rescind its request for a small patch of R-4 zoning on which it had proposed to build five model homes and leave it as a green space. The developer also agreed to change the current Town Center (TC) zoning on a parcel near the gated entrance to Planned District Development (PDD) zoning which is consistent with the rest of the development. The TC zoning district allows multi-story units. D.R. Horton engineer Tom Margle confirmed, also, that a separation of 80 feet from back lot line to back lot line, that had been a concern of some property owners in the Primrose section, would be maintained.

At Monday night’s Council meeting, Margle said D.R. Horton would send a proposed scope of study for the traffic impact study to the S.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) early next week, and that the DOT would approve or suggest changes to that scope of study.

But just as mayor pro tem Bob Massa called for the vote on first reading on the proposed zoning amendment, it turned out Council was still not done. Councilman Tom Utroska, a resident of Cobblestone, asked that Council make the approval of the amendment contingent on the results of the traffic impact study. To do that, Town Attorney Jim Meggs said, Council could go ahead with the first reading vote, but suspend action on second reading until it had received the results of the traffic study. Council voted 4-0 to pass first reading. Mayor J. Michael Ross did not vote since he had been advised by the S.C. Ethics Commission to recuse himself during discussion and voting on the amendment because he owns a lot in the Primrose area.

Following the vote, Councilman Bob Mangone, who also lives in Cobblestone, said he appreciated Horton’s willingness to cooperate with the Council. The developer has argued all along that it should not be required to do a traffic study since, under the proposed zoning, the build out in the neighborhood would actually be reduced by a total of 511 dwelling units as compared with the current zoning allowance, thus reducing the potential traffic from the neighborhood.

WINNSBORO – Town Council Tuesday night gave the nod to two capital expenditure requests, while also agreeing to consider beefing up security at Town Hall.

Approving requests that passed through a Finance Committee meeting earlier in the evening, Council OK’d $90,000 for the Water and Sewer Department to purchase various pieces of equipment and to repair equipment still in service. One of these pieces, a flash motor, used in the coagulation process at the water plant, has been in service since 1989. No longer serviced by its manufacturer, the mixer is need of a new motor.

Council also approved the Water and Sewer request for $8,995 for a new pump at lift station 15 (Isola pump station). Pete Duty & Associates, of Hillsborough, N.C. submitted the lowest bid on the pump by nearly $1,000.

Councilman Clyde Sanders then suggested that Council explore a security system for Town Hall, which he said was “wide open” during business hours and when Council was in session. With the only offices in Town Hall now located upstairs since the relocation of the utilities billing offices to Washington Street, no one is on hand to monitor traffic in and out of the ground floor.

“I would like for us to look at putting a security system in this building so that you would have to have a card or a pass code to get in,” Sanders suggested, “or either you have to get permission from somebody to enter the building. I know we’re a small town and nothing happens much, but it’s a crazy world out there. Anybody can walk in and do anything.”

Sanders made the motion for Council to seek bids to explore what the costs for a security system at Town Hall would be. Stan Klaus seconded the motion and Council unanimously agreed (Councilman Danny Miller was absent).

RIDGEWAY – Town Council voted unanimously at their Feb. 12 meeting to host a public forum on the issue of whether or not to ask the County to consider relocating a proposed District 1 recreation facility into the town limits.

Currently, the County is planning to construct the facility on approximately 10 acres of land just beyond the town limits on Highway 21 S. near Smallwood Road, adjacent to a County recycling center. Since December, however, Ridgeway Councilman Russ Brown has been advocating for property at Church and Means streets, site of the former Ridgeway School and the former Town Hall.

While Brown’s fellow Council members have warmed to the idea, a handful of citizens have spoken out against the move, citing traffic, noise and aesthetic concerns. Councilman Donald Prioleau has also advocated for the move, saying Ridgeway makes the most sense as it is the hub of District 1. At a joint meeting with County representatives on Jan. 28, Prioleau also said it might be less expensive to build the facility on the Town’s property. Unlike the proposed Highway 21 site, which would require extensive tree removal and grading, the Ridgeway site is essentially ready to build. Furthermore, he said, the Ridgeway site already has water and sewer available; the Highway 21 property does not have a sewer connection.

District 1 County Councilman Dan Ruff said during the Jan. 28 meeting that a third option, to build the facility at Rufus Belton Park, approximately 9 miles out of town at 5087 Park Road, might be on the table. Ruff also suggested a final public forum before Ridgeway makes a decision.

During Council’s Feb. 12 meeting, Dee Dee Ruff urged Council to hold such a forum.

“There are good things that could come from a facility inside of town and there are also bad things that could come from having a facility inside town,” she said, “and you need to openly air those, frankly discuss them and carefully examine them. It’s a big decision and once you make it, it can’t be easily undone, if at all.”

The forum will be held Feb. 24 at Town Hall at 6 p.m.

RIDGEWAY – Pushed into a corner by Norfolk Southern last year to formally lease property it had used free of charge for decades, Town Council stalled on second reading of an ordinance authorizing the lease of the Cotton Yard during their Feb. 12 meeting.

The $300 a year lease would also require the Town to purchase liability insurance for the property at $1,000 a year. Mayor Charlene Herring told Council in December that the railroad company is reviewing leases and properties all across the state, forcing municipalities to either lease the lots and accept liability or see the lots fenced off. In Ridgeway’s case, at least two buildings stand on the property – the police station and the fire station – and the railroad would demand their removal unless the town agreed to a lease.

“Before we just jump into this lease, I think it might be in our best interest to maybe double check on where the future of (the fire station) stands,” Councilman Russ Brown said during the Feb. 12 meeting.

The County is planning to build a new fire and EMS station at Rufus Belton Park, approximately 9 miles out of town at 5087 Park Road. Herring said there were tentative plans of using the building, once the fire department has relocated, as a new branch to the Fairfield County Library. Brown wanted to know if, by signing the lease for the property, the town might also inadvertently be taking responsibility for the building. Herring agreed to contact the County and work out those details.

Councilman Heath Cookendorfer, meanwhile, suggested renegotiating the $300 a year lease with the railroad. Citing a lease agreement made in 2008 in Claypool County, Ind., where Norfolk Southern settled for $1 a year, Cookendorfer said Ridgeway may be able to get a similar deal.

“Since some type of precedent has been made with that,” Cookendorfer said, “maybe that’s something they would entertain coming back and speaking with us and talking about the possibility of getting the lease cheaper than what it is now.”

Herring answered that the railroad had indicated that $300 was as low as they would be willing to go, adding that the 2008 Claypool County deal may also be headed for a review by the company. Still, she said she would ask.

“It’s definitely worth asking the question,” Cookendorfer said.” I would rather get a ‘no’ than assuming a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.”

Hospitality Tax

Brown presented Council with findings from last week’s meeting of the Economic Development Committee, emphasizing the need for Ridgeway to adopt a hospitality tax.

“There’s a burden on the budget, the general budget, for the Town,” Brown said. “There are things that the Town needs but there are not funds there to support them. To help the town be productive, (a hospitality tax) may be worth considering. It’s a good option. It’s better than having property taxes increase.”

Brown said there are already state laws on the books governing how a hospitality tax works and for what the money it raises can be used. Brown said the maximum allowable tax was 2 percent, which could be charged on prepared meals.

“It’s got to go to a handful of things,” he said. “It can go to tourism related buildings; recreational, cultural or historical facilities; highways, roads, streets and bridges; advertising and promotion; and water and sewer infrastructure.”

Tina Johnson, a Ridgeway business owner who sits on the committee, was in the audience and agreed.

“I think it would be good for the Town,” Johnson said. “It’s a way to get the money that’s needed to run the Town.”

Council accepted Brown’s notes as information.

Some Council Members in the Dark

WINNSBORO – County Council has issued another general obligation (GO) bond in the amount of $306,000. Signed by Council Chairwoman Carolyn Robinson on Jan. 13, 2015, the bond was filed with the Fairfield County Clerk of Court on Jan. 16.

Robinson said the revenue from the GO bond is earmarked for payments to the Fairfield Facilities Corporation (FFC), a non-profit shell corporation created by Council on March 25, 2013 for the purpose of issuing $24 million in bonds which the FFC then uses to pay for certain County renovations, recreational facilities and other projects. The County then issues GO bonds to pay the FCC which, in turn, uses that revenue  to pay off the $24 million bond.

Asked about the new bond on Tuesday, four of the seven County Councilmen told The Voice they had not been informed that the bond was issued or that it was going to be issued. A fifth councilman had not returned phone calls from The Voice at press time and a sixth referred all inquiries about the bond to Robinson. Robinson told The Voice that a representative of Parker Poe, the County’s bond attorneys, brought the bond documents for her to sign and that she believes the GO bonds will continue to be issued at regular six-month intervals until the $24 million bond is paid off in 2042.

“I am embarrassed to say I know nothing about the issuance of a new bond,” Councilman Billy Smith told The Voice on Tuesday. “And I am surprised I haven’t been told about it since it was issued more than a month ago.”

The County will pay Parker Poe a $20,000 issuance fee on the $306,000 bond, and the bond document includes a schedule of principal payments to be paid in the following increments: $59,714 on March 1, 2017; $60,341 on March 1, 2019; $149,695 on March 1, 2021 and $36,250 on March 1, 2022. According to the bond document, interest on the bond is due each March 1 and Sept. 1 through maturity (March 1, 2022), commencing Sept. 1, 2015. Robinson told The Voice that she does not know how much interest or other fees the County is paying on the bond.

The new bond is the third GO bond issued by the County since February 2014. The bonds were authorized by Ordinance No. 614 that was adopted by Council on April 15, 2013, following three readings and a public hearing in Council chambers. Passage of the ordinance allows the County to issue an unlimited number of GO bonds in any amount so long as they do not exceed the County’s bonded debt limit, which was $4.5 million as of March 2, 2013. And even if a GO bond does not exceed the bonded debt limit, the public has a 60-day period during which they can force a referendum (public vote) on the ordinance. If the referendum defeats the bond issuance, the County can not issue the GO bonds.

Some who oppose the bonds say they were not aware the County had passed the ordinance to levy the GO bonds.

According to digital recordings of the three meetings in which the ordinance was voted on, Council only read the title of the ordinance, but did not discuss or go into an explanation that the GO bond issuances provided for in the ordinance were planned to pay for the $24 million bond or the millage consequences for tax payers. Instead, it was reported by Fairfield County newspapers that members of Council said, on April 15, 2013, that Council had, that evening, passed a $24 million bond. That did not happen. Council passed Ordinance 624 that night. The $24 million bond was never passed by Council. It had been passed three weeks earlier by the non-profit shell corporation. The newspaper also reported that Hinely said the $24 million bonds would not come with a tax increase. But no mention was made that the GO bonds authorized by Ordinance 614 that evening would keep the county’s debt millage at a higher level over a longer period of time than if the GO bonds not been issued.

At a Council meeting last September, Parker Poe bond attorney Ray Jones shed new light on how the $24 million bonds and the newly issued GO bonds would affect the County’s debt millage. In response to questions as to whether the revenue from the two new nuclear units would materialize in sufficient time to make the payments on the $24 million bond, Jones said the County is not dependent on the new revenue from the nuclear plant to pay off the $24 million bonds. Rather, he said, the plan is for the County to continue issuing GO bonds over the life of the $24 million bond without exceeding the County’s current 10.4 debt service millage.

When asked by Tom Connor of Ridgeway if there was any possibility of a tax decrease for the taxpayers from the County’s current annual 10.4 debt service millage (1 mill = $126,954) over the duration of the payoff of the $24 million bond, Jones said, “This model says we will not go over 10.4 mills. That’s all I can tell you.”

A chart provided by County Administrator Milton Pope in September and published in The Voice on Sept. 19 showed that eventhough the County’s 2009 ($6.5 million) bond will be paid off in 2019, the County’s10.4 mills of debt service will continue for tax payers until 2040 and to a lesser degree until 2047 as the GO bonds continue to be issued to pay off the $24 million bond.

BLYTHEWOOD – With several items of business left over from two recent work sessions and last month’s Council meeting, Council is expected to have a full agenda on Monday, including a long awaited decision on the Cobblestone Park proposed zoning amendment and an expensive advertising campaign for The Manor.

Town Administrator Gary Parker met on Wednesday, shortly after The Voice went to press, with D.R. Horton representatives Ross Oakley and Tom Margle, Town Councilman Eddie Baughman, Planning Commission Chairman Malcolm Gorge, Town Planner Michael Criss, District Permits Engineer Tyler Clark and staff from the S.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) to hash out whether or not the Town can require D.R. Horton to conduct a traffic study for Syrup Mill and Blythewood roads as a result of the developer’s proposed building plans in the Primrose section of the neighborhood. Although D.R. Horton’s plans call for 506 fewer homes in the neighborhood overall, some members of Council who live in Cobblestone are insisting that because of additional homes being built in the Primrose section of the neighborhood, the traffic could increase on Syrup Mill Road. The item is expected to be on the agenda for first reading.

Another matter that continues to plague Town Hall and that was discussed at the Feb. 12 work session is how to stop the financial bleeding of The Manor. Parker suggested the possibility of hiring advertising resources to market the facility, especially for weekday and business events. Parker’s suggestions included an advertising campaign with Columbia Metropolitan Magazine or Columbia Business Monthly, pointing out that Columbia Metropolitan’s advertising package costs $10,950 and reaches more readers than a comparable package with Columbia Business Monthly, which costs $17,000.

Parker also suggested hiring a marketing consultant with the idea of improving bookings at the Manor during Monday through Thursday. He said the cost would be over $10,000 and be followed by the cost of implementing the advice of the marketing consultant.

Other items expected to be voted on are a proposed Industry Appreciation Week, the use, scheduling and charges for the Doko Park’s fields and the completion of park gates at Sandfield and McLean roads.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at The Manor on Monday.

WINNSBORO – In spite of urgings from one member of the public to do otherwise, County Council Chairwoman Carolyn Robinson (District 2) announced Monday night that Council would be holding their Feb. 21 retreat one county away.

Ridgeway resident Randy Bright had asked Council during the meeting’s first public comment segment to hold the retreat locally, so that it would be more accessible to constituents. Nevertheless, Robinson later announced the retreat would be held at the Midlands Technical College campus on Farrow Road in Richland County.

“We’re using that facility because we put money in the pot for educating the children and everything and it’s something that is available to us so that’s where we have chosen to have it,” Robinson said.

Councilwoman Mary Lynn Kinley (District 6) later asked Robinson if she would consider holding the retreat at the Midlands Tech campus in Fairfield County, but Robinson said adequate space was not available there.

“We only have one room available to us there,” Robinson said. “We need two rooms.”

Robinson also said the White Oak Conference Center had been considered, but was “cost prohibitive.” Council can use the Farrow Road campus for free, she said.

“We tried to think of some (other local) possibilities,” Robinson said, “and we didn’t come up with any.”

The retreat is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and is open to the public. The campus is actually located just off Farrow Road at 151 Powell Road in Columbia.

Committee Split

Council voted to split the Policy and Development Committee into two new committees Monday night. By unanimous vote, Council created the Public Affairs and Policy Committee, comprising justice and personnel procedures, environmental and public safety, land planning and zoning; and the Public Resources and Development Committee, covering health, education and recreation, public facilities and transportation, welfare and community relations.

At the suggestion of Kinley, Council agreed to try the new format for six months and bring it up for review.

In Congress

With no members of Council attending next weekend’s National Association of Counties legislative conference in Washington, D.C., Council discussed items to be included in a letter to U.S. Rep Mick Mulvaney and senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, detailing the County’s needs for potential federal assistance.

County Administrator Milton Pope told Council the letter would include requests for hospital funding, assistance with water and sewer infrastructure, internet access and the County’s aging 9-1-1 system. Kinley suggested including a request for assistance in funding a new library project in Ridgeway, while Councilman Kamau Marcharia (District 4) asked Pope to also include incentives for housing developers.

“We have one of the poorest stocks of housing in the state,” Marcharia said. “Is there a way where we can entice or invite developers to come with some kind of incentives to start building some homes or houses?”

Late Start

Council rescheduled the start time of their Feb. 23 meeting to 7:30 p.m. to allow Council members to attend that evening’s ceremony honoring former Sheriff Herman Young. Young will be awarded the Order of the Palmetto at an event beginning at 5:30 at the Carolina Event Center, 1122 Highway 321 in Winnsboro.