Category: Government

WINNSBORO – Fairfield County will now has two paid firefighters. They are stationed in Jenkinsville to help cut down on the 27-minute average response time it previously took the County to respond to fires in the Jenkinsville or Blair area.

“When there was a fire in the Blair, Jenkinsville, and Feasterville area, we left from Winnsboro, went out there, got a truck, then went to the fire,” Fire Director Tony Hill said. “Twenty to twenty-five minutes going to a fire is not good.”

Jamie Gattis and Jay Joyner will now be onsite at the Jenkinsville Fire-station from 5 a.m.-6 p.m. According to Hill 65 percent of all the department’s fire calls come in that 12-hour span, when 95 percent of the volunteer force is out, at their own jobs.

“They’re there from five in the morning to six in the evening and that will cut down response times on that side of the county tremendously,” Hill said.

Gattis and Joyner both come to the job with ample experience in and around public service. Gattis has 10 years experience as a fireman, and his father was a fireman for 25 years. They were introduced at the County Council meeting on Monday evening. Both addressed Council.

“I would like to personally say thank you for the consideration and for the approval of our state positions,” Gattis said. “It’s our intent to continue to service citizens of Fairfield County with respect, pride and everything we have.”

Joyner has been a volunteer fireman for six years, and his father is a retired Fairfield County Sheriff. “I would just like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be one of the first paid fireman in Fairfield County,” Joyner told Council

“They got firefighting in the family,” Hill said proudly.

Councilwoman Bertha Goins was the first to thank Joyner and Gattis for accepting the positions and offered up any assistance they may need.

“To both of you, thank you, welcome aboard. I can’t drive the fire truck but anything else I can do to help, please let me know,” Goins said.

Despite the much needed additions, Hill says the department is in desperate need of more volunteers.

“The Fairfield County Fire service needs probably a hundred volunteer firefighters throughout the whole county,” HIll said. “Basically, these people are firefighters but somebody has to pump the truck, so if they drive a truck they may have to end up pumping it, too. Somebody still’s got to be at the end of the hose to put the fire out, so we got to have volunteers.”

For those wishing to volunteer as a Fairfield County firefighter, contact Hill at 803-712-1070.

WINNSBORO – After cursing the Fairfeld County Planning Commissioners last week for not seeing things her way, Dori Brandenberg showed up at the County Council meeting Monday night with toned down rhetoric. but with the same goal – to persuade a vote in favor of a rezoning that would allow Alex Ferrell to place a mobile home on a five-acre parcel he recently purchased on Lake Monticello.

After the Commission’s vote to not send forward a recommendation to Council to rezone the property, Brandenberg, who does not live in the neighborhood, interrupted the proceedings to tell the Commissioners, among other things, that, “It’s [expletive] like this that kills this town!”

At issue is that the land is zoned Rural Residential (R-1) which allows only stick-built and modular homes. Ferrell requested a change in the zoning of his parcel from R-1 to Rural Residential (RD-1) which would allow mobile homes. But, according to the zoning ordinance it would also allow commercial development which is not allowed now.

Four residents from the Monticello community spoke against the rezoning.

“Our main concern is that if he [Ferrell] gets the property zoned for one mobile home, he would then be allowed to put five mobile homes there and it would open [the zoning] to all that is allowed in the Rural Residential zoning district.” Donna Glynn Holly told the Commissioners.

“This is an historic district and we want to preserve it. We aren’t trying to deprive anyone, but we don’t want it to be opened up for a store or car repair business,” Holly said. “They say that is not what they would do, but when you open it up to Rural Residential zoning, that is precisely what is allowed under that zoning.”

“We just want to preserve the integrity of our commumnity and keep it zoned for residential,” Holly said.

Council voted 5-1 against the  measure. Councilman Mikel Trapp voted for the rezoning and Councilman Doug Pauley was absent.

BLYTHEWOOD – Developer DR Horton’s representative Jordan Hammond was back before the Blythewood Planning Commission on July 5 after being turned down in April by both the Planning Commission and Town Council for R-5 and R-8 zoning for a 98-acre development on Wilson Boulevard that would contain 293 homes. At that time, Council told Hammond that it would approve nothing less than D-1 (Development) zoning (a minimum 20,000 sqaure feet per lot) within the Town. Council has since downsized the zoning on all R-5, R-8 and R-12 lots on which construction has not already begun in some form.

On Monday evening, Hammond presented revised plans for a 103-lot draft site on the same Wilson Boulevard property.

“The developer is proposing a project under the current D-1 zoning which requires a 20,000 square foot minimum lot size as opposed to the smaller lot size they were seeking previously,” Town Planning Consultant Michael Criss told Commissioners.

“A couple of months ago you were standing right there and it might’ve been me – it probably was me –  asked you point blank why you couldn’t develop the property as D-1, and you said it didn’t make sense economically,” Commissioner Donald Brock said. “My first question is why does it make sense now? What has changed?”

“I probably shouldn’t get into the specific negotiations with the seller too much, but you can probably also see that there is an entire piece of property that is no longer included in this – the Randall Road piece,” Hammond said. “So, I guess long story short is that the deal terms have changed.”

The newly proposed plans for the 90-acre site conform to the D-1 zoning, features two neighborhood exits – one street exit to Wilson Boulevard and a 30-foot-wide emergency access driveway, according to Town Administrator Gary Parker.

“I know Richland County requires something like this as well,” Hammond said about the addition of the emergency exit. Mr. Parker and Mr. Criss emphasized to us that having a secondary emergency access would be important to the Town, so we wanted to make sure to incorporate that.”

Emergency access will cut between the second and third lots and behind lots one and two.

“So if an accident happens between two and three on that main road, you’re kind of stuck for some period of time,” Brock noted.

Hammond said he could not argue with Brock’s assertion, but added that the allotted 40-foot minimum front setback, along with the 50-foot road right of away and an additional 40-foot included in ?????, would allow emergency vehicles 130 square feet to navigate the property.

DR Horton’s documents included an updated traffic study conducted by Ridgeway Traffic Consulting. The study examined the impact the new subdivision would have on traffic along the west side of Wilson Boulevard.

RTC’s study found that congestion in the Wilson Boulevard area would continue to worsen with or without Horton’s site development, and that the answer to that problem would be a realignment of Langford Road with Blythewood Road. The study also recommended a dedicated left-turn lane for Northbound Wilson Boulevard, but found that a right-turn lane would not be needed.

Traffic was a sticking point for Commissioner Cynthia Schull. “It’s already bad, and it’s getting ready to get worse. Your neighborhood is going to make it even worse. I don’t know who is supposed to address that. Who do I need to call because DOT or whoever builds roads needs to do something about this. It’s hard for developers to come here because of that,” she said.

“That was one of the major topics when we came (in April) for the rezoning from a much higher density, and that’s why we’re here today with a much lower density because of traffic concerns,” Hammond said. “As far as the traffic that’s coming in, you’re right, we can’t fix the intersection there where Langford and Blythewood Roads come together.”

Commissioner Brock recommended a traffic light, but, according to Hammond, that would be viable and even recommended for a commercial developer, but for DR Horton the costs associated with a traffic light would not be feasible unless the subdivision were much larger.

Brock also question the layout of the lots, and why the homes were primarily lined up on one side of the property, while the other side was essentially empty space.

“What I would prefer to see is not necessarily a tract. I would prefer to see a little bit of open space here and there,” he said.

“Sewer access would be on the admoining property,” Hammond said. “Getting sewer over there would involve additional lift stations. Most municipalities that provide these sewer services want to minimize lift stations.”

Any sewer and water designs must be approved by the municipalities that provide the service. The Town of Winnsboro will provide water to the subdivision and Palmetto Utilities will handle sewage service.

According to Hammond, DR Horton is confident the project will be completed in two phases, but the meeting did not include a vote, but was discussion only. The developer will have to appear before the Commission again for preliminary plat approval. The commission will need to see permits for water lines, permits for sewer lines and county issued land disturbance permits, at that time.

WINNSBORO – Longtime Winnsboro attorney Paul Swearingen was recently appointed as Chief Magistrate over Fairfield County. The appointment took effect July 1 and was ordered by Chief Justice of South Carolina Donald W. Beatty.

New chief magistrates were named in 31 of 46 counties in the state.

Reached Tuesday by The Voice, Swearingen said it was a surprise that so many chief magistrates were turned over.

“From what I’ve gathered,” Swearingen said, “the Chief Justice just decided to rotate leadership among the chief magistrates.”

Magistrates are city and county judges who hear crimes that have penalties of $500 or less and civil disputes involving up to $7,500. They also issue search warrants.

Swearingen said his term is until the end of the year but could be longer if the Chief Justice of South Carolina decides to extend his term.

RIDGEWAY – Recent conversations in Ridgeway Town Council executive sessions have, by several accounts, gone to the dogs. At least to one dog in particular – a Rottweiler named Bella who, for the last four years, has accompanied her owner, Town Clerk Vivian Case, to work every day at The Century House. There, Case told The Voice, she is usually the only person in the building. Both Case and Council sources say there has been no history of complaints or problems concerning Bella’s presence at Town Hall.

But all that changed in January of this year when Mayor Charlene Herring and Councilman Doug Porter issued Bella a pink slip, saying Council had made the decision, based on recent complaints about Bella’s behavior and breed, that she could no longer come to the office with Case even though the two are separated from the public by a locked lower half of the room’s entrance door and a glass partition and iron jail bars replacing the top half of the door.  So Case left Bella at home beginning in mid-January.

Already possessing separate certificates for three levels of obedience training as well as a certificate proclaiming that she passed the prestigious American Kennel Club ‘Canine Good Citizen’ test, Bella came back to ‘work’ in late February with a note from a doctor explaining to Council that she (Bella) would be fulfilling the role of service dog to Case and would need to accompany and have access to Case during the work day.

In response, Council hired an attorney to advise them regarding Bella. That advice, according to Herring, led to Bella being crated and placed on the far side of the room from Case, effectively leaving the dog unable to perform her duty as a service dog.

While the attorney’s fees are approaching $2,000 and climbing, they are being paid out of the Town’s coffers.  Should Case choose to fight Town Hall, she will have to bear her own legal expenses.

Herring told The Voice that it was approved by Council that the dog must be crated even though it is a service dog because of its classification as a viscious animal according to the Town’s Ordinance Number 2-1010. She said the dog seems nice enough, but that the ordinance is breed specific.

“Based on the breed of the dog and the research our attorney found, the dog has to stay kenneled until she (Case) chooses another dog with less liability,” Herring told The Voice.

That is not a possibility, Case told The Voice.

After acquiring a copy of the town ordinance, however, The Voice found no mention of specific breeds, and Bella’s history does not meet any of the specifications of ‘viscious animal’ as outlined in the ordinance.  The only breed-specific Ridgeway Town Ordinance is No. 2-1011, a Pit Bull Registry that requires only Pit Bulls living in the town limits to be registered with the town. No mention is made of Rottweilers.

To combat local ordinances that are breed specific as to service dogs, the Department of Justice ruled in 2010 in Subpart A, Section 35.104 that “The Department of Justice (DOJ) does not believe that it is either appropriate or consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to defer to local laws that prohibit certain breeds of dogs based on local concerns that these breeds may have a history of unprovoked aggression or attacks.”

In accordance with HIPPA laws, The Voice is not disclosing Case’s disability.

In addition, Herring told The Voice, “Council approved us to go this route (crating Bella). We’ve had full approval.”

Noting that there was no public record of such a vote, The Voice asked Herring if the vote was in executive session, Herring responded, “We didn’t vote in executive session. We came out (to vote).

Asked why there is not a public record of Council voting on the matter in public session, Herring answered,” I used the wrong word.”

According to Council sources and meeting minutes, none of the orders, decisions, discussions or ‘votes’ that Herring and some other council members say were made by Council in regard to Bella’s removal and crating were made in public. According to the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, it is illegal for Council to make decisions or conduct straw polls behind closed doors in executive session.

Section 30-4-70 (6) of the FOIA states, “The only actions that can be taken in executive sessions are to adjourn or return to public session. No informal polling about a course of action may be taken in executive session.”

Council members who have spoken with the Voice, both on and off the record, are in disagreement about who made the complaints against Bella, how many were made and when.

Case says the complaints are frivolous and unsubstantiated.

The next Ridgeway Town Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, July 13, at 6:30 p.m. in The Century House. The public is invited.

Members of the Lake Wateree Presbyterian Church voted Sunday to donate a 2.17 acre parcel to Fairfield County for use as a fire department substation. The parcel is located next to the church on Old Windmill Road in Ridgeway.

County Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas, who facilitated the donation, was asked by the church’s elders, Joanne Reed, Curtis Blackmon and Ray Daniels, to address the congregation prior to the Sunday morning vote.

“The 4,000 square-foot building will house two bays for the fire department as well as one for EMS and one for the Sheriff’s department. The Sheriff’s bay will accommodate deputies on patrol at the lake, and it will house the department’s boat,” Douglas told The Voice .

The substation will also house a 1,200 square-foot recreation center with a small kitchen and two restrooms.

Douglas said the sub-station would serve 285 homes that do not currently have fire protection.

“It will also give these homes a 150 ISO rating and reduce insurance premiums drastically,” Douglas said.

The station will be manned by Southeastern Fire Department

Douglas said the EMS station will bring service closer to where problems would arise during holiday events and on days EMS is requested to be present at Lake Wateree.

Council recently voted to order a new radio service that EMS Director Mike Tanner said will enable all emergency vehicles to get a clear signal over 95 percent of the County, including the Lake area.

 

RIDGEWAY- While discussing capital improvements during the Town’s second reading of the budget for the 2017-18 FY, Councilman Heath Cookendorfer rolled out his proposal for the town’s former station. He requested that $25,000 be earmarked to help secure an economic development grant to transition the old fire station into three separate retail spaces.

“We’re not using it if we cannot find the right grant or whatever,” Cookendorfer said. “But money that would help us to get a grant to turn three of those stalls into actual businesses where we would be selling water, we’ll be getting rent and we’ll be getting business license (fees). Three locations that can generate revenue for the town.”

Councilwoman Angela Harrison and Councilman Donald Prioleau, however, countered with their own plans, along with assistance from Fairfield County, for the space. Their proposal would include tearing down and replacing the current library.

“We’re talking about…tearing that thing [current library] down and [replacing it with] a depot with an anchor tower to match Olde Town [Hall Restaurant’s] tower,” Harrison said. “And, again, the police department, a library, indoor/outdoor bathrooms, retail space and a platform for Pig on the Ridge, or events and things like that. That firestation is cement block, it doesn’t match the character of our downtown I mean it totally is an eyesore along with our old police station.”

“It sounded very promising,” Prioleau said.

Harrison said it was not the role of the town to be property managers, but Cookendorfer countered that the town is purchasing the Cotton Yard Property and already operating businesses.

“And, technically, the town shouldn’t be property managers anyway, that’s not the purpose of the town to buy and sell property or be property managers,” Harrison said.

“Then we shouldn’t be buying the Cotton Yard. We shouldn’t be operating businesses,” Cookendorfer said. “We should be in the business of building revenues.”

Harrison said Fairfield County is currently assisting her and Prioleau in the search for grants to possibly help fund the proposal. Since the designs would add a platform for Pig on the Ridge, and other festivals, Pig on the Ridge would assist in funding.

“It’ll be an L-shaped building with retail space, library, police station and a platform for Pig on the Ridge or things like that,” Harrison said. “So Pig on the Ridge is willing to pay money for it, and the county’s looking into getting grants for it.”

The designer’s plans will be presented as soon as they are completed and the designer’s fees will be covered in the Fairfield County budget, but Fairfield County cannot take any action until their new budget year begins in July.

Cookendorfer agreed to table his proposal until Council gets an opportunity to review Harrison’s and Prioleau’s designs. “I would like to see a drawing,” Cookendorfer said.

 

BLYTHEWOOD- Richland County officials have offered a limited bus service to the Town of Blythewood on a trial basis.

“Out of the blue, the Interim Executive Director of the Comet Board, Ann August, called Town Hall to say Richland County wants to establish a park and ride service between Blythewood and Columbia,” Town Councilman Malcolm Gordge told The Voice.

The proposed service would operate out of Doko Meadows (the town park) where it would pick up passengers at a scheduled place and time and drop them of at various points in downtown Columbia. It would bring them back to the park at the end of the business day.

In May, Samuel Scheib, Director of Richland County Planning and Development, forwarded to Town Hall an email he received from August concerning the proposal.

“Due to the ideal location of the Town of Blythewood and recognizing the town’s participation in regional transportation planning efforts, staff proposes to operate the agency’s first express route piolot to Blythewood,” August wrote.

The Blythewood pilot route is expected to begin in September.

“Both Ms. August and Mr. Sheib have come and and met with the Mayor and myself, and we showed them the park,” Gordge said. “Now what the Town Hall is looking for is a response from the community. Do they want it? Will they use it?”

The first week of rides on the 18-seat mini Comet will be free of charge. After that, riders will pay the standard city bus fees, Gordge said.

Gordge said the Town will have no financial responsibility for the project except to post signs directing riders to the pick-up and drop-off points.

“If shelters are needed, then Comet will be responsible for that,” Gordge said.

“I plan to try it out,” he said. “I’ll be on the first bus to Columbia.”

 

BLYTHEWOOD – Addressing recent actions by Town Council to dismantle key zoning ordinances put in place by a previous administration to create a more walkable, attractive Town Center District, former Councilman Paul Moscati told Council Monday evening that he was disappointed they were not taking more time to make their decision on the amending the zoning ordinances.

“Why are you trying to do this so quickly? I was at a workshop last week when this was brought up,” Moscati told Council.

At that workshop, the Town’s Economic Development Consultant Ed Parler told Council that the regulations for a more walkable community were a hindrance to the economic growth of the town. Ross agreed saying that in the six years of his administration, only one new building had come to Blythewood Road. Town Planner Michael Criss added that the ordinances designed to promote walkability and aesthetics caused the current buldings to become out of compliance so that if the non-conforming buildings were more than 51 percent destroyed, they would have to be rebuilt to the ‘walkability’ set back and other specifications which could cause a hardship on them.

“When this plan (to create a more walkable community) was passed, we didn’t expect any current businesses to comply with the ordinance. It was passed for the new businesses coming to the town. You asked how you are going to afford to do this, but it was never that the town would pay for it. It was the developers coming in who would pay for it. We were just asking them to make changes in how they built, to start making this town look like something special,” Moscati said.

At issue are zoning stipulations envisioned and guide by Town Administrator John Perry, and put in place by a Town Council that included Moscati, to have new builds pulled closer to the street with parking in the rear of the buildings and mandatory second stories on new builds in certain areas. The current administration abolished the two-story requirement last year and passed first reading Monday evening to do away with the requirement to pull new builds closer to the front of the lot.

“We’ve always heard, ‘Blythewood is just a truck stop town.’ If you care about Blythewood, that should affect you. I hate hearing that. One of the reasons we came up with the Master Plan and guidelines was to try to make the town look special. Something that came through to us loud and clear then was, ‘We don’t want to look like Two Notch and Killian Road,’” Moscati told Council.

“If you decide to go ahead and make changes on this, I would ask that, at the very least, you involve the public. Make sure they understand what you’re trying to change. As a former Councilman who was for this [walkability ordinances], I think it is incumbent on me to help lead that change to let people understand. And if what you’re doing is what the people want, then, by golly, they’re the ones who should have the final say so. As we become more and more disengaged, we’re going to look back and say, ‘How did we get to where we are?’ The answer is – a little bit at a time.”

“Your point is well taken,” Councilman Tom Utroska told Moscati, “but as you well know, getting people to get involved is hard to do.”

“We knew that if we ever pulled that first building forward it would look like a snaggled tooth. But there’s got to be a first time,” Moscati said.

Ross defended Council’s move to amend Perry’s plans, saying that many businesses have not come to the town because of the walkability ordinances.

“It wasn’t all because of our zoning, but it had a lot to do with it,” Ross said. “We are what we are. But as far as economic development, we’re letting the town down. We need to be sure what the people want.

“This is first reading and because we are making changes, it will have to go to the Planning Commission, a public hearing and a second reading,” Ross said.

First reading passed 4-0. Councilman Larry Griffin was out of town.

Council also held a public hearing and first reading to downsize select parcels from R-5, R-8 and R-12 to Development District (D-1).

Town Administrator Gary Parker said this procedure would help reduce the residential density in Blythewood while maintaining the current zoning of existing or vested developments. The recommendations passed first reading unanimously.

Council also voted on the Accommodation Tax Committee’s recommendations, approving $10,000 for the BHS Tournament of Bands and $1,750 for the Chamber’s Battle of the Bands Eclipse event Bravo Blythewood withdrew its request for $34,000 for a concert in the park.