Blythewood Online 691

Category: Government

  • RW Admin stirs CD controversy

    RIDGEWAY – After Ridgeway Town Council went on a spending spree in June, 2017, spending more than $113,000 from a capital expenditure fund that did not exist, interim Town Administrator David Hudspeth suggested Council amend the budget to accommodate that spending. As part of that amendment, Hudspeth suggested the Town cash in all its CDs, worth about $409,000, and deposit the cash into the Town’s general fund to go toward creating a capital expenditure account and beefing up the water fund.

    Since the $409,000 included a little over $80,000 in CDs commonly referred to as the POR CDs and purchased with funds raised by the Pig on the Ridge festival, Hudspeth’s plan to cash in the CDs didn’t sit well with the four POR steering committee members, three of whom are also founders of the town’s popular annual barbecue festival.

    Councilmen Don Prioleau, a member of the POR steering committee, and Heath Cookendorfer pushed back.

    “I don’t agree with cashing in the CDs,” Cookendorfer told Hudspeth. “Once we cash them in, they’re gone. I would like to see the Pig on the Ridge funds restricted. Being in the general fund, it can be borrowed [by the Town] if we run short on things. I don’t like that,” Cookendorfer said.

    Hudspeth assured Cookendorfer, during the Dec. 14 public meeting, that the CDs would not be cashed in until they matured.

    “I think if you wait until they mature you may not need to liquidate all of them,” Hudspeth said during the meeting, which was digitally recorded by The Voice. “…this is not something we’ve got to do immediately,” Hudspeth assured Cookendorfer, ‘but as they come due we’ll look at the money we have if we still need cash, then I think that as those CD’s mature, we’ll try to move them around where they need to be. But I wouldn’t suggest, unless there’s some reason we really had to, to cash them in advance,” Hudspeth said. “…we’ll wait till they mature to move things around. We’ll look at this sometime between now and the end of the fiscal year, you’ve still got six months. You’ve got that amount of time to do it,” Hudspeth again assured Cookendorfer.

    Mayor Charlene Herring and Council members Angela Harrison and Doug Porter voted for the budget amendment, Don Prioleau was not present and Cookendorfer voted against.

    But, to the surprise of both Cookendofer and Prioleau, on Jan. 12, 2018, the day after the amended budget was passed by the second and final vote, Mayor Charlene Herring forwarded an email from Hudspeth to Town Clerk Vivian Case that instructed Case to, among other things, “Close all Pig on the Ridge CDs and deposit funds into the new POR checking account.”

    Cookendorfer said that after he learned the CDs had been cashed, he asked the town clerk for the maturity dates.

    “None of them were even close to maturity,” Cookendorfer said.

    At the Feb. 22 meeting, Cookendorfer challenged Hudspeth for breaking his word and misleading Cookendorf into thinking that the CDs would not be cashed until they matured.

    Hudspeth quickly changed the subject to the importance of getting a higher interest rate by moving the cash from the CDs, where they earned a little less than one percent, to the state government’s investment pool where they will earn one percent.

    While Hudspeth admitted at the Feb. 26 meeting that the Town lost as much as $600 in penalties on one CD by cashing it early, he said the penalties on others were as small as $6 and $14.

    In his own defense, Hudspeth placed the blame on the budget amendment ordinance that was passed by Council on Jan. 11.

    “It didn’t say, we couldn’t or wouldn’t” [cash the CDs prior to their maturity.]

    Asked about his change in position from stating in the public meeting that the CDs would not be cashed in until they matured, Hudspeth told The Voice that he couldn’t recall exactly what he said two months earlier at the Dec. 14 meeting.

    Information on the 10 CDs that the RW admin cashed in early in January.

    Article updated 11:10, 3/2/18 to show CD information. 

     

  • FMH asks Council for $4 M until end of 2018

    WINNSBORO – It was the request County Council members had been expecting from Fairfield Memorial Hospital (FMH) for almost a month – $4,000,801 to keep the hospital open until Dec. 31, 2018.

    During Council meeting Monday evening, the hospital’s Chief Financial Officer, Tim Mitchell, broke the numbers down this way.

    “Included in that number is $1,043,000 for the hospital’s emergency room services,  $154,130 to replace heating/air conditioning unit, $50,000 to paint the exterior of the building and over $1 million for accounts payable 60 days past due. The balance of the request would be potential cash losses through Dec. 31, 2018. Because Mitchell did not always speak into the microphone, other numbers were not audible and Mitchell could not be reached for comment before press time. (A more complete breakdown of the funding request will appear in the March 8 edition of The Voice.)

    Before Council went into executive session to discuss the hospital’s funding request, Council chairman Billy Smith said it is his feeling that the citizens of the County need to get something tangible in return for the funding that’s been requested and that has been paid over the years.

    Smith suggested the County purchase the hospital property and have a tangible return on the County’s investment. As for the timetable for that to happen, Smith said he could not be specific.

    “Providence has a 90-day right of first refusal on the hospital property, so we would need a letter from them saying they are not interested in purchasing it,” Smith said. “There are a couple of leans that would need to be taken care of and we’d need an appraisal of the property which will take some time. I think the hospital [FMH] has expressed that they have enough money to get by until we can work these things out,” Smith said. “But if for some reason we can’t purchase the property, then we’ll have to have an entirely different discussion.

  • County sides with Rimer Pond residents

    BLYTHEWOOD – Rimer Pond Road and LongCreek Plantation area residents sat stunned for several seconds Tuesday evening after Richland County Council voted quickly and unanimously, 10-0, to deny a commercial zoning request the residents have fought for the last four years.

    The residents had anticipated this would be their most difficult fight. Their own council representative, Gwendolyn Kennedy, wasn’t backing them. She was the only council member to vote against them last year.  Worrisome, too, this was the first time the residents would not be allowed to address council about their concerns prior to the vote.

    The Rimer Pond Road case was first on the docket and things moved quickly once the residents arrived and took their seats, almost filling the 140-seat chamber.

    As Council Chairwoman Joyce Dickerson gaveled the meeting to order Tuesday evening, there was an elephant in the room – Kennedy’s seat at the dias was empty. The residents were puzzled what that would mean for them.

    But the palpable clue that the night would be theirs came soon from Councilman Chip Jackson, a Councilman who had come to Blythewood to hear their concerns prior to the December meeting.

    “In the absence of the District 7 representative, I’d be willing to make a motion for the purpose of discussion,” Jackson said. He followed the second of his motion with words that hung in the air, savored by the residents.

    “My motion is to deny,” Jackson said, referring to Hugh Palmer’s request to rezone 5.23 acres at the intersection of Rimer Pond Road and Longtown Road West from Medium Density Zoning (MD-RS) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC).

    “I feel strongly about this situation and how the process is working. I believe that the process for approving zoning changes is flawed and needs to have its guidelines reworked. I shared these comments with Ms. Hegler (Director of Richland County Planning and Development Services) and she’s indicated that in the code rewrite, they are going to do that, but in the interim, I want to state my views and concerns.”

    Of the several concerns Jackson addressed about the zoning process, he said it does not accommodate and weigh community support and non-support for any zoning requests. He also said the process does not accommodate support or nonsupport by the school district if properties are affected by a zoning request.

    Because these and other processes are not in place, Jackson said, “we have situations like this one tonight in which Council is being asked to make difficult decisions without the kind of input that I believe is critical and fair. Because of that, I cannot make a decision without those levels of involvement and participation,” Jackson said.

    Councilman Jim Manning became eloquent in his comments.

    “I hate to vote against business development in this county.”

    “I hate to vote against someone selling their property to make money.”

    “I hate to vote against businesses opening because somebody may rob them.”

    “I hate to think a county council would get in to the area of determining if certain businesses are needed.”

    “I hate to think we would do things to stifle growth that helps to financially support our school districts.”

    “I hate to think our staff spent so much time and energy to create a comprehensive plan and we would disregard it.”

    “I hate to think that the owner has adjusted the request based on what they have heard at public hearings previously in chambers in the past.”

    “However, when I saw the number of people that showed up the Tuesday night before Christmas and have continued in their efforts to communicate with me as a council member through 100s of emails over the course of a couple of months and repeated that again, I have to go with the power of the people,” Manning said.

    Councilman Bill Melanowiski weighed in on whether the Richland County Planning Commission’s tie vote (as in the Rimer Pond Road case) should be interpreted as no recommendation at all or as a recommendation of denial of the zoning request.

    “In commenting on [Richland County Planning Director] Tracy Hegler’s response regarding the tie vote of the Planning Commission, if we have a tie vote on Council, it is a denial of the request. So why wouldn’t the same rules apply to the Planning Commission’s tie votes?” Melanowski asked.

    Dickerson then called for the vote on the motion to deny. Except for the absent Kennedy, the vote was unanimous for the residents.

    According to the rules of Richland County Council, Palmer cannot bring a new Neighborhood Commercial zoning request for the property to Council for a year.

  • Hensley, Mozie promoted

    WINNSBORO – Fairfield County administration recently promoted two of its employees – Guerry Hensley and Beverly Mozie.

    Effective Feb. 26, Hensley began his new role as the Fairfield County Assessor. Hensley was promoted after serving in the Assessor’s office since 2009.

    Hensley

    A lifelong resident of Winnsboro, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.

    “With Guerry’s wealth of knowledge and experience in our property assessment office, we feel he will be a tremendous asset to the County and will continue to move the department forward,” Deputy County Administrator Davis Anderson said.

    Community Development Director Chris Clauson has appointed Mozie to the position of the Fairfield County Grant Coordinator, replacing Stephen Gaither.

    “Mozie has over 15 years of progressive service in various areas of governmental accounting and finance and has been a certified government finance officer for over 10 years, and I’m looking forward to the job I know she can do for us and this department,” Clauson said.

    A lifelong resident of Winnsboro, Mozie graduated from Winthrop with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

  • County OKs increased pay for EMS

    WINNSBORO – After asking his fellow councilmen to defer a vote on salary increases for the County’s Emergency Services employees last month, Councilman Neil Robinson was quick to reverse course when the item came up on Monday night’s Council agenda.

    As Emergency Services Director Mike Tanner began a repeat of his appeal last month for salary increases, Robinson interrupted him.

    “Mr. Tanner, I think due diligence has already been done, and I would like to make a motion to go ahead and approve EMS for the raises you are asking for,” Robinson said.

    “Second,” Councilman Jim Ray Doulas jumped in.

    With no discussion other than Councilwoman Bertha Goins’ praise for the EMS’s service to the County and a clarification requested by Councilman Douglas Pauley regarding overtime pay, Council voted 7-0 for the salary increase request.

    Tanner had requested the increase in salaries after Richland County offered a 10 percent pay raise for its EMT’s and paramedics, immediately opened eight new positions and budgeted for 48 new positions next budget year with a $2.5 million budget increase for equipment and supplies. Tanner said the potential draw of that offering on Fairfield County emergency services employees is putting the county at risk.

    “Starting pay for Richland’s new paramedics is 19 percent higher than Fairfield’s,” Tanner said, “even with last year’s increase. Our employees work 14 hours a week more and make $19 a week less than those in Richland and Lexington Counties.”

    County Administrator Jason Taylor said the overall increase would cost the county $357,000 annually.

  • Town breaks ground for Broad River Project

    WINNSBORO – HPG engineer Ken Parnell, Danny Stuck with DS Utilities, Blythewood Mayor J. Michael Ross, Ridgeway Mayor Charlene Herring, Winnsboro Town Councilmen Clyde Sanders, Jackie Wilkes (former), John McMeekin, Town Manager Don Wood, Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy, attorney John Fantry, Fairfield County Councilwoman Bertha Goins and Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor broke ground for the Broad River Water Project on Wednesday.

  • Expansion of The Point II postponed

    BLYTHEWOOD – Mayor J. Michael Ross was notified today that the developer of a proposed expansion of The Point II has decided to delay the development of The Point Phase II, and will not be coming before Council tonight seeking a letter of approval of the expansion. Should it be decided to go forward at a later date, the developer said he would contact the town at that time.

    Related Story:  The Pointe apartments ask for expansion, 2/22/18

  • FMH asking Council for almost $4 million tonight

    WINNSBORO – Tonight, the Fairfield Memorial Hospital (FMH) CEO is expected to appear before Fairfield County Council to request almost $4 million to cover the hospital’s operating expenses through Dec. 31, 2018, sources have told The Voice.

    That request includes a little more than $2.7 million for operating expenses for the hospital and another $1+ million, which is the amount the County already gives the hospital each year.

    In addition, Council is expected to discuss, in executive session, a possible acquisition of the hospital property by the County. The executive session agenda includes,” the discussion of the potential purchase of real property identified as Fairfield County TMS 126-03-01-001″ (the hospital property).

    The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. tonight at the Fairfield County government complex council chambers, second floor, 350 Columbia Road in Winnsboro.

  • Providence, County break ground for ER

    Breaking ground for the new Providence Health-Fairfield Emergency Room are: Bertha Goins, Vice Chairman of Fairfield County Council; Dr. Roger Gaddy, Fairfield Memorial Hospital Chief of Staff and Mayor of Winnsboro; Susie VanHuss, Chair Board of Trustees Providence Health; Scott Campbell, Market CEO, Providence Health; Catherine Fantry, Fairfield Memorial Hospital Board Chair; MaryGail K. Douglas, Representative District 41; Victor Giovanetti, President Eastern Group LifePoint Health; J.R. Green, PhD, Superintendent of Fairfield County School, Providence Health Board of Trustees Member; Mike Tanner, Director Emergency Medical Services, Upper Midlands Rural Health Network; Suzy Doscher, Fairfield Memorial Hospital CEO; Dr. Cale Davis, Carolina Care; Mark Hood, President and CEO Hood Construction. | Barbara Ball

    WINNSBORO – Ground was broken Feb. 15 for the new Providence Health-Fairfield Emergency Room that will be located on the corner across from BI-Lo Shopping Center at 1810 US Highway 321 Bypass in Winnsboro. Approximately 100 county, town, health care and community officials attended the ceremony and gathered to watch the first dig marking the beginning of construction of the facility.

    Exterior rendering of Providence Health – Fairfield Emergency Room

    “We are proud to collaborate with Fairfield Memorial Hospital (FMH) and Fairfield County to preserve critical access to emergency care for residents of this community,” Scott Campbell, Market Chief Executive Officer of Providence Health, said in opening remarks at the invitation-only event. “This new facility will allow you to have access to 24/7 care from board certified emergency room specialists, and we’re excited about that. This Emergency Room will help transform the delivery of local healthcare services to a sustainable model that better meets the needs of this area.” Campbell said.

    The new emergency room will be approximately 20 miles away from Providence Health’s Northeast hospital campus where patients needing more intensive care can be quickly transferred.

    Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy, who serves a Chief of Staff at Fairfield Memorial Hospital and has been on staff at the hospital since 1979, addressed the crowd, reminiscing how, as a young intern, he was recruited to Fairfield County 40 years ago by current fellow FMH Board member William Tuner who was then serving on Fairfield County Council. Gaddy expressed his appreciation to the County, to Providence Health and its partner, LifePoint Health, for bringing the new emergency room to Fairfield.

    “It’s a great day for Fairfield County,” Gaddy told those gathered.

    Interior rendering of Emergency Room in Fairfield County

    The one-level, 18,000-square-foot building will dedicate 12,000 square feet to emergency services and include 6,000 additional square feet of space for future expansion. Plans for the facility include: six exam rooms (including four treatment rooms and two for future expansion), two trauma rooms, an onsite laboratory and imaging services such as a CT scann, ultrasound and x-ray.

    County Council budgets $1.2 million annually to support FMH’s emergency room, and it passed a resolution in May, 2017, stating that it would continue to financially support FMH’s emergency room operations for up to 18 months or until the new Providence emergency facility is open for business. That resolution also stated that the County will provide $1 million annually for 10 years to Providence Health in support of the new emergency room.

    The new emergency room was made possible in part by the state’s Hospital Transformation Program which supports rural access to healthcare resources and has contributed $3.9 million to this project.

    Providing rural access to health resources is a statewide initiative,” Fairfield Memorial Hospital CEO Suzanne Doscher said. “We are pleased to have found a partner that will continue to offer emergency services to the residents of Fairfield County.”

    Until the new facility opens, in-patient hospital and emergency service will continue to be offered at the FMH location. When the new ER opens, emergency services, radiology and lab services will be offered there.

    County Council Chairman Billy Smith said providence will offer employment opportunities to current FMH employees who satisfy Providence’s customary pre-employment screening requirements and are qualified for comparable positions in the new facility to the extent that these positions are available.

    Smith emphasized that Providence Health is committed to providing needed emergency care to all of Fairfield’s residents and that it has a charity care policy that provides support for community members who lack the ability to pay for needed healthcare services.

    Construction on the new emergency room is expected to be completed in the fall of this year.

  • The Pointe apartments ask for expansion

    BLYTHEWOOD – A request for an expansion of The Pointe at Blythewood, a low income apartment complex that opened last year on Main Street, across from Blythewood Consignment, will be heard by Town Council Monday evening during its regular monthly meeting. Council will also hear from a developer who is proposing a second senior living facility in the Town on acreage behind the Food Lion Shopping Center next to Cobblestone Park.

    “We received a letter from Prestwick Developers asking Council to approve a letter that would allow 32 additional apartments to be built on two acres behind the current Pointe complex,” Mayor J. Michael Ross told The Voice on Wednesday. “We’ll just have to see what Council wants to do after they make their presentation,” Ross said.

    The senior center proposal will be presented by the developer’s representative, Mark Richardson, a Cobblestone resident.

    “What they’re proposing is different from the senior center proposed next to the IGA,” Ross said. “This one is more of a town house style.”

    Council will be voting on approval letters for both the expansion for The Pointe and the senior living center.