Blythewood Online 691

Category: Government

  • All media questions for Ridgeway now go to mayor

    RIDGEWAY – With Ridgeway Town elections coming up in April and filing closing at noon last Friday, The Voice called Ridgeway Town Clerk Vivian Case on Friday afternoon to find out who had signed up to run for office.

    Case told The Voice that she could not provide that information.

    “I’m no longer allowed to talk to the media,” Case told The Voice. “All media questions must now go to the mayor,” she said.

    The Voice called Ridgeway Mayor Heath Cookendorfer.

    “She’s ridiculous,” he said. “She can tell you. I don’t know why she’s saying she can’t tell you that.”

    Less than an hour later, however, Cookendorfer called back to say that Case was correct, that all questions from the media, including questions asking for the names of candidates filling for election, would need to go to the mayor.

    Unraveling Town Policy

    After initially saying that it was ‘ridiculous’ for Case to say she could not answer questions from the media, Cookendorfer said he would run it by council.

    “Let me confer with council. I don’t want to say anything without council saying yes or no. So, I’ll bring it up at the next council meeting, that if the press asks a question as general as ‘who’s running for election,’ is that something we (council) need to have her contact council prior to speaking to the media?”

    Asked by The Voice to define a ‘general,’ question, Cookendorfer said he would have council define it.

    While the next council meeting was not scheduled until Thursday, Feb. 10, Cookendorfer called The Voice back after only a few minutes with clarification.

    “I talked to one of the council members,” Cookendorfer said, “and we talked about something they brought back to light.” He clarified: “For any questions about the Town of Ridgeway, [the media] has to call the mayor,” he said.

    “For any question?” The Voice reporter asked.

    “Anything!” Cookendorfer answered, contradicting his earlier statement that she (Case) could answer questions from the media concerning who is signed up to run in the upcoming Town election.

    “Basically, it says that, ‘All media relations and public statements regarding the Town of Ridgeway should come from the mayor,’” Cookendorfer said.

    “Where does it say that,” The Voice reporter asked.

    “In a document that we have,” Cookendorfer answered, not specifying whether it was Town policy, Town statute or something else.

    “Can I get a copy of it?” the reporter asked.  Cookendorfer changed the subject.

    “So, if the media has any questions concerning the Town of Ridgway or about how things are going, like who’s running for election, you would have to go to the mayor for an answer,” Cookendorfer said.  He added that the press would also have to give him at least 24 hours to answer the question.

    “I’m going to [need that time] to ask council and then maybe speak with her (Case) to get the answer,” Cookendorfer said. “Some things may require a little bit more tact and understanding of the answer.”

    A Late Agenda

    When asked why the agenda for the Town Council’s Jan. 20 meeting was late, Cookendorfer placed the blame on Case, saying he had approved the agenda and did not know why Case had not sent it out on time.

    The agenda was emailed to The Voice at 11:49 a.m. on the day of the meeting, barely 6-1/2 hours before the meeting was scheduled to begin.

    According to Sec. 30-4-80 of the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, ‘An agenda for regularly scheduled or special meetings must be posted on a bulletin board in a publicly accessible place at the office or meeting place of the public body and on a public website maintained by the body, if any, at least twenty-four hours prior to such meetings. All public bodies must post on such bulletin board or website, if any, public notice for any called, special, or rescheduled meetings. Such notice must include the agenda, date, time, and place of the meeting, and must be posted as early as is practicable but not later than twenty-four hours before the meeting.’

    Councilman Rufus Jones told The Voice on Tuesday that when he had not received the agenda on the morning of the meeting, that he called Cookendorfer and learned that Cookendorfer had not yet approved the agenda. That approval, Jones said, was received via email at town hall around 11 a.m. less that the 24 hours required by law for the agenda to be posted.

    The next scheduled meeting for the Ridgeway Town Council is Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Century House in Ridgeway.

  • Council, residents accuse Bell of shutting them out, rushing redistricting

    WINNSBORO – Fairfield County scheduled Monday night’s public hearing on redistricting hoping to quell recent complaints of secrecy and personal politics.

    Instead, more evidence arose illustrating that the proposed plan to redraw district lines may be politically motivated.

    One proposed change shifts the street of a potential challenger of Council Chairman Moses Bell, ceding it from District 1 to District 5.

    Bell lives in District 1, the same as Ridgeway resident Randy Bright, a frequent critic of the current administration who’s been politically active for years.

    Bright called the proposed district lines “very odd,” though he stopped short of accusing Bell of gerrymandering.

    Randy Bright, who has talked about running for Bell’s District 1 seat, points to map where Bell drew him (Bright) out of Bell’s district. | Barbara Ball

    “This little sliver was pulled out of its community, out of its natural boundaries. It’s a stark change – we were in District 1 – everything around us is District 1,” Bright said. “This is basically one street. I find that very odd, that one sliver.”

    Winnsboro resident Brandon Peake was more direct in thinking the proposed maps were politically motivated.

    Peake referenced recent council votes appropriating $500,000 for parks and playgrounds as well as approving the controversial Teacher Village housing development pushed by the school district.

    “With $500,000 in one district [for parks] and the Teacher Village in another, it seems pretty apparent that they are trying to appease your agenda,” Peake said.

    Bell pushed back against the criticisms. He restated talking points from the last council meeting, where he said the proposed map follows state and federal laws, and is more equitable than the current map.

    “When you look at the total picture of these lines, they are significantly improved over 2011 [redistricting] with only 15 census blocks moved, which is a significant feat in itself,” Bell said. “This is really, really good.”

    Who’s moving where

    Fairfield County Council has already passed two readings of the redistricting plan. No votes were taken Monday night, though final reading could come as soon as Monday, Dec. 13 even though the federal deadline is March 1, 2022.

    Federal law requires county governments to redraw district lines every 10 years, after census numbers are released.

    Redistricting is also necessary because of routine population shifts. Since 2010, Fairfield County as a whole lost about 3,000 residents, shrinking 15.6%, according to the S.C. of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office.

    District 2 grew 7.1% while District 7 shrank 8.7%, the agency has said.

    Federal law requires no more than 5% deviation in any council district, which means some precincts must move from one district to another to compensate for population shifts.

    Revenue and Fiscal Affairs director Frank Rainwater said only 15 of the county’s 1,200 blocks shifted.

    In District 1, one precinct moves into District 2 and three precincts shift to District 3, according to the proposed map.

    District 2 loses two blocks to District 3, one to District 6 and another to District 7.

    A precinct in District 3 moves to District 5, while District 5 loses three precincts – two to District 3 and two to District 7, the proposal shows.

    “Your overall deviation is down to 5%. You have many districts that are down to 1% of the target,” Rainwater said.

    Bell boasted that the proposed map brings the county into compliance with very few changes required to the district lines.

    “It’s a significant change in the deviation which makes it a significant improvement in the lines,” Bell said.

    Rainwater later acknowledged he discussed the proposed map only with Chairman Bell. He said it’s normal for the state to deal with one person, but he was also unaware that other council members had no input.

    “Mr. Rainwater, when you talk about two blocks moved from one district to another, who’s responsible for the moving of those blocks?” Councilman Doug Pauley asked. “Who decides what blocks move from one district to the next?”

    Councilman Doug Pauley accused Chairman Moses Bell of not involving public in redistricting process.

    “Those were conversations we had with Mr. Bell,” Rainwater said.

    “Did you have any conversation with any other council members?” Pauley inquired.

    “No sir,” Rainwater responded.

    Councilman Clarence Gilbert pressed as well.

    “When you were given this draft, were you under the impression all of the council members had been a part of this?” Gilbert asked.

    “I had no knowledge about who talked about it. I don’t know who [Bell] did or did not talk to,” Rainwater answered.

    In an email of the draft redistricting map sent Bell on Monday and copied to all council members, Rainwater wrote, “Again, the draft map is based on the direction you (Bell) provided and is intended for you to share with council and the public for feedback.”

    Lack of transparency

    On Monday, transparency issues continued to dog Bell, with council members and residents accusing him of shutting them out of the process.

    Pauley said Bell instructed staff not to stream the public forum online, which is the customary practice for council meetings. Bell denied that.

    “For some reason tonight, Mr. Bell does not want to have this meeting live,” Pauley said.

    Bell said it wasn’t feasible for the county, which operates on a $44.6 million budget, to broadcast the meeting live.

    “We’re not prepared to do a live meeting. We’re not prepared to do that,” Bell said.

    On short notice, a representative of The Voice was able to broadcast the proceedings live on Facebook using a smart phone.

    Pauley also said Bell didn’t adequately publicize the public forum.

    Waving a copy of the Country Chronicle, which generally publishes stories favorable to the current administration, Bell stated the county did publish a public notice in that newspaper to announce Monday’s forum.

    “We did put it in the paper, so we did advertise,” Bell said.

    The county did not advertise the forum in The Voice, which is mailed directly to more than 4,000 homes in Fairfield County.

  • Pushback over redistricting secrecy prompts public comment meeting

    WINNSBORO – County council pushed through first and second readings (5-2) on a redistricting plan for Fairfield County in less than a week and without public discussion or a public forum on the plan.

    At the Nov. 22 council meeting, Councilman Douglas Pauley accused Chairman Moses Bell of unilaterally submitting a draft plan without informing council members or the public.

    Victor Frontroth, a cartographer with the S. C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office, attended the Nov. 22 council meeting to explain the redistricting process, but there were no maps to present for the public. Frontroth said repeatedly during the meeting that feedback from council members and the public is crucial to every redistricting plan.

    “Public input is a very important part of this entire process,” Frontroth said, adding that a public hearing is required before third (final) reading.

    While Bell had emailed a draft map of his plan for redistricting to council members, there were few roads identified, making it difficult to determine how specific properties were affected.

    It didn’t take long for Bell’s plan to come under attack, with many citing concerns over lack of transparency and the lack of the opportunity for input from all councilmen.

    “The map that was presented to you, where did that map come from?” Pauley asked Frontroth.

    “That was from working with Chairman Bell,” Frontroth answered.

    “Wouldn’t you agree to have seven council members, that every council member should have a say in that draft?” Pauley asked.

    “We were under the impression that every council member was aware,” Frontroth replied.

    “They were not,” Pauley responded.

    “They were not,” Councilman Gilbert echoed.

    A letter dated Nov. 23, 2021, to Bell from Frank Rainwater, executive director of the S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office confirmed as much.

    “The Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office (RFA) computed statistics and created a draft map based on the direction you (Bell) provided as we shared and discussed with you on November 17,” Rainwater wrote.

    Bell’s assurances that his plan would meet constitutional requirements did little to sway angry residents who voiced frustration over being shut out of the redistricting process.

    District 4 resident John Jones said during public comment at the Nov 22 council meeting that the county website is virtually devoid of any maps or detailed redistricting plans.

    Jones feared the council majority’s endgame was gerrymandering, the manipulation of district boundaries to give one or more council members an unfair electoral edge.

    “That’s not right, that’s not ethical,” Jones said.

    Ridgeway resident Randy Bright said the lack of transparency over redistricting is indicative of the secrecy that surrounded budget talks, employee bonuses and other recent measures.

    The day after the meeting, Bell sent the following email to council members and the media:

    “We are scheduling a public forum on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m., to discuss the proposed redistricting map and the statistics that support the proposed map, purpose of districting, and public input. One of the reasons we want to have this forum is that we need for folks to understand the process and to review the proposed map along with the stats. Look forward to seeing you then. Forget the assumptions,” Bell wrote.

    That meeting is scheduled to be held in council chambers. The public is invited to attend.

    Pauley emailed the other council members about the need to provide the public with information prior to that meeting.

    “I wanted to say if there is going to be a public hearing on Dec. 6, 2021 for redistricting, then we need to send out something soon so the public has time to plan for it.”

    He also included a link (www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzOS4L8kwR8) of a redistricting in another county, “so we can see how it was done. They had 2 public hearings and the board offered 3 different maps to choose from and present to the public. It seems they took the time and made sure the public had a chance to express their input,” he wrote.

    “The public is supposed to be a part of this,” Pauley told The Voice, “a big part. It’s not something Mr. Bell is supposed to work out to his satisfaction with no input from the rest of council and the public.”

  • Bell pushing redistricting thru

    Victor Frontroth, a cartographer with S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, presented information to council concerning its redistricting effort. | Photo: Fairfield County Council

    Pauley: Mr. Bell’s Decisions Not In Best Interest of County

    WINNSBORO – Redistricting is an inherently political process, and that reality was on full display at Monday night’s Fairfield County Council meeting.

    After passing first reading of an ordinance adopting a redistricting plan by a 5-2 vote Thursday night, council members passed second reading of the ordinance Monday night with the same 5-2 vote. Council members Doug Pauley and Clarence Gilbert opposed.

    No public discussion or public forums on the redistricting plan have been held prior to Monday night’s meeting, which drove complaints over the lack of transparency and personal politics.

    Pauley accused Chairman Moses Bell of unilaterally submitting the draft redistrict plan without informing council members or the public.

    “It goes to show Mr. Bell has excluded council from making decisions that are in the best interests of all Fairfield County citizens,” Pauley said.

    Bell insisted he followed all state and federal guidelines. He also noted the public will have a chance to offer feedback sometime before the final vote.

    “We will have an opportunity for public input and if we need to have another meeting, we can do that,” he said.

    The exchange came following a presentation from the S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office.

    Victor Frontroth, a cartographer with the agency, said repeatedly that feedback from council members and the public is crucial to every redistricting plan.

    “Public input is a very important part of this entire process,” Frontroth said, adding that a public hearing is required before third reading.

    Federal law requires local governments to redraw district lines every 10 years to compensate for population shifts. The goal is to maintain fair and equal representation.

    In Fairfield County, census data shows that total population plummeted 12.56%, from 23,956 to 20,948. Council districts 2 and 7 saw the greatest shifts, with District 2, represented by Councilwoman Shirley Greene, growing 7.1% and District 7, represented by Gilbert, shrinking 8.7%.

    Frontroth explained that federal law requires no more than a 5% population shift in either direction. Ideally, he said one-way deviation shouldn’t exceed 2.5%.

    The proposed plan features a combined deviation of about 6%, Frontroth said.

    It didn’t take long, though, for Bell’s plan to come under attack, with many citing concerns over lack of transparency.

    “The map that was presented to you, where did that map come from?” Pauley asked Frontroth.

    “That was from working with Chairman Bell,” Frontroth answered.

    “Wouldn’t you agree to have seven council members, that every council member should have a say in that draft?” Pauley asked.

    “We were under the impression that every council member was aware,” Frontroth replied.

    “They were not,” Pauley responded.

    “They were not,” Councilman Gilbert echoed.

    Bell continued to defend his handling of the redistricting plan.

    “Does the map meet the constitutional requirements?” Bell asked Frontroth

    “As far as I see, yes,” Frontroth answered.

    Bell’s assurances did little to sway angry residents, who voiced frustration over being shut out of the redistricting process.

    District 4 resident John Jones said the county website is vir tually devoid of any maps or detailed redistricting plans.

    Jones feared the council majority’s endgame was gerrymandering, the manipulation of district boundaries to give one or more council members an unfair electoral edge.

    “That’s not right, that’s not ethical,” Jones said. “There’s a lot of lawsuits that say that’s not smart. Please don’t do that.”

    Ridgeway resident Randy Bright said the lack of transparency over redistricting is indicative of the secrecy that surrounded budget talks, employee bonuses and other recent measures.

    “Let’s be transparent for the first time this year,” Bright said. “This would be a great Christmas present if you were transparent with redistricting.”

    When Frontroth explained that the maps another information would eventually be on the county’s website, Bright raised his hand to ask a question of Frontroth, but Bell shut him down. Bright went ahead and asked as Bell protested.

    “Since Fairfield is an internet desert, how are you going to get this information out to the people?” Bright asked.

    “No! No! Don’t answer that, Mr. Frontroth!” Bell shouted to the presenter. Councilman Mikel Trapp leaned over to whisper something to Bell who then turned to a nearby sheriff’s deputy and ordered him to eject Bright from the meeting. Bell also had a citizen sitting near Bright ejected as well.

    As the two were escorted out, Gilbert offered a consoling comment to the two, “Council doesn’t have any input, either.”

    After the vote, Pauley called upon Bell to reinstitute the second public comment session, which was eliminated in March 2020.

    In addition, Pauley said meeting agendas should be published earlier than the Friday immediately preceding Monday meetings. He said that would give council members more time to prepare for meetings and residents more advance notice of council business.

  • Council hires new county admin

    WINNSBORO – After six months and six unsuccessful tries to fill the vacancy left by former Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor, council voted to hire Columbia native Malik Whitaker during a special called meeting last week. Whitaker will assume his new duties with the county on Dec. 2.

    Whitaker

    The vote was unanimous to offer Whitaker a $135K, one-year contract. The motion to hire Whitaker was made by Councilman Mikel Trapp who did not attend any of the applicant’s interview sessions, according to council members who were present at the meetings.

    Councilman Doug Pauley thanked Brad Caulder, the county’s director of human resources for serving as interim county administrator since June, 2021.

    “After many failed attempts [to hire an administrator], we hired Mr. Caulder,” Pauley said. “I want to thank Mr. Caulder for his time of being the interim administrator.

    Pauley said the Mercer Group, the firm hired by the county to solicit applicants, brought several candidates, but he said it was not a large pool to choose from.

    “I asked about bringing in more candidates,” Pauley said, “but we were told we would be looking at another six months. I think the candidate we have before us does not have all the qualifications we are looking for, but we are in need of a county administrator and I’m willing to work with him and give him a chance.

    “I think we owe it to the citizens of Fairfield County to work together and move this county forward,” Pauley said.

    Whitaker is currently Director of Education and Resiliency at the United Way of the Midlands where he has been employed since last July. He previously served for a year as the Operations & Management Consultant Manager for the Florida Department of Children and Families in Tallahassee, FL

    Whitaker spent the previous eight years with the S.C. Department of Social Services.  He also worked as project leader for Communities in Schools, Director of Families, Individuals and Children for United Way of the Midlands and was a research associate at Benedict College.

    While Whitaker’s resume does not include experience as a county administrator. He was assistant zoning administrator for Richland County from 1997 to 2003. There he was responsible for supervision of 12 members of the code enforcement staff. His duties also included budget preparation for the department, employee supervision, implementation and monitoring of all unit functions. He also assisted the zoning administrator in management of all aspects of county zoning, including permitting, inspections and administration.

    Asked to describe his management style and philosophy, Whitaker wrote in his application: “I’m a pragmatic problem solver and I practice servant leadership. I put serving others – including staff, community, and clients – as the number one priority. I hold myself accountable for increased service to others, a holistic approach to work, promoting a sense of community, and sharing power in decision making. Great leaders inspire others to a higher purpose and excellent management is about maximizing the potential of others to accomplish collective goals. I believe that administrative leaders harness the collective competencies of others to accomplish strategic goals, so putting the needs of my team first is paramount.”

    Whitaker told The Voice that he has not yet made a decision as to whether the current assistant to the interim administrator, Ed Driggers, will continue in his role with the county after he (Whitaker) takes over as administrator.  The county currently pays Driggers $200 per hour for approximately 20 hours per week. The county also pays an assistant to Driggers $60 per hour for approximately 20 hours per week.

    Whitaker holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of South Carolina and is a graduate of the USC School of Law.

    Whitaker and his wife Stacey, a school administrator in Richland School District 1, are the parents of a daughter who is enrolled at Clemson and a son who attends Richland Northeast High School. The family lives in Northeast Columbia.

  • Bell claims council members are county employees, eligible for ARP

    Video Differs with Media Report on Bell’s Brush-Up with 1st Responders

    Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill displays some of the protective gear first responders must wear while speaking at the council meeting.

    WINNSBORO – In a confrontation with Fairfield County first responders following last week’s county council meeting, a video showed Council Chairman Moses Bell, when asked whether he thought he was a county employee, responding, “Yes, I am.”

    During a council meeting earlier that evening, Bell and council members Shirley Greene, Michael Trapp and Tim Roseborough voted to pass first reading of an ordinance that would make all full time employees, including each council member, eligible to receive $1,200 from the first $2.2 million installment of the county’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. A second $2.2 million installment will be received in 2022. The vote also gives $600 to all part-time employees and $200 to all temporary employees, including poll workers, for a total payout to employees of $460,000.

    But according to ARP guidelines, council members are likely not eligible for the funds.

    While council members receive salaries, insurance, retirement and workers compensation paid for by the county, a state official, in answer to an inquiry by The Voice, said council members are considered employees for tax purposes only, that they are not employees of the town subject to town personnel policies or eligible for additional payments to employees.

    Council members not eligible

    The U. S. Treasury’s final interim rule on ARP funding only designates premium pay for essential workers, and it is unlikely that council members can qualify as essential workers.

    According to the state statue, when council votes to increase pay to its members, that increase cannot be implemented until after council’s next general election.

    In a July 8, 2013 ruling, the S.C. Attorney General stated, “The General Assembly shall never grant extra compensation, fee or allowance to any public officer…

    “Although the language of this provision expressly prohibits only the General Assembly from taking any such action, we have repeatedly advised that it also serves to limit political subdivisions, such as counties and municipalities, at least in the powers delegated to them by the General Assembly. Ops. S.C. Att’y Gen., 2012 WL 6218333 (Dec. 4, 2012); 2002 WL 1340428 (May 9, 2002).

    “Our Supreme Court has defined ‘extra compensation’ for purposes of Article III, § 30 as “any compensation over and above that fixed by law or contract at the time the service was rendered.” State ex rel. McLeod v. McLeod, 270 S.C. 557, 559, 243 S.E.2d 446, 447-48 (1978).

    Councilmembers Clarence Gilbert, Douglas Pauley and Neil Robinson, who said they were not included in creating the ordinance, voted against it, saying that essential workers in hazardous jobs like first responders should get the bulk of the ARP disbursements for employees.

    First responders push back

    It is that issue that brought 40 or so Fairfield County first responders to last week’s council meeting to protest what they felt was the majority 4’s inequitable distribution of the ARP premium payments. Prior to the meeting, four speakers – Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill, Jennifer Fitch of EMS and citizens Randy Bright and Jeff Schaffer – supported the first responders’ viewpoint. 

    While another media stated that public comment speaker Jeff Schaeffer was ejected from the meeting, a video of the meeting confirms that while Bell called for Schaffer to be ejected, he was not.

    That media also reported that first responders “left in a huff” and “wait[ed] outside until council adjourned,” and “engaged in a heated discussion with Council Chairman Moses Bell until a concerned citizen encouraged Bell to ‘leave for his own safety.’

    Video shows no danger

    But a video of the scene outside the county building more accurately shows that Bell was never in any danger from the first responders, and that it was a South Carolina Law Enforcement (SLED) agent, in attendance on a separate issue, who placed his hand on Bell’s shoulder as Bell was shouting at first responders. The agent then guided Bell to his truck and suggested that he get in his truck and go home. Bell complied, but rolled down his window and shouted accusations at the first responders as he drove off.

    While the video of the encounter shows the situation becoming boisterous, it also shows Bell thrusting himself into that escalation time after time, unlike Trapp, Green and Roseborough who exited the building, acknowledged the first responders, then got into their cars and left without confrontation.

    The video shows Bell readily participating in a shouting match with first responders. Three times he started to get in his pickup truck to leave, each time turning back to the first responders, most of whom were across the street from him.

    “You all didn’t say a word when they didn’t give you a dime,” Bell shouted several times, referencing comments he’d made earlier that evening in chamber that blamed members of a previous council for refusing to give CARES Act money to first responders a year earlier.

     “Last year, [former Councilwoman] Bertha Goins suggested that we give the essential workers – to include EMS and the sheriff’s department – a bonus pay,” Bell said. “Members from Saving Fairfield got involved and it didn’t even get to the agenda.”

    That didn’t happen

    Councilman Neil Robinson said that is incorrect.

    According to Robinson, the proposal to give CARES Act funds to first responders last year was made by Goins and himself, but that it was Bell who balked at giving the CARES money to the first responders, Robinson said. “He wouldn’t cooperate in funding the first responders unless all the county employees got the same money, just like he’s doing now. He caused such a ruckus that the proposal never went anywhere, never even got to council for a vote,” Robinson said. “It was not Saving Fairfield’s or other council members. Sometimes Mr. Bell gets very creative in how he remembers things.”

    Another sticking point with first responders, Gilbert, Pauley and Robinson was the ordinance’s allocation of $500,000 for recreation in Trapp’s district – $350,000 for a park in Blair and $150,000 for park upgrades at Willie Robinson Park – instead of to first responders.

    “Is that $500,000 for recreation a bonus, too?” one first responder called out to Bell, mocking Bell’s insistence that the ARP payouts to employees was an employee bonus since they had not received a raise last year.

    The ordinance allocated payouts for the following:

    • $350,000 for a mini park on Overlook Road in Blair, Trapp’s district
    • $150,000 for upgrades to Willie Robinson Park, also in Trapp’s district
    • $8,000 for a Community in Schools program
    • $500,000 to repair a DHHS building roof
    • $75,000 for a project manager position in Economic Development
    • $30,000 to repair a fire truck engine

    “We don’t know yet which of these are actually allowed by the U.S. Treasury’s interim rule for payout,” Pauley told The Voice. “We have a lot to look into before paying out this money.

    The third and final vote on the ordinance is set for 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 8, in council chambers.

    CORRECTION: The story originally said that Willie Robinson Park is in Councilman Bell’s district. That was an error. It is in Councilman Trapp’s district.

  • Blythewood election results

    • Sloan Griffin
    • Rich McKenrick

    BLYTHEWOOD – Current Town Councilman Sloan J. Griffin, III and Planning Commission Chair Rich McKenrick handily won the two open seats on Blythewood Town Council Tuesday night.

    Passed over for an endorsement by the Blythewood Chamber of Commerce and openly campaigned against on Facebook by former mayor Mike Ross, Griffin, with 364 votes (42.72%), was the top vote-getter Tuesday night of the three candidates. Rich McKenrick, who was the chamber’s pick, garnered 301 votes (35.33%).

    Roxann Henagan, a political newcomer, received 141 votes (16.55%).

    Sitting Councilman Larry Griffin, whose name was on the ballot even though he withdrew from the race shortly after filing for a third term, received 36 votes 4.23%). There were 10 (1.17%) write-in votes.

    Just 519 of the 3,267 eligible electors voted Tuesday, for an almost 15 percent turnout. Griffin swept three of the town’s four precincts – Blythewood 1, 2 and 3. McKenrick took the only two votes that were cast in the Ridgeway 14 precinct.

    The chamber board of directors voted to endorse only one of three candidates for the two open seats on council prior to the candidate forum and without interviewing the candidates. Ross, who is chairman of the Blythewood chamber, went after Griffin on Facebook the day before the election, urging town residents to think twice before voting for Sloan Griffin III.

    In its endorsement of McKenrick, the chamber board of directors noted that McKenrick has “repeatedly demonstrated his support of our local Chamber of Commerce.” The chamber depends on the town council to fund many of their public events.

     “I just want to thank all the voters who came out today, who believed in me, who trusted and voted for me,” Griffin said. “Now, I’m looking forward to serving the citizens of Blythewood for four more years,” he said following the win.

    Griffin recently worked with Blythewood’s State House Representative Kambrell Garvin to bring $250,000 of the House’s earmarked money to Blythewood to be used to upgrade park infrastructure and security in Doko Meadows. He said he’s looking to continue to improve and maintain the park.

    “It’ a wonderful asset for the town and for our families, and I want to be sure we continue to upgrade and maintain it.

    “And we seriously want to work toward better traffic control in the town. That’s a priority on my list,” Griffin said.

    McKenrick, who organized a recent survey of 29016 residents and chairs the town’s planning commission, says he wants to continue moving Blythewood in the right direction. That direction, he says, has to do with paying attention to the comprehensive plan that is currently being written for the town.

    “I also think this council needs to rise above petty differences and concentrate on what’s best for everyone. It’s time to listen to new ideas and maybe change the way things have always been done,” McKenrick said. “I would particularly like to see the town get itself out of this mess of lawsuits and move on to a better place. That’s important.”

    The election was held at Blythewood Recreation Park on Boney Road.

    Winners Sloan Griffin and Rich McKenrick congratulate each other. | Barbara Ball

  • New meter system aims to make Winnsboro’s billing headache go away

    Ferguson Waterworks representative Rob Watson, left. explains to Winnsboro Mayor John McMeekin at the Tuesday evening town council meeting how the data from new smart meters, which Watson is holding, is transmitted every hour via a transmitter, held by McMeekin, to an antenna on a water tower and then to the town’s billing office. | Barbara Ball

    WINNSBORO – Winnsboro water customers should soon have fewer headaches over their water bills.

    Their meter readers will soon be replaced with smart meters and consistent billing.

    The town is installing the smart meters in two phases. The first phase is being installed for Blythewood’s 1,600 customers beginning later this month. Phase two will bring about 3,500 smart meters to Winnsboro.

    The smart meters will eliminate the need for traditional meter readers who, residents have complained for years, didn’t regularly read their meters. Sporadic reading of meters and billing led to water bills that were sometimes as high as $1,200 for a small home with only two occupants.

    “It was critical that we got a new system for reading and reporting water usage in a timely manner,” Winnsboro’s new Town Manager Jason Taylor said. “We’ve had a tough time keeping enough people on staff to read 300 meters a day. So we had complaint after complaint after complaint about our utility service and billing. We knew we had a problem,” Taylor said. “Now we have a solution.”

    That solution is an AMI (Automatic Metering Infrastructure) system which consists of a new compact smart meter installed at the residence and another small piece of equipment attached to the smart meter that will transmit the meter reading every hour to antennas on the town’s water towers which in turn will send the data to the Town of Winnsboro’s billing office.

    In Winnsboro the system will also read meters for the city’s other utilities – natural gas (2,300 customers), electricity (3,200 customers) and sewer.

    Rob Watson, a field representative for Ferguson Waterworks out of Columbia, told Winnsboro town council members Tuesday evening that the final equipment for the Blythewood water customers had arrived that day and that the system in Blythewood should be up and running the end of the month.

    The Winnsboro system, which has more customers, requires more equipment. Its launch depends, Watson said, on how soon the equipment arrives.

    “But, because the homes are much closer together in Winnsboro than in Blythewood, we should be able to move faster once we get started,” Winnsboro John McMeekin said.

    Taylor said Winnsboro’s total cost for the system to cover both Blythewood and Winnsboro is about $3.9 million. Of that, Blythewood’s system is $791,189.25.

    “Winnsboro is basically a utility business,” McMeekin said. “We are one of only four, possibly five, towns in South Carolina that offers water, natural gas, electricity and sewer, plus we offer garbage pickup.

    “These utilities offer a great advantage as far as being able to revitalize our town,” McMeekin said. “Brought up to proper standards, these utilities can provide revenue which goes back to our citizens. These utilities are not businesses to make money like a private industry. They are businesses for the benefit of our citizens.

    “Run efficiently and properly, this new system will provide correct readings and on-time billing for both Blythewood customers and Winnsboro customers,” McMeekin said. “That’s what we want. We want to provide good service for our customers at a reasonable cost.”

  • Former FMH property sells for $1.5M

    WINNBORO – After discussing the former Fairfield Memorial Hospital property sale and other items in an executive session that lasted a little over an hour, council voted 5-1 on third reading to sell the property, all doctors’ offices and the John Martin building to Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center for $1.5 million. The property and leased offices do not include the hospital itself which is being offered for sale by the former hospital board.

    Councilman Doug Pauley cast the lone opposing vote. Councilman Neil Robinson was absent.

    Prisma Health was also interested in the property and leased buildings, but Councilman Doug Pauley voiced concerns the vote was stacked against Prisma.

    “I don’t think Prisma had a fair shot coming in when they gave their presentation,” Pauley said. “They didn’t have the votes before they came in here.

    “I didn’t go in having a preference between Prisma and Eau Claire,” Pauley told The Voice. “But we wasted Prisma’s time having them make a presentation in executive session. It became obvious that the four already knew who they were going to vote for. Them pretending to be deciding between the Eau Claire and Prisma was a joke.”

    After County Council voted to sell the hospital property, Councilman Clarence Gilbert expressed concerns regarding general secrecy among the majority board, including Chairman Moses Bell in regard to trying to broker a deal on the hospital building as well.

    Specifically, Gilbert accused Bell of meddling in and trying to broker deals with buyers for the sale of the hospital building without the council’s knowledge or formal approval.

    “Our chairman is going behind council and trying to negotiate and broker deals and representing the county as a whole, and we know nothing about it,” Gilbert said. “From what I gather, the interim administrator knows nothing about it also. This is something that has to stop.”

    Gilbert said he fears such activity will expose the county to lawsuits.

     “It’s eventually going to get this county sued and he’s [Bell] going to get himself in serious trouble also,” Gilbert continued.

    Bell did not respond to Gilbert’s comments.

    “Bell,” Gilbert told The Voice, “is trying to broker deals that the hospital board, not the county, is in charge of and has the sole responsibility for.”

  • Attorney calls for Country Chronicle, Franklin to cease and desist

    • Brock
    • Franklin

    BLYTHEWOOD – An attorney representing Town Councilman Donald Brock has demanded that Country Chronicle editor Tonya F. Page and Blythewood Mayor Bryan Franklin “immediately cease and desist from speaking, writing or otherwise publishing all false, injurious and otherwise damaging statements about Mr. Brock.”

    In documents obtained by The Voice, the attorney, Kevin Hall, with Womble Bond Dickinson law firm in Columbia, sent a letter to Franklin, stating that, “We have been advised of numerous false and/or actionable statements made by you in the Sept. 23, 2021 edition of The Country Chronicle, as well as statements made via email dated Sept. 21, 2021.”

    Hall also addressed Page as having quoted and/or published “numerous false and/or actionable statements in the Sept. 23, 2021 edition of the Country Chronicle.”

    Hall wrote that the quotes and statements he addresses include but are not limited to:

    • “That Mr. Brock has lied to the public and swayed votes of other council members based on blatantly false information.
    • That Mr. Brock has engaged in misconduct that has cost the town $40,000 in outside legal expenses.
    • That supporters of Mr. Brock expected to be paid back in some fashion for their support.
    • That Mr. Brock conspired or is conspiring with an outside marketing company or a local newspaper.

     “Publishing these false statements is not protected free speech,” Hall wrote, “but, instead, is a malicious and intentional decision on your part to defame and damage Mr. Brock. By doing so, you subject yourself to tort and other claims including but not limited to defamation, libel, slander and misrepresentation.”

    The letter demands that both Page and Franklin issue a public retraction and apology.

    “If you ignore this demand,” Hall wrote, “we are prepared to initiate litigation to recover (1) damages for harm done to Mr. Brock and his reputation, (2) punitive damages, (3) injunctive relief, (4) attorneys’ fees and litigation costs and (5) all other recoverable damages and costs.”

    The letter further asks both Page and Franklin to provide Hall with written assurance via email by close of business on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021, that they are willing to comply with the foregoing request.

    “Failure to provide such assurance may result in further legal action,” Hall wrote.

    Hall also notified Page and Franklin that they are to “preserve all documents, recordings, phone messages, text messages, emails, and all other materials (electronically stored or otherwise) which reference or relate to Mr. Brock, the Town of Blythewood and/or members of the council of the Town of Blythewood. Mr. Brock will be seeking these documents and others in discovery If litigation is necessary.”

    The Country Chronicle is published out of Camden, but a website for Georgia-based Morris Multimedia lists the newspaper as one of its 60 publications. The company describes itself as one of the largest, privately held media companies in the U.S.

    Related: Town attorney resigns; councilmen not notified