Blythewood Online 691

Category: Government

  • Tighter Codes Putting Fairfield County Staff to the Test

    Fairfield County’s new building codes are putting a strain on existing staff, and during the June 25 meeting of County Council, County Administrator Phil Hinely informed Council of his intent to bring on help.

    “Recently Council updated the zoning and building codes to reflect the current national codes, and added an initiative to address the existing buildings in deteriorating condition,” Hinely said.

    The additional workload created by updating the zoning and building codes has not, by itself, been significant enough to warrant additional staffing, Hinely said, but the more stringent codes regarding existing buildings have stretched the effectiveness of the County’s two code enforcement officers.

    “Unfortunately, we have a large inventory of existing housing stock that is in violation, and we don’t have any additional staff to take care of that,” Hinely said. “Without that (additional staff) it will take us years to realize our outcome.”

    Hinely said the current director of planning and zoning is planning to retire in the next two years and suggested creating an assistant director position in order to train an individual to replace the director. When the current director retires, the assistant would be promoted to director and the assistant director position would be deleted.

    “When we know we have someone who is in a critical management position in the County, we should bring someone in to understudy him,” Hinely said. “He (the current director) has a lot of institutional history and knowledge.”

    Hinely said it was his plan to divide the department into two sections – building inspection, and planning and zoning/code enforcement – and hire two additional code enforcement officers.

    “The new codes are a lot more broad and touch a lot more people,” Hinely said, “and to give people due process, it takes longer to go through process.”

    “If we don’t get additional staff, is it the end of the world?” Hinely asked, rhetorically. “No. But the things you want done are not going to get done.”

    Hinely said he also plans to have additional legal assistance lined up in order to combat any potential litigation as the County begins enforcement of the tougher codes.

    “Some of the worst property in this county is right here on (Highway) 321,” Council Chairman David Ferguson said. “You can look straight across the street and (see) a boarded-up house right on 321, the main thoroughfare to get to the town of Winnsboro, right across the street from our headquarters. One of the worst environments in the county is right across the street. It’s because we’ve got two code enforcement officers and a million things for them to look at.”

    Councilwoman Mary Lynn Kinley said the new codes went hand in hand with potential economic development.

    “When Sumter County had a big industry that wanted to come in there, they went into the neighborhoods before anybody knew they were in town,” Kinley said. “If they did that here, they would tuck and run from Fairfield County if they came down this thoroughfare. We’ve let them get by with too much for too long. There are going to be a lot of growing pains, but we will all benefit.”

    Council asked Hinely to provide detailed job descriptions for the proposed new code enforcement officers, and requested that the new officers be certified as Class 3 officers, with the ability to issue citations, within a reasonable amount of time after hire. A final OK on the matter was tabled until Council’s next meeting.

    Council also discussed a possible revision to their policy concerning subdivision development. Council said they have encountered problems with developers who, when ground was broken on their subdivisions, signed a document pledging to not ask the County for services, including paved roads or the repair of those roads. But, after development is completed, residents, who may have been unaware of such a provision, have come to Council asking for services.

    In fact, at the outset of the meeting, a resident of Reservoir Road asked Council to come in and patch up roads in her subdivision.

    “That’s the way it was with Paradise Lane,” Ferguson said, referring to a similar issue encountered by Council in the past. “We will do everything we can to get it rectified. We can’t just go out there and fix it because the property was never deeded to the County. There’s not a quick, fast, in-a-hurry fix to it because you have to work through all the legal stuff.”

    Hinely suggested Council may want to consider modifying the existing subdivision ordinance to the effect that if developers do not get the deed recorded, they will not be able to acquire a building permit.

  • McDaniel Campaign Protests Runoff

    The runner-up in last week’s Democratic primary runoff for the District 41 seat in the S.C. State House has filed a protest with the state party.

    Annie E. McDaniel, who lost to MaryGail Douglas by nearly 1,000 votes in the June 26 runoff, filed a protest with the State Democratic Party Friday, claiming that Douglas did not file her Statement of Economic Interest (SEI) at the same time she filed her Statement of Intention for Candidacy (SIC), as mandated by a recent ruling of the S.C. Supreme Court (Anderson v. S.C. Election Commission).

    “The Court clarified that filing a paper copy of an SEI simultaneously with the filing of an SIC is the only method by which a non-exempt candidate can comply,” McDaniel’s protest states.

    The McDaniel campaign also states that the Fairfield County Democratic Party did not hold a meeting in order to properly certify candidates following the Court’s decision.

    Ernest Yarborough, who is acting as media consultant for the McDaniel campaign, said the issue is simply about the rule of law.

    “No one is above the law,” Yarborough said. “MaryGail Douglas slipped through the cracks, and that’s not fair. She should simply resign.”

    Tangee Bryce Jacobs, Chairwoman of the Fairfield County Democratic Party, could not be reached for comment; however, an official inside the County Party, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the County Party has never met, nor was it ever instructed to meet, in order to certify candidates.

    “We followed the State Party’s instructions to the letter,” the Party official said.

    Furthermore, the Party official added, Douglas did, in fact, file all of her paperwork on time and in accordance with the Court’s ruling.

    “All of my paperwork was filed properly,” Douglas said Monday. “I really don’t understand. There are people who live in chaos and when things don’t go their way, there’s a trigger they pull and aim it at whoever gets in their way. They like to throw fits, and this is a Fairfield County fit. This sort of thing seems to follow some people.”

    McDaniel is requesting that the State Party declare Douglas ineligible as a candidate. She is also requesting that subpoenas be issued to County Party officials, with a request for them to appear with all records at a hearing to establish the allegations.

    Phone calls to McDaniel, as well as to the State Party, were not returned at press time.

  • $5 million civil penalty imposed on Katie Cauthen

    The N.C. Department of Insurance (NCDOI) has proposed that the state’s Commissioner of Insurance impose a civil penalty of $4,975,000 on Kathleen Cauthen, a former Blythewood Town Councilwoman, for what the Department said was Cauthen’s part in “orchestrat[ing] a fraudulent insurance scheme that allegedly defrauded thousands of individuals nationwide, including at least 498 North Carolina residents.”

    The order was signed by Anne Goco Kirby, Assistant Attorney General for the N.C. Department of Justice Feb. 2 and issued to Cauthen March 2.

    Similar penalties were imposed on at least 14 other individuals and companies that the Department says were associated with the alleged scheme.

    In 2010, a number of states, including South Carolina and North Carolina, filed cease and desist orders against Cauthen and others, claiming they sold limited benefit medical plans backed by non-existent insurance to unsuspecting consumers through associations.

    The NCDOI said it does not know the actual total amount of premiums collected from N.C. residents for what it called bogus and non-existent coverage.

    “However, the affidavit of Jeff Jacobs, chief legal counsel of the SC Department of Insurance, indicates that between February 2008 and April 2010, Cauthen and William Worthy collected in excess of $10,000,000 in insurance premiums.”

    These figures include premiums that the NCDOI claims were collected from the 498 N.C. residents who purchased the alleged bogus limited medical insurance.

    According to the NCDOI’s Memorandum on Penalties for Violations of NCGS 58-28-13, these premiums were wired to various accounts controlled by Worthy, Cauthen and/or an individual named David L. Clark, and were never remitted to an insurer.

    Instead, according to the Memorandum, these respondents used a portion of the premiums to pay claims, and Cauthen also used a portion of the premium money to pay employees she allegedly hired to act as customer service representatives.

    The order states that “Worthy and Cauthen used the remaining premiums of at least $5,498,500 for personal and unrelated business expenditures.”

    The NCDOI asked that the maximum penalty be imposed against Cauthen, Worthy and Clark of $5,000 for the first violation and $10,000 for each subsequent violation.

    The NCDOI also asked that each of the 498 N.C. residents known to have purchased the phony insurance . . . be regarded as a separate violation by these respondents.

    “Under this formula, the total proposed penalties for Worthy, Cauthen and Clark is $4,975,000 each.”

    Cauthen was elected to the Blythewood Town Council in January 2008 and announced in August 2010 that she would not seek re-election in January 2012.

  • Solicitor will not prosecute criminal FOIA case

    A 6th Circuit Solicitor has pulled the plug on an attempt to prosecute criminal charges for violation of the S.C. Freedom of Information Act.

    Solicitor Doug Barfield Jr. notified Kirby D. Shealy Jr., the judge assigned to hear the case, last week that he would not prosecute the case brought last November against the individual members of the Jenkinsville Water Company Board of Directors by James Denton while he was editor and general manager of The Herald Independent newspaper in Winnsboro.

    “I was not consulted prior to the issuance of these courtesy summonses and did not agree to prosecute them at any time during the pendency of this matter,” Barfield said in his statement to Shealy. “Solicitors in our state are not constitutionally or statutorily mandated to prosecute cases in magistrate courts, although we do in two areas, criminal domestic violence and driving under the influence cases, because we receive grant funding to do so. These courtesy summonses were never mine to prosecute. I was asked to voluntarily assume responsibility for the prosecution of these cases. I respectfully decline to do so.”

    Courtesy summonses were served against the individual members of the JWC Board (Tangee Brice Jacobs, Tim Roseborough, Joseph McBride, Aquilla O’Neal, Lori Smith and Gregrey D. Ginyard) in November of 2011 after the Board refused to comply with numerous FOIA requests by Denton and Jill Cincotta while both were with The Herald Independent newspaper. The Board’s refusal to comply came after an opinion issued Aug. 8, 2011, from the S.C. Attorney General’s Office confirmed that the JWC Board was a public body and therefore subject to the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. Cincotta later provided each Board member with a copy of the S.C. FOIA and indicated to each member where the law applied to the JWC Board.

    “While we respect the Solicitor’s decision, we are, naturally, disappointed,” Denton said. “It is somewhat baffling that we have a law on the books, a law written to protect the public from runaway secret governments, which contains within it a provision for criminal prosecution – yet it is no one’s mandate to prosecute it.”

  • Committee makes recommendation for Park

    After five months and many delays, the mayor’s six-member ad hoc park committee has made a single recommendation to Town Council for alternative ways the $5.5 million bond money should be spent on Phase I of the town park.

    In a presentation to Council, Tom Utroska, chairman of the committee, said the committee recommended building two restroom facilities in the park instead of installing:

    1) A fountain (including equipment) in the formal garden adjacent to the proposed Depot building and

    2) A portion of the operating equipment for the sprayground fountain proposed adjacent to the playground area. However, all drain and supply lines for connecting the sprayground to that equipment in the future and the installation of a finished colored concrete sprayground slab with all necessary piping for the sprayground will be installed as previously planned.

    According to Town Councilman Paul Moscati, who serves as the Town’s construction consultant on the project, the total amount of credits from those portions of the fountain and sprayground will free up enough construction money for the Town to build two restroom facilities near the playground area, though no playground equipment is now budgeted in the $5.5 million.

    Since the ad hoc committee began meeting last February, Utroska has asked Moscati for a list of what is and what is not included in the original $5.5 million spent on the park (This portion of the park is now referred to by town officials as Phase I). Moscati finally gave the list (see below) to the committee at their June 19 meeting.

    Utroska said the committee would be willing to continue to prioritize items for the park that are currently not included in the $5.5 million construction spending. Additional construction would require additional funding sources.

    What’s in & What’s out?

    What IS and  IS NOT included in the original $5.5 million park construction bond:

    INCLUDED

    A. Horizontal Construction by Conder Construction Company

    1.) All surveying and layout

    2)  All silt fencing, erosion control and storm water management

    3)  All clearing and grubbing

    4)  All rough and fine grading

    5) All domestic and fire, water and sewer services

    6) Replacement sewer lift station and force main

    7) Demobilization of existing sewer lift station

    8) All underground storm drainage

    9) Low Impact Design storm drainage systems:

         • Infiltration trenches

         • Bio-infiltration basins

         • Littoral plant shelves (at lake)

        • Grass pavers

    10) All standing and flush concrete curbs

    11) All grassed dirt building pads (no concrete pads and no structures included) for the following:

          • Open Air Pavilion

          • Adventure Center

          • Amphitheater & Buildings

          • Clock Tower & Sprayground

    12) Lake excavation, dam and outfall piping

    13) All temporary grassing (no permanent grass included)

    14) Portion of landscaping and irrigation

    15) Fountain and sprayground

    16) Construction of dock and pier at lake

    17) Installation of pervious pavers

    18) All base material for roads, parking

    19) First layer of asphalt paving on roads

    20) Nature trail

    21) Parking lot lighting (provided by Fairfield Electric)

    22) Power distribution (by Fairfield Electric)

    23) Concrete dumpster pads, aprons and bollards

    24) Perimeter fencing

    25) Underground sleeves

    26) SCDOT road improvements at entrances

    27) Demolition of existing structures

    B. Vertical Construction by Monroe Construction Company

    1) Doko Manor

        • 500 linear feet of sidewalks

        • Back concrete deck and arbor

     

    NOT INCLUDED  (would require additional funding)

    A. Horizontal Construction by Conder Construction Company

    1) Miscellaneous infiltration trenches at formal garden

    2) Final lift of asphalt

    3) Remainder of landscaping and irrigation

    4) Site signage, internal and public wayfaring signage

    5) Emergency call boxes

    6) Garden paths at formal gardens

    7) ADA ramps

    8) Wheel stops

    B. Vertical Construction by Monroe Construction Company

    1) Depot

    2) Open Air Pavilion

    3) Adventure Center

    4) Clock Tower

    5) Playground Restrooms

    6) Amphitheater buildings

    7) Arbor

    8) Shelter structures

    9) Skate Park

    10) Light bollards for nature trail

    11) Dumpster enclosures

    12) Entrance gates

    13) Sidewalks

    14) Fences at playground and amphitheater

    15) Radial stone wall at sprayground

    16) All trash receptacles and benches

    17) Pour-In-Place playground surfacing

    18) Wood fiber mulch at playground

    19) Playground equipment

    20) Concrete floor under arbor

  • Blythewood Town Council adopts $1.279M budget

    The Blythewood Town Council has adopted a $1,279,000 balanced budget for FY 2012-13 that reflects a $75,000 decrease in staff salaries and benefits, an increase of $20,000 in professional services, a projected overall $98,000 in total operating costs and an increase of $26,000 for economic development.

    The Town will take $45,000 from local Accommodation Taxes and $40,000 from Hospitality Taxes for unidentified special promotions.

    Under the heading of Public Works in the Town Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), the administration will take $110,000 from the General Fund to cover some expenses for the Town Park: $50,000 to furnish the Doko Manor, $30,000 to clean up the area along the railroad next to the town park and $30,000 for playground facilities. Nothing was set aside for Community Development (sidewalks, street trees, wayfinding signs, etc.) in the 2012-13 budget.

    The budget projects a $72,000 increase in expenditures for office lease and CAM and an increase of $20,000 in utilities.

    The Town’s rental income, which was $5,000 (from the Community Center) in the FY 2010-11 budget and projected to be $19,000 in the current budget, is projected to increase to $29,000 in the 2012-13 budget.

    The Town is projected to spend $142,000 during FY 2012-13 to help pay back its $5.5 million bond for the Town Park.

    Addressing Council during the Public Hearing portion of the meeting, Cobblestone resident Tom Utroska called on members of Council to reveal their revenue source for almost $2 million of future public services expenses for a fire station, town maintenance facility and Sheriff’s substation.

    “If such expenditures are included in the budget,” Utroska said, “then the proposed revenue sources – taxes, I assume – should also be reflected in the budget so that the general public fully understands your plans.

    “In the past,” Utroska continued, “when I have questioned you about expenditures that I hadn’t been aware that you planned, I was all too often told, ‘well, it was on a spreadsheet or a proposed budget years ago.’

    “Because of that,” he said, “I object to these items being listed in the Town’s budget. Just because something is on a spreadsheet doesn’t mean we’ve been told about it up front.”

    Utroska scolded Council for not posting proposed budget information on the Town’s website prior to the final vote by Council.

    Council also heard a report from the ad hoc baseball committee. Ken Branham, standing in for baseball committee chairman Bob Mangone, said Mangone had met with James Brown, chairman of the Richland County Recreation Commission, and County Councilwoman Joyce Dickerson about Blythewood’s immediate and long-term needs for baseball fields. He also said the committee had established communication with the media.

    “We immediately estimate the need for one additional baseball field,” Branham said. “But according to a 2009 report, that will not be adequate to meet our needs.”

    Asked by Councilman Ed Garrison if the number of fields are adequate for the number of kids wanting to play, Councilman Jeff Branham, a member of the committee, said, “A couple of kids were turned away this past season, but there might have been more if the league had properly advertised the registration.”

    Jeff Branham added that the numbers this season were about the same as in 2009.

    Ken Branham said Mangone had visited the schools and other facilities around the town and had a couple of possibilities for new fields. He said it might be possible to build four on property behind Bethel-Hanberry Elementary School. He also suggested property adjacent to the current fields might be acquired for a field.

    The property “is currently an eyesore,” Ken Branham said. “There are some mobile homes in disarray. We’re pursuing what it would take to get that property.”

    Ken Branham also suggested the possibility of using property behind the former Ace Hardware store.

    Ken Branham asked about getting money for the fields listed in the next budget.

    Mayor J. Michael Ross said the Town should not have to fund ball fields.

    “They should be funded by the Richland County Recreation Commission,” Ross said. “All the money that’s been spent on all these other County facilities and Blythewood to still be where it is – something is wrong. That’s where I want us to go to get the money.”

    In other business, Council voted to sign a franchise agreement with Wildwood utilities for sewer services. It also passed a resolution to close Scott Ridge Road and divide the road property between the property owners on either side of the road.

    Council postponed an executive session to discuss ‘the receipt of legal advice relating to a pending, threatened or potential claim.’

    The next regular Town Council meeting will be Monday, July 30. Town Administrator John Perry told Council members that he might call a special meeting early in July to wrap up some contracts.

    Mayor Ross and all members of the Town Council will be attending the annual five-day meeting of the Municipal Association of South Carolina on Hilton Head Island, Wednesday, June 27 – Sunday, July 1.

  • Unofficial Results: Young, Douglas win primary runoff

    Although the results will not become official until Friday, preliminary tallies indicate that MaryGail Douglas will represent the Democratic Party in the November general election for the District 41 seat in the S.C. State House of Representatives.

    Douglas beat out District 4 School Board Trustee Annie E. McDaniel with 2,732 votes in Fairfield County (57.86 percent) to McDaniel’s 1,990 (42.14 percent). Douglas also picked up an additional 52 votes from District 41 voters in Richland County and Chester County in the race. McDaniel added 208 to her total with out-of-county votes.

    Douglas will face William Gray, a Ridgeway Republican, in the November race for the House.

    Meanwhile, in a nail-biter, Herman Young appears to have earned another term as Fairfield County Sheriff. Young edged out challenger Will Montgomery by just 176 votes – 2,480 to 2,304. Young won 51.84 percent of the vote while Montgomery garnered 48.16 percent. It was not clear at press time if a recount would be necessary. Young will face no opposition in November.

    Young performed best in Blair, taking 87.5 percent of the vote in that precinct. Montgomery’s best numbers came from Centerville, where he brought in 75 percent of the vote. The narrowest margin came out of Hickory Ridge, where Young won 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent. Young also held the edge in absentee ballots with 53.03 percent to Montgomery’s 46.97 percent.

    In the House race, Douglas saw her best numbers come out of Gladden Grove where she won 90.91 percent of the vote. McDaniel got her best returns from Jenkinsville, her home turf, where she took 86.24 percent of the vote. Douglas also won 70.2 percent of the absentee ballots, 415 of which were cast prior to Tuesday’s vote.

  • Winnsboro Town Council OKs Budget, Tables Municipal Court Contract

    Winnsboro Town Council voted 5-0 to adopt their 2012-2013 budget Tuesday night and put on hold an ordinance that would put County magistrate judges into municipal courtrooms.

    The Council voted on a first reading of the ordinance, which would allow the Town to enter into a contract with Fairfield County for County magistrate judges to preside over hearings and dispose of municipal court cases, during their June 5 meting. According to the ordinance agreement, Fairfield County has agreed to provide Magistrate Judge William F. Pope to the Town of Winnsboro for a contracted sum of $6,000 plus FICA and retirement annually for each of six judges that will be contracted to the Town of Winnsboro.

    Town Council also voted June 5 to accept a contract to purchase one acre of land at the corner of Highway 321 Business and State Road 200 from William Spencer McMaster for the Town’s eventual entryway sign. The cost was $5 with the understanding that, should the Town cease to use the property in the future, it would revert back to McMaster.

    In other Town news, Fortune Springs Park swimming pool is now open for the summer. Hours are 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Town Council had previously discussed not opening the pool this summer due to the mandatory water restrictions, but because the Town was under contract with the company who operates the pool facility, the decision was made to use the pool.

    Town Manager Don Wood said the Winnsboro Town Hall Annex renovations will be complete in six weeks. The Town’s Finance office will then be relocated to the facility located at the junction of Moultrie and W. Washington streets.

    Town Electric Department Director William Medlin explained the reason and procedure that SCE&G is changing out the poles for transmission lines, many of which can be seen along Highway 34, between Winnsboro and Interstate 77.

    “Due to the pending increase in capacity at the V.C. Summer nuclear facility, SCE&G is running a transmission line from Jenkinsville to Killian Road,” Medlin said. “Putting in more power lines requires new poles. Right now they are working from the substation at the (Fairfield Country Club) golf course to Highway 34, then on to Cook Road and then to Blythewood. It will be a 12 month process.”

  • School Board Green-Lights Budget, Contract Negotiations

    The Fairfield County School Board gave the final OK for their 2012-2013 budget of $32,898,265 on a 7-0 vote Tuesday night. The Board avoided a millage increase by taking $109,125 from the fund balance to cover additional expenses for the coming fiscal year.

    An amended version of the motion, which would have required another public hearing after a budgetary review by a new superintendent, failed to garner more than two votes. The motion, put forth by Board member Annie McDaniel, drew only her vote and that of Marchella Pauling, who seconded the motion, in support.

    “This is only so we don’t tie the hands of the new superintendent,” McDaniel said during the discussion, “so he can change what needs to be changed and take the District where he wants it to go.”

    McDaniel repeatedly stressed that she felt there were problems with the new salary scale, which the Board approved as part of the budget last week. She said she also felt the public had not had adequate time to review the budget prior to Tuesday night’s public hearing, something also expressed by Thomas Armstrong, a parent and member of the public in attendance.

    “I would like to ask that the Board table the public hearing until the public can have time to review the budget and ask intelligent questions,” Armstrong said during the hearing. Armstrong said he has requested a copy of the budget for weeks but only received a copy just prior to the hearing.

    The Board did not honor his request to table the hearing, noting that the deadline for the District to present their budget to the County had already, in fact, passed on June 15.

    A new superintendent for the District, meanwhile, remains undecided. After nearly two hours in executive session Tuesday night, the Board voted 6-1 to authorize the District’s attorneys to begin contract negotiations with “one or more of the candidates as discussed in executive session,” Board member Beth Reid stated in her motion.

    Andrea Harrison, Board Chairwoman, voted against the motion.

    Harrison later told The Voice that the discussion had been to negotiate with candidate number one, then move on to number two should those negotiations not come to fruition.

    “I was opposed to candidate number one,” Harrison said. “My decision was my decision.”

  • County Considers Future of Water Supply

    Though the agenda was light, the Fairfield County Council had plenty to talk about during their June 11 evening meeting after County Administrator Phil Hinely mentioned a meeting held on June 8 with SCE&G, Winnsboro and Fairfield County representatives to discuss the possibility of using water from Lake Monticello in western Fairfield County. Water from Lake Monticello may help alleviate long-term water shortages that are facing the area. Lake Monticello is owned and managed by the South Carolina Electric and Gas Company and covers about 7,000 acres.

    “The distance from the lake to the Town’s reservoir is 12 miles,” Council Chairman David Ferguson said. “It is about the same distance as from the Broad River, but because of elevation, a lot more in pumping equipment would be needed for getting water from the Broad River. SCE&G said they could provide a million gallons a day, but the Town will have to buy the water from them. It sounds to me like it could be worked out, but it will cost $12 million.”

    Water is provided to Fairfield County residents by five water companies within Fairfield County: Winnsboro, Mitford, Ridgeway, Jenkinsville and Mid-County Water. Winnsboro also provides water to the Blythewood area of Richland County.

    “Someone needs to man up and call all the water entities to the table,” said Council member Carolyn Robinson. “If the Town is not going to do it, I think we should. We need a game plan and we need to bring every water provider to the table.”

    “Does the Town have a plan for the future of their water system?” asked Council member Mary Lynn Kinley.

    “The County has helped out with providing money for a study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” Ferguson said. “If all five water purveyors came together, it would help for grant and loan purposes.”

    “The Town doesn’t have the finances to upkeep the water system or expand their lines,” said Council member David Brown. “We need to try to get all five water companies together with us to come together to come up with short- and long-term solutions. In the past, the USDA would help out with paying for infrastructure. At some point, the whole country will have this problem with aging water systems.”

    “I envision everyone coming together to provide the county’s water through one central water authority,” Robinson said. “Until we sit down at the table as a group, we will be sitting here again discussing this a year from now.”

    “The Mayor (Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy) told me Mitford was doing fine and didn’t want to be a part of a water authority,” Ferguson said. “Jenkinsville didn’t want to participate either.”

    “Even though the County isn’t in the water business, it’s obvious that having five companies in one county is not optimal,” County Administrator Phil Hinely said. “But sometimes a crisis can help make a decision.”

    Ferguson said he will contact Mayor Gaddy to see what the Town’s future water plans are.