BLYTHEWOOD – Fairfield Electric Co-op is planning to build an electrical substation on property located at 861 Community Road on two acres across from the Midland Storage Company.
Because the substation is located in the Town Center District, an electrical substation is not permitted outright. Fairfield Co-op is requesting that the town’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) make a special exception for the facility. The property borders industrial zoning. A public hearing has been set for 6 p.m., Monday, February 11, for the board to hear the appeal.
If the BZA appeal is granted, the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) will then take the matter up at another public hearing at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at Doko Manor, to determine whether to award a Certificate of Appropriateness, which is required before Fairfield Electric Co-op can begin construction.
If the substation request for a special exception is does not qualify for a BZA exception, utilities sometimes get special consideration because of the need for the service they provide, BAR president Jim McLean told The Voice. However, he said he is not sure if either the BZA or the BAR is the level at which such consideration is granted.
Town Administrator Brian Cook said the BAR does have the power to grant certain variances from the architectural review parameters for out-of-the-ordinary circumstances.
“It could open a can of worms for us,” McLean said. “I would be surprised, though, if this type of request has not come up in other towns. So, we’ll see.”
The texts and documents related to the requests for both the special exception and the variance are available, upon request, for public inspection in the office of the Town Clerk at Blythewood Town Hall, 171 Langford Road, during regular working hours. The documents will also be available at the public hearing.
WINNSBORO – In a workshop held last week at the Old Armory to discuss the Fairfield County School District’s application for R-3 zoning for a Teacher Village, the Winnsboro Planning Commissions determined they had sufficient information to move forward with the request.
Moving forward meant setting dates for a Planning Commission meeting that will include a public hearing followed by a vote on whether or not to recommend (to town council) the zoning change from C-2 to R-3, which permits three homes per acre and would allow cluster housing on 22 acres behind the district office off U.S 321 bypass.
While there was some discussion as to whether the public would attend a public hearing on Valentine’s Day evening, the Commission decided to set both the public hearing and vote for Feb. 14, at 6 p.m.
The preliminary site plan for the development does not subdivide the Teacher Village into individual lots. Rather, the entire development consists of one lot, planning documents show.
R3 has less strict design standards than other residential zones, allowing for reduced spacing between buildings – 25 feet, front to front; 20 feet, front to side; and four feet, side to side – than R1 or R2 zones.
It also only requires 20 percent of open space, as opposed to 35 percent for R1 and 25 percent for R2.
Yard sizes are also significantly less, planning documents state.
Required rights of way in an R3 zone are 6,000 square feet for the first home and 2,500 square feet for each additional dwelling unit. An R1 zone requires 6,000 square feet for all units. In an R2 zone, the minimum square footage is 10,000 square feet.
Fairfield County educational leaders have touted the Teacher Village as vital in recruiting and retaining teachers.
At issue during the workshop was whether the school district’s request had met the requirements for moving forward.
For openers, Building and Zoning Director Billy Castles told Commissioners that, based on the scaled drawings submitted, the house footprints were too large for the spaces allotted.
Later in the discussion, Vice Chair Sam Johnson concurred that the house footprints were all too large for the rectangle spaces allotted for the houses.
“Would it have been to our benefit to have had the engineer (who drew the plans) here tonight to help with this?” Commissioner Sonja Kennedy asked.
“It would have been,” Castles said, but explained that because the engineer is doing pro bono work for the school, he would not be attending the meeting.
“Dr. Green sent me an email saying if I had any questions, get them to him and he would go to the engineer and get it in writing,” Castles said.
To move past what was becoming a logjam, Sue Rex, president of the Fairfield County School District Education Foundation, reached the engineer, Josh Rabon, on the phone. After some discussion with Commissioners, he determined that the scale was apparently off and offered to re-scale the drawing and email it to them, which he did. While Castles and Rex went to Castle’s office to print out the new scaled plat, the Commissioners discussed whether they had sufficient information (with the corrected scale drawing) to move forward with a recommendation to Town Council.
Going over the list of requirements as outlined in the town ordinance, Johnson suggested they should not quibble over details.
“The real issue,” he said, “is whether they (District) are presenting a somewhat coherent plan that meets the intentions that are laid out for us to make a decision as to whether we can justify making a recommendation to Council to change it from C-2 to R-3. As I see it, it looks like we’re headed in the right direction. At the end of the day, it’s probably not going to look like it does as it was given to us.”
Commissioner Oliver Johnson agreed.
“Are these perfect architectural drawings?” Oliver Johnson asked, then answered, “No. It (ordinance) doesn’t say they have to present to us the final detailed plan, just, basically, do they have a plan that looks potentially doable.”
Johnson said the detailed site plan will be in the permitting process, “when they start to build,” Johnson said.
The public hearing and vote is set for Feb. 14, at the Old Armory, 301 Park Street, Winnsboro. The Planning Commission’s recommendation for or against the rezoning will go to Town Council for the first of two votes on Feb. 19.
COLUMBIA – A Richland Two school board member has been criminally charged for her role in an altercation that involved a state senator, the senator’s sister and spouse of the school board chairwoman.
Elkins-Johnson
Monica Elkins-Johnson, 51, of Columbia, was charged Thursday with disorderly conduct, according to online police and court records.
On Jan. 31, Elkins-Johnson turned herself in to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where she appeared for a bond hearing.
Elkins-Johnson posted a $237.50 personal recognizance bond. Her next scheduled court date is March 18, according to the Richland County Public Index.
As a condition of her bond, Elkins-Johnson has been ordered to have no contact with any of the victims, identified in court records as Sen. Mia McLeod; Erica Davis, McLeod’s sister; and Stacy McKie, husband of board chair Amelia McKie.
A Richland County Sheriff’s Office news release says Elkins-Johnson “did attack several individuals,” and cursed and threatened them.
The incident was caught on video, the release said. A police report said the altercation occurred around 9:30 p.m., shortly after the board meeting adjourned.
Footage released to The Voice shows a scrum of individuals in the foyer of the Richland Two Institute for Technology, moments after the Jan. 22 school board meeting adjourned.
The footage shows security guards separating Elkins-Johnson from the group.
Shortly before 10 p.m., The Voice observed Elkins-Johnson and another board member in the parking lot standing near a vehicle. Two security guards stood close by.
Two police reports were filed in relation to the altercation that followed the Jan. 22 board meeting at the Richland Two Institute for Technology.
One report stated that as McLeod and her sister were leaving the meeting, the suspect aggressively approached one of the sisters.
A second report stated the suspect called Stacy McKie several “offensive words,” and threatened to kill him.
Elkins Johnson filed a petition for a restraining order against Stacy McKie, claiming in court records that he cursed at her and alleged harassment. A magistrate denied Elkins-Johnson’s petition.
Things turned heated after the Jan. 22 board meeting, a meeting in which the board discussed proposed policy revisions that would make it easier to remove board members from officer positions, such as board chair, vice-chair or treasurer.
The proposed policy changes come following an investigation by The Voice into Richland Two board members failing to file required ethics forms with the S.C. Ethics Commission.
McKie was fined $51,750 for failing to file several campaign disclosure reports.
Elkins-Johnson didn’t file several quarterly campaign disclosure reports from the 2016 campaign – dating back to April 2017 – until Dec. 27, 2018, according to the ethics commission online database.
It is unclear what ethics fines, if any, Elkins-Johnson faces. An ethics commission spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment.
COLUMBIA – Richland Two school board Vice Chair Monica Elkins-Johnson (seen in the surveillance video wearing a pink jacket) was arrested Thursday and charged with disorderly conduct. The altercation occurred Jan. 22 following a school board meeting at the Richland Two Institute of Innovation on Fashion Drive in Columbia.
School Board Vice Chair Monica Elkins Johnson arrested
COLUMBIA – A Richland Two school board member has been criminally charged for her role in an altercation moments after a recent board meeting.
Elkins-Johnson
Monica Elkins Johnson, 51, of Columbia, has been charged with disorderly conduct, according to online police and court records.
Elkins Johnson was charged Thursday. Bond information was unavailable as of Thursday afternoon.
The charge comes following a heated exchange that also included State Sen. Mia McLeod and Stacy McKie, husband of Richland Two chairwoman Amelia McKie.
A Richland County Sheriff’s Office news release says Elkins-Johnson “did attack several individuals,” and cursed and threatened them. The incident was caught on video, the release said.
Elkins-Johnson turned herself in at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where as of Thursday afternoon she was awaiting a bond hearing, the release continued.
Two police reports were filed in relation to the altercation that followed the Jan. 22 board meeting at the Richland Two Institute of Innovation.
One report stated that as McLeod and her sister were leaving the meeting, the suspect aggressively approached one of the sisters.
A second report stated the suspect called Stacy McKie several “offensive words,” and threatened to kill him.
Elkins Johnson filed a complaint a petition for a restraining order against Stacy McKie, claiming in court records that he cursed at her and alleged harassment. A magistrate denied Elkins-Johnson’s petition.
Things turned heated after the Jan. 22 board meeting, a meeting in which the board discussed proposed policy revisions that would make it easier to remove board members from officer positions, such as board chair, vice-chair or treasurer.
The proposed policy changes come following an investigation by The Voice into Richland Two board members filing to file required ethics forms with the S.C. Ethics Commission.
McKie was recently fined $51,750 for failing to file several campaign disclosure reports.
Elkins-Johnson didn’t file several quarterly campaign disclosure reports from the 2016 campaign until Dec. 27, 2018, according to the ethics commission online database.
It is unclear what ethics fines, if any, Elkins-Johnson faces. An ethics commission spokesperson couldn’t be reached Thursday.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
Updated: R2 Board meeting ends in melee
COLUMBIA – An altercation involving a state senator, the spouse of the Richland Two school board chair and a second board member, erupted following a recent board meeting, according to public records obtained by The Voice.
The skirmish resulted in two separate police reports being filed against the subject (the reported school board member), whose name is redacted in the report, and a petition for a restraining order against Stacy McKie, spouse of board chair Amelia McKie.
A heavily redacted Richland County Sheriff’s Office report lists the incident type as “simple assault” in one report and “all other offenses” in the other. One report states the subject “was threatening to kill” McKie’s husband.
Although the police report contained significant redactions, Richland Two board member Monica Elkins-Johnson is named in the restraining order petition.
Elkins-Johnson sought a restraining order against Stacy McKie, alleging harassment, court documents state.
“I felt threatened and would ask that he not be allowed to come near me,” Elkins-Johnson wrote.
Daniel Coble, associate chief magistrate for Richland County, sided with Stacy McKie, and denied Elkins-Johnson’s petition.
Elkins-Johnson couldn’t be reached for comment. Amelia McKie, board chair, also couldn’t be reached.
In one of the police reports, McLeod and her sister are identified as saying they wish to prosecute. Attempts to reach McLeod have been unsuccessful.
Reports redacted
Sen. McLeod’s name is unredacted in the narrative. McKie, the school board chair, is also identified in the report by her elected post.
All other names of subjects, victims and witnesses were blackened. The only redactions in the restraining order petition were the plaintiff’s (Elkins-Johnson) and defendant’s (Stacy McKie) addresses and contact information.
Jay Bender, an attorney with the S.C. Press Association, of which The Voice is a member, said there’s no legitimate reason to redact the names of elected officials in any incident report, especially if they’re involved in an altercation following a school board or other public meeting.
“Taking the names out doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” Bender said. “The law is very clear, when you’re involved in a matter of public interest and at a public meeting getting into a fracas, there is no right of privacy.”
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Capt. Maria Yturria said the names were redacted because the investigation is ongoing. Yturria said no arrests have been made.
Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association, disputed the sheriff office’s interpretation of state law.
“I think this is an example of over-redaction. This is not something that’s going to hinder an investigation, it’s just covering up,” Rogers said. “These are public officials and the public has a right to know what they’re doing.”
Board members react
Things turned chippy shortly after last Tuesday’s meeting in which the board discussed proposed changes in board policy that would allow for the removal of the chairman, vice-chairman and secretary with cause.
The policy change comes in response to investigative reports by The Voice into board member ethics violations.
In June 2018, the S.C. Ethics Commission fined McKie $41,000 for failing to file several ethics reports. The fine jumped to $51,750 on Dec. 31 when she failed to pay the first $21,000 in fines.
Several other board members also failed to file various ethics reports on time during the 2018 election cycle, public records show.
At last week’s board meeting, but before the filing of police reports and restraining order petitions, board member Lindsay Agostini publicly called for McKie to step down as the board’s chairman, but not from her board post.
“After being informed by media of missing documents which took over a month for the chair to complete, she has taken no ownership of any wrongdoing,” Agostini said from the dais. “As you try to straighten things up for you and your family, I at a minimum ask that you step down as chair. A premier district deserves a premier board.”
Reached by phone Monday, Agostini declined to comment on the altercation described in the two police reports, or whether the proposed board policy changes should apply to last Tuesday’s incident as well.
Agostini would only say she’s saddened by the attention that’s being drawn to board member conduct.
“It saddens me that we are going through this experience,” she said. “I’m grateful that our administration is continuing to focus on our students and our teachers.”
Board member James Manning, who said he had no knowledge of the altercation beyond media reports, said the proposed board policy changes aren’t aimed at a specific individual or type of conduct.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s an ethics issue or some sort of police report,” he said. “The issue is when does one of our officers become ineffective in carrying out their roles and responsibilities?”
Documents detail drama
According to one incident report, as McLeod and her sister were leaving last week’s board meeting, the subject had an altercation with McKie’s spouse.
The subject, the report said, then aggressively approached one of the sisters whose name is redacted, while the other (also redacted) moved between them, the report continues.
The subject then pushed one of the sisters and cursed at McLeod and others according to the incident report. There were no injuries, but McLeod said she was in fear for her safety, and security had to restrain the subject, the report stated.
In the parking lot after the meeting, The Voice observed board member Monica Elkins-Johnson and at least one other board member near a car. Two security guards stood nearby.
Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis was present too, though he is not named in any of the police reports or court documents obtained by The Voice.
A second police report filed by a man who sources say is McKie’s spouse stated that the subject called him several “offensive words” and threatened to kill him. He said in the report that the subject also punched another person.
The altercation continued into the parking lot. When the subject approached McKie’s spouse a second time, she had to be restrained, the report continued.
“[Complainant/Victim] is concerned about the subject possibly approaching him again in a volatile and confrontational manner,” the report states.
On the following day, Elkins-Johnson sought a restraining order against Stacy McKie, saying in court records that the two were involved in a confrontation following the Jan. 22 school board meeting.
The confrontation occurred around 9:30 p.m. at the Richland Two Institute for Innovation, where board meetings are held.
“The defendant’s wife has been accused of ethics violations,” Elkins-Johnson wrote in the complaint. “Therefore, she invited her allies (about 30) to attend the meeting.”
Elkins-Johnson goes on to say in the complaint that she was speaking with some church members when she noticed Stacy McKie standing off to her left.
“I spoke to him. He loudly said to me, [expletive], don’t speak to me. I don’t [expletive] with you like that,” the document states. “The discussion continued and then he came closer to me and asked ‘what do I want to do?’”
Council Chair Neil Robinson listens during economic development presentation. | Michael Smith
WINNSBORO – Fairfield County kicked off 2019 by finalizing a major economic development project and leasing the rehabilitation center on the Fairfield Memorial Hospital campus.
County Council members voted unanimously Monday night on final approval of a fee-in-lieu of taxes, or FILOT, agreement for MLily, a Chinese-owned mattress company set to launch operations this year in the old Mack Truck Building.
Healthcare Co. Ltd., parent company of MLily, plans to invest $45 million in Fairfield County and is expected to create 250 jobs.
Located at 1 Guardian Way in Winnsboro, the operation will specialize in the production of memory-foam mattresses. The company also produces pillows and sofas.
Through the FILOT, new industries see their taxes drop from 10.5 percent to roughly 6 percent. Depending on the company, special source revenue credits may may also apply.
County Administrator Jason Taylor said the FILOT deals like the one reached with MLily have become commonplace as competition to land new industry has grown increasingly stiff.
“You have to compete against a number of other counties, a number of other countries,” Taylor said.
Ty Davenport, the county’s economic development director, said MLily’s economic impact on Fairfield County is significant. He estimated it will take eight to 10 months before MLily begins operation.
“Two hundred fifty jobs is a great lick for any community, and it’s a huge one for ours, so we’re very thankful for that.” Davenport said. “It’s a great way to start the year off. I think it’ll be a good place to work.”
Megasite Update
Also at Monday’s meeting, Davenport updated council members on the megasite, a 1,500-acre parcel off I-77 at Highway 34 in Ridgeway, that county leaders hope will be a hub for more industry.
Davenport said there’s been activity at the site, mainly surveying potential roads and water and sewer lines.
“Really they’re just gathering data that will be used in the design process,” he said. “No pipe is being laid and no roads are being built until we get all this information together.”
Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas said he thinks a new sewer plant is needed to help market the mega site. He said the plant could be done in conjunction with the proposed one-cent sales tax.
“At the next meeting I’ll reveal what I’m talking about,” Douglas said.
County leases Rehab Center
In related business, the council also approved a lease agreement with Palmetto Health to operate the rehab center.
County Administrator Jason Taylor said part of the deal includes granting Palmetto Health six months of free lease. If the rehab center meets certain benchmarks, another six months of free lease would be awarded.
“We knew the rehab center that was there was the bright, shining star. We wanted to find a way to save it,” Taylor said. “In the end, we decided Palmetto was the best fit for what we were looking for.”
Ridgeway resident Randy Bright commended the county for striking a deal to save the rehab center.
“Keeping rehab within the county, believe me, it took a lot of work to make this happen. It is so beneficial,” Bright said. “It fills a need not only for residents, but also for growth.”
Gilbert on Providence Board
It was announced Monday night that County Councilman Clarence Gilbert has been appointed to the board of Providence Health.
“In our contract with Providence Health, County Council is allowed to recommend a council member to be placed on Providence Health’s board which, in turn, confirms that nomination. Gilbert will serve a two-year term.
“I appreciate the opportunity to serve on Providence’s board,” Gilbert said. “And I’m looking forward to working hard to be of service to the hospital, our new ER and the county.
The County provides $1 million a year to Providence Health’s new ER facility in Winnsboro.
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood residents got their first look at two choices for the planned improvements on McNulty Drive Thursday night at a public informational meeting held at Doko Manor.
From 5 to 7 p.m. residents poured into the manor to view two concept plans for the area being considered by the Richland County Transportation Penny Program.
The purpose of the meeting was to gather public input on the two plans currently being offered for improvements to McNulty Drive that include roadway resurfacing, on-street parking, bike and pedestrian accommodations, lighting and landscaping.
The first option presented from the program included a 75 foot roadway that would then have sidewalks and bike lanes to be lined with detailed landscaping. The plans also allowed space for on-street parking along the roadway and a roundabout to be installed at the street’s intersection with Boney Road.
In the second and more recent option conceived for consideration, the roadways would take up less space with no on-street parking and a far less detailed landscaping plan. The second concept also did away with the on-street parking, but kept the potential plan for a roundabout t Boney Road.
Residents George and Dorothy Wilson said they favored the second option, and while they were not certain that a roundabout was the appropriate measure to take, believed that intervention at the Boney Road intersection was long overdue.
“The traffic in the morning and afternoon is horrible with the school traffic through there,” George Wilson stated.
“It gets all backed up and then cross traffic from McNulty pull out past the stop sign and then make it even more congested. It’s a real problem and I’m glad they are addressing it.”
The vast majority of those attending the meeting shared the Wilson’s opinion that the more recent “Alternative B” was the best fit for the town of Blythewood.
Longtime resident and chair of the Architectural Review Board Jim McLean said he felt that the first alternative, with its elaborate landscaping and on-street parking, was both unnecessary and overreaching.
“It’s taking away too much property; there is no need for on-street parking when there is already parking in place for these businesses along the street. It’s just not needed,” McLean stated.
Resident Bob Haynes agreed that the on-street parking was “unnecessary” and said that he had no problem with a roundabout if that is what the program saw best fit the Boney Road intersection, but he questioned how much property would be taken up by it. He also said he felt that the upcoming construction of a new Bethel-Hanberry school might remove its need.
Current plans for the new school call for the demolition of the present building, and construction of a new facility just behind its present location. The Blythewood ballfield would remain in its location and the curve (around the school) on Boney Road past the McNulty intersection will be straightened out.
“You might not even need (the traffic circle) after that,” Haynes stated.
Blythewood Mayor J. Michael Ross said that he was pleased with both the turn out and the constructive comments he was hearing from residents during the meeting.
“I am very pleased to see the public coming out to view these plans and to let us know what they think. We always have a big turnout for these type of meetings and I’m glad to see it,” Ross stated.
In regards to the overwhelming approval of the “Alternate B” drawings, Ross said that he agreed with the things he was hearing and that he could see further potential with that preference. Referencing a parcel of land located between the library and the Richland County Magistrate’s Office, Ross offered that the city could explore purchasing the land from its private owner and offer additional parking for the ball field.
“It’s just one idea that I thought might have potential, but with the money that we are saving from not going with the first concept, we could use that to purchase these land and develop it as a parking lot with direct access to the ballfield behind it.
The public comment period for residents to submit their recommendations or concerns will end on Feb. 8. After that date, the project team will review and consider all comments received in their further development of the project.
A second public meeting is expected to be held later this year to display the final conceptual plan to the public for final discussion.
Richland Two board member Monica Elkins-Johnson, right, was denied a restraining order against Board chair’s husband. | Barbara Ball
COLUMBIA – An altercation involving a state senator, the spouse of the Richland Two school board chair and a second board member, erupted following a recent board meeting, according to public records obtained by The Voice.
The skirmish resulted in two separate police reports being filed against the subject (the reported school board member), whose name is redacted in the report, and a petition for a restraining order against Stacy McKie, spouse of board chair Amelia McKie.
A heavily redacted Richland County Sheriff’s Office report lists the incident type as “simple assault” in one report and “all other offenses” in the other. One report states the subject “was threatening to kill” McKie’s husband.
Although the police report contained significant redactions, Richland Two board member Monica Elkins-Johnson is named in the restraining order petition.
Elkins-Johnson sought a restraining order against Stacy McKie, alleging harassment, court documents state.
“I felt threatened and would ask that he not be allowed to come near me,” Elkins-Johnson wrote.
Daniel Coble, associate chief magistrate for Richland County, sided with Stacy McKie, and denied Elkins-Johnson’s petition.
Elkins-Johnson couldn’t be reached for comment. Amelia McKie, board chair, also couldn’t be reached.
In one of the police reports, McLeod and her sister are identified as saying they wish to prosecute. Attempts to reach McLeod have been unsuccessful.
Reports redacted
Sen. McLeod’s name is unredacted in the narrative. McKie, the school board chair, is also identified in the report by her elected post.
All other names of subjects, victims and witnesses were blackened. The only redactions in the restraining order petition were the plaintiff’s (Elkins-Johnson) and defendant’s (Stacy McKie) addresses and contact information.
Jay Bender, an attorney with the S.C. Press Association, of which The Voice is a member, said there’s no legitimate reason to redact the names of elected officials in any incident report, especially if they’re involved in an altercation following a school board or other public meeting.
“Taking the names out doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” Bender said. “The law is very clear, when you’re involved in a matter of public interest and at a public meeting getting into a fracas, there is no right of privacy.”
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Capt. Maria Yturria said the names were redacted because the investigation is ongoing. Yturria said no arrests have been made.
Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association, disputed the sheriff office’s interpretation of state law.
“I think this is an example of over-redaction. This is not something that’s going to hinder an investigation, it’s just covering up,” Rogers said. “These are public officials and the public has a right to know what they’re doing.”
Board members react
Things turned chippy shortly after last Tuesday’s meeting in which the board discussed proposed changes in board policy that would allow for the removal of the chairman, vice-chairman and secretary with cause.
The policy change comes in response to investigative reports by The Voice into board member ethics violations.
In June 2018, the S.C. Ethics Commission fined McKie $41,000 for failing to file several ethics reports. The fine jumped to $51,750 on Dec. 31 when she failed to pay the first $21,000 in fines.
Several other board members also failed to file various ethics reports on time during the 2018 election cycle, public records show.
At last week’s board meeting, but before the filing of police reports and restraining order petitions, board member Lindsay Agostini publicly called for McKie to step down as the board’s chairman, but not from her board post.
“After being informed by media of missing documents which took over a month for the chair to complete, she has taken no ownership of any wrongdoing,” Agostini said from the dais. “As you try to straighten things up for you and your family, I at a minimum ask that you step down as chair. A premier district deserves a premier board.”
Reached by phone Monday, Agostini declined to comment on the altercation described in the two police reports, or whether the proposed board policy changes should apply to last Tuesday’s incident as well.
Agostini would only say she’s saddened by the attention that’s being drawn to board member conduct.
“It saddens me that we are going through this experience,” she said. “I’m grateful that our administration is continuing to focus on our students and our teachers.”
Board member James Manning, who said he had no knowledge of the altercation beyond media reports, said the proposed board policy changes aren’t aimed at a specific individual or type of conduct.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s an ethics issue or some sort of police report,” he said. “The issue is when does one of our officers become ineffective in carrying out their roles and responsibilities?”
Documents detail drama
According to one incident report, as McLeod and her sister were leaving last week’s board meeting, the subject had an altercation with McKie’s spouse.
The subject, the report said, then aggressively approached one of the sisters whose name is redacted, while the other (also redacted) moved between them, the report continues.
The subject then pushed one of the sisters and cursed at McLeod and others according to the incident report. There were no injuries, but McLeod said she was in fear for her safety, and security had to restrain the subject, the report stated.
In the parking lot after the meeting, The Voice observed board member Monica Elkins-Johnson and at least one other board member near a car. Two security guards stood nearby.
Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis was present too, though he is not named in any of the police reports or court documents obtained by The Voice.
A second police report filed by a man who sources say is McKie’s spouse stated that the subject called him several “offensive words” and threatened to kill him. He said in the report that the subject also punched another person.
The altercation continued into the parking lot. When the subject approached McKie’s spouse a second time, she had to be restrained, the report continued.
“[Complainant/Victim] is concerned about the subject possibly approaching him again in a volatile and confrontational manner,” the report states.
On the following day, Elkins-Johnson sought a restraining order against Stacy McKie, saying in court records that the two were involved in a confrontation following the Jan. 22 school board meeting.
The confrontation occurred around 9:30 p.m. at the Richland Two Institute for Innovation, where board meetings are held.
“The defendant’s wife has been accused of ethics violations,” Elkins-Johnson wrote in the complaint. “Therefore, she invited her allies (about 30) to attend the meeting.”
Elkins-Johnson goes on to say in the complaint that she was speaking with some church members when she noticed Stacy McKie standing off to her left.
“I spoke to him. He loudly said to me, [expletive], don’t speak to me. I don’t [expletive] with you like that,” the document states. “The discussion continued and then he came closer to me and asked ‘what do I want to do?’”
BLYTHEWOOD – The town of Blythewood took the first steps in resolving the latest of several delays in the sale of the Doko Depot building across from city hall Monday night.
This particular delay was caused by the discovery last year that title restrictions on two slivers of land in the Doko Depot property had not been disclosed to the Town in prior financing efforts with Santee-Cooper.
Mayor J. Michael Ross put his signature to a contract presented publicly during the town council meeting that will pay Margaret DuBard $25,000 in exchange for her release of her repurchase agreement on a sliver of land that sits under one end of the Doko Depot building. The contract will also release all use restrictions Dubard had imposed by a 2001 Indenture Deed on the property.
The other sliver of land was originally conveyed to the Blythewood Volunteer Fire Depart ment by Charles W. Proctor in 1971.
Proctor reserved a reversion of title if the property ceased to be used for fire department or other community uses. When a new fire station was built on Main Street, the land was donated to the Town. But the parcel was still subject to the reversion clause, documents state.
Proctor passed away in 1976, leaving no children. His wife died shortly thereafter. The heirs, Ross said, are being contacted and a civil action will be brought to determine their interests and compensation.
The Town received both parcels for community use only. Both parcels contained reversion or repurchase clauses that kicked in when, in 2016, the town re-designated park property that include slivers of the two parcels.
The property the building sits on was recently appraised at $4.50 per square foot. According to town attorney Jim Meggs, in the past when Dubard had conveyed to the council that she reserved the right to repurchase the building, it had been at the cost of one half of the property’s ‘modern’ appraised value.
In subsequent talks, Meggs said Dubard requested the $25,000, which was slightly more than half the appraised value, and Meggs stated that he then told Dubard’s lawyer that “if we are going to go to that number, then we would want to release all of the property from the use restrictions and repurchase option”.
In an unusual move, council unanimously approved a Voice Resolution Monday night acknowledging the contract, even though the document had yet to be signed by Dubard.
Meggs told the Mayor Monday night that despite his continuous “pestering” of Dubard, she had refused to sign the contract before the town council read and agreed to the Voice Resolution which contained a clause assuring that the Town would uphold an earlier, unrelated, pledge to restructure the town’s priority list for road improvement projects under the Richland County penny sales tax program. That restructuring involved moving the widening of Creech Road to second on the Penny Tax priority list behind the McNulty Road project and ahead of the widening and improving of Blythewood Road from I-77 to Main Street, and finally to widening and improving the east side of Blythewood Road.
DuBard, who has an ownership interest in the Creech Road property, wanted to be sure that the Town would honor its prior approval of the Penny Tax priority list unrelated to the Doko Depot property.
Upon the mayor’s signing of the contract immediately after the council meeting, Meggs said he would then be able to obtain Dubard’s signature soon after.
The council had no discussion before agreeing to the resolution, with only councilman Eddie Baughman saying that he believed the council had previously “discussed this to no end” before making a motion to approve the agreement.
Upon council’s vote, Mayor Ross called attention two business owners in the audience – Don Russo of Freeway Music and John Clinger of the Old Mill Pub in Lexington – who are purchasing the Doko Depot. He thanked them for their patience with the town throughout the more than a year of delays over the fate of the Doko Depot building.
“They are committed to this town of Blythewood, to the economic development and to their economic development. If [these businesses] didn’t believe they were going to make money and be prosperous they wouldn’t be here,” Ross stated.
“They know what the potential is to have their businesses in this park.”
COLUMBIA – An altercation involving a state senator, the spouse of the Richland Two school board chair and a person who sources have told The Voice is a Richland Two School Board member, erupted following Tuesday night’s Richland Two school board meeting, according to police records obtained by The Voice.
The skirmish ended with two separate police reports being filed against the subject (the reported school board member).
The incident type is listed as “simple assault” in one report and “all other offenses” in the other. One report states the subject “was threatening to kill” board chair Amelia McKie’s husband.
Names of elected officials and two relatives are redacted in the report, though Sen. Mia McLeod’s name is unredacted in the narrative. McKie, the school board chair, is also identified in the report by her elected post.
In one of the reports, McLeod and her sister are identified as saying they wish to prosecute.
Jay Bender, an attorney with the S.C. Press Association, of which The Voice is a member, said there’s no legitimate reason to redact the names of elected officials in any incident report, especially if they’re involved in an altercation following a school board meeting.
“Taking the names out doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” Bender said. “The law is very clear, when you’re involved in a matter of public interest and at a public meeting getting into a fracas, there is no right of privacy.”
Things turned chippy shortly after Tuesday night’s meeting in which the board discussed proposed changes in board policy that would allow for the removal of the chairman, vice-chairman and secretary with cause.
The policy change comes in response to investigative reports by The Voice into board member ethics violations.
In June 2018, the S.C. Ethics Commission fined McKie $41,000 for failing to file several ethics reports. The fine jumped to $51,750 on Dec. 31 when she failed to pay the first $21,000 in fines.
Five other board members have had missing ethics forms as well, according to the ethics commission.
According to the incident report from Tuesday night, McLeod and her sister were leaving Tuesday night’s board meeting after the subject had an altercation with McKie’s spouse.
The subject, the report said, aggressively approached one of the sisters whose name is redacted, while the other (also redacted) moved between them, the report continues.
The subject then pushed one of the sisters and cursed at McLeod and others according to the incident report. There were no injuries, but McLeod said she was in fear for her safety, and security had to restrain the subject, the report stated.
A second report filed by a man who sources say is McKie’s spouse stated that the subject called him several “offensive words” and threatened to kill him. He said in the report that the subject also punched another person.
The altercation continued into the parking lot. When the subject approached McKie’s spouse a second time, she had to be restrained, the report continued.
“[Complainant/Victim] is concerned about the subject possibly approaching him again in a volatile and confrontational manner,” the report states.
The subject couldn’t be reached for comment Friday evening.
In the parking lot after the meeting, The Voice observed two board members waiting near a car, with two security guards standing close by. Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis was present too, though he is not named in any of the police reports obtained by The Voice.
This story will be updated as more information is available.
BLYTHEWOOD – Improvements along McNulty Street in downtown Blythewood are on the horizon according to a statement issued by John Thompson, Director of the Richland County Department of Transportation.
Those improvements, funded by the Richland County Transportation Penny Tax program, will be the subject of a public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 24, to review conceptual plans for the street.
During the meeting, residents, property owners and project stakeholders will be given an opportunity to learn about the proposed project and provide input.
The format for the meeting will be a drop-in for interested parties to attend at their convenience between 5 and 7 p.m., to view maps and drawings of the proposed improvements and to discuss the project with project managers and the design team.
“Richland County values your suggestions and concerns, and carefully considers all feedback before any final project decisions are made,” Thompson wrote in the invitation to the drop-in.
Anyone unable to attend the meeting or has further questions, may contact Ben Lewis at 803-726-3614 or by email at blewis@richlandpenny.com.
The meeting will be held from 5 – 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24, at Doko Manor, located at 100 Alvina Hagood Circle across Doko Park from Town Hall.
