Blythewood Online 691

Category: Government

  • Council Nixes Sidewalk Repair

    RIDGEWAY (May 20, 2016) – Town Council reversed course last week on a February vote to fund the repair of a little more than 200 feet of sidewalk near the Post Office on S. Palmer Street, turning down a $5,900 bid from Dwight Robertson.

    Robertson’s offer was the lower of two bids, the second coming in at $8,200 from M C Rowe Construction.

    During their Feb. 11 meeting, Council voted unanimously to cash in one of their Certificates of Deposit (CDs) to fund the project, which at that time was estimated at $5,000. When the cost to meet Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements sent the estimate over the $5,000 threshold for no-bid jobs, Council was required to seek additional bids on the project.

    At Council’s May 12 meeting, Councilman Heath Cookendorfer said he had received negative feedback from citizens who were concerned about the Town spending money on a state-owned sidewalk. The state, Mayor Charlene Herring said, has obligated DOT funding for the repair of bridges and roads, with no money available for sidewalks.

    Meanwhile, Council is facing another large expenditure with its Police Department. Officer Christopher Culp told Council on May 12 that the car radios as well as a pair of hand-held radios will stop working at the end of the year when the state completes its changeover to a digital system. The total estimated cost to replace the radios is around $5,000.

    During the sidewalk debate, Councilman Doug Porter said repairing the sidewalk was a safety issue. Councilman Donald Prioleau, however, said that it was “more important from a safety standpoint for the Police Department to have the proper equipment.”

    The money to replace the radios, Prioleau said, could also be pulled from CDs.

    Sidewalk repair failed on a 2-3 vote, with Herring and Porter voting in favor and Cookendorfer, Prioleau and Angela Harrison voting against.

    High Grass and Fire Hazards

    Council also passed first reading on an ordinance to keep weeds and grass less than 1-foot high in lawns inside the town limits. Residents found in violation would receive a 14-day notice, after which time the Town would mow the lawn and bill the resident.

    Prioleau said that 1 foot might be too tall and suggested leaving the definition vague at simply “high grass.” But Herring noted that the ordinance should have measurable definitions to be enforceable.

    Council gave first reading to an amendment to its fire hazards ordinance, upgrading the fines for the accumulation on property of debris and other material deemed by the Fire or Police chief to be a fire hazard. The existing ordinance carries a penalty of $50 or 30 days in jail. The amendment contains a $50 fine for first offense and a $100 fine or 30 days in jail for second offense.

     

  • Town Considers Park Uses, Security

    BLYTHEWOOD (May 19, 2016) – With the increasing popularity of Doko Park and the Manor, Council continued at their May 12 workshop to look at the increasing need to control and monitor what goes on in the park and around the Manor. To that end, Town Administrator Gary Parker asked Council for guidance on what uses should be permitted/prohibited in the park and how to monitor the park.

    Permitted Park Uses

    Parker said Council should make it clear to park participants if it is not going to allow bounce houses, other inflatables and mechanical rides. He also wanted guidance on how, if such a policy were initiated, it would be enforced.

    Mayor J. Michael Ross suggested a park attendant.

    “I would like this Council to think about a Saturday employee that’s in this park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., eight hours, for the safety of the people who come here and to remind them of what they can and can’t do,” Ross said. “It’s just a thought, but the budget is coming up and I think we’re big enough.”

    Town Attorney Jim Meggs suggested crafting an ordinance to address the park issues.

    “I’d suggest this would be a good segue to having a full discussion about an ordinance related to all the park’s prohibitions, permitting and procedures,” Meggs said. “We need an ordinance combined with assistance from the Sheriff’s Department.”

    Councilman Tom Utroska suggested having simple signs posted at the entrances, such as: ‘picnicking allowed in certain areas,’ ‘only use gas grills,’ ‘no inflatables allowed.’

    “I think most people will abide by what we post,” Utroska said. “But I don’t want 18 signs all over the park.”

    “Are we making a mountain out of a mole hill?” Councilman Larry Griffin asked. “I don’t want to kill the whole park thing. We can put up a few signs saying what we can and can’t do. I’ve played ball in parks all over the United States of America. Why is our park different? I don’t see policemen all over the city or state parks. When you see a lot of security, it gives the impression that something is wrong.”

    Parker and Meggs reiterated that the town would eventually need an ordinance in place as the park gets busier. Ross agreed.

    “The ordinance is something to move forward with that will give us some teeth,” Ross said.

    Security Cameras

    With infrequent but considerable vandalism having already occurred in the park, Parker stressed the need for a security system with cameras. He presented two quotes – for $16,000 the town would own the system and monitor it, and for $7,000 – $8,000, the security firm would own the equipment and monitor it for the town in addition to Town Hall staff monitoring it.

    “The reason this is before us at all is because we have had some vandalism issues in the park and want to prevent it from happening in the future,” Parker told Council. “And if vandalism does occur, we’ll have some evidence as to who to hold accountable. Both the systems we’re looking at use cameras and video recorders, so I think a system is not only for vandals, but it prevents problems. If someone falls on the playground, the camera protests us from possible problems.”

    Parker said Irmo has a similar (smaller) security system with 23 cameras.

    “After they were installed, all vandalism stopped. They have owned cameras for six years,” Parker said. “North Augusta has also had good experience with this system.”

    Captain Stubblefield from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department attended the meeting and weighed in on the issue. He stressed what he considered the two most important aspects of a camera security system.

    “It’s about how much time it takes us to get the information from the system and start tracking someone down and start investigating,” Stubblefield said. “If we have to wait to get a manager or regional guy to come download the video, the more difficult the apprehension (of the suspect) becomes. And the most important investment for you is good cameras with good capabilities. It’s good to have a car tag number, but we have to actually id the person behind the wheel. A good camera helps us solve the crime.”

    Stubblefield said it’s also an important prevention to crime to have signs saying cameras are on site.

    Ross asked Parker to have staff to proceed with drafting specks for a system and have them ready for Council’s review at the May 23 Council meeting.

     

  • True Believers –

    Senate_Coleman_McMaster_Davis copy

    Sen. Creighton Coleman and S.C. Lt. Governor Henry McMaster, center, presented a Senate proclamation last month to Darreyl Davis, president of Believers and Achievers, for the group’s work in support of youth in Fairfield County. From left are some of the organization’s members: Sallie Benson, Felicia Alexander, Annie White, Coleman, Raymond Fowler, McMaster, Keeon Watkins, Davis, Lekwan Rabb, Eliza Davis and Albertha Woodard.

     

  • District Budget Includes Pay Raises, New Teaching Positions

    WINNSBORO (May 13, 2016) – The Fairfield County School Board of Trustees reviewed the proposed 2016-2017 District budget, as well as policy revisions suggested by the S.C. School Board Association (SCSBA) during an April 26 work session.

    Board members had more than 70 pages of budget detail before them, but only asked a few questions, mostly for clarification. According to Kevin Robinson, Director of Finance for the District, the proposed budget of $38,470,384 projects a slight increase in revenue of $600,000, or about 2 percent, and includes a corresponding increase in expenditures of about $670,000. The millage rate will remain the same.

    Two of the main drivers for the expenditure increase will be a state-mandated 2 percent raise for teachers, plus hiring for six new instructional positions. According to Dr. J.R. Green, District Superintendent, these new positions will be an expansion of District staff. They will include four classroom teachers, one literacy interventionist and one instructional facilitator.

    Two of the teaching positions will be for class size reduction, and the other two teachers will be used to expand the District’s Alternative Learning Program and dual credit options. The literacy interventionist will be added to address identified gaps in literacy development; the instructional facilitator will be added to provide additional support to instructional staff.

    In addition, Green said that the District will be looking to fill existing vacancies next year. At this time, the District is seeking to replace 33 certified positions for next year, although this is not a static figure. Eight of those vacancies currently have pending recommendations to be approved by the Board of Trustees.

    The Board also began sifting through policy models and revisions from the SCSBA, and will continue this review, although according to Board Chairwomen Beth Reid (District 7), the next work session has not been scheduled. The next regularly called Board meeting is May 17 at the District offices.

     

  • Council OK’s Drawdy Park Repairs

    WINNSBORO (May 13, 2016) – County Council Monday night gave the OK to a recommendation from the Administration and Finance Committee’s April 25 meeting to award the winning bid for the repair of drainage lines at Drawdy Park. Council also approved the Committee’s recommendation to outsource printing duties to a private vendor.

    The Committee, chaired by Carolyn Robinson (District 2) and consisting of Marion Robinson (District 5) and District 6 Councilwoman Mary Lynn Kinley (who made it to the meeting after the voting was done), recommended on April 25 a bid of $27,000 from Martin & Son Contracting, Inc. for the Drawdy Park work.

    Martin & Son, of Spartanburg, beat out bids of $28,000 by the Ridgeway firm M.C. Rowe Construction Company, Inc., and $36,771 from J.P. Smith Builders, LLC, of Camden.

    The project will consist of digging an existing ditch to a depth where it can tie in with an 18-inch crossline pipe; replacing existing crossline pipe with 18-inch CPP tie-in to the catch basin; removing all existing concrete pipe and replacing it with 18-inch corrugated plastic pipe; removing the fence and filling in the existing catch basin; installing 18-inch plastic pipe on the baseball field side to tie in with existing concrete pipe; running an 18-inch plastic pipe to catch basin 2 and an 18-inch plastic pipe from the basin to the woods; and installing two junction boxes on the back side of the baseball field. In all, approximately 800-feet of pipe will be installed.

    Printing

    Council also approved the Committee’s recommendation to outsource printing and printer needs to Sharp Business Systems of Columbia, removing those duties from the County’s IT Department.

    According to Interim County Administrator Milton Pope’s recommendation documents, the outsourcing will save the County a little more than $17,629 a year.

    “We are currently not paying the least amount for daily printing and not properly utilizing the power of IT by way of in-house management of ink/toner stock,” Pope’s recommendation states. “I’m recommending a change that will reduce the IT budget by (more than) 7 percent and will also save Fairfield County over $1,700 annually. Further, IT will be better able to serve the County’s technical issues quicker.”

    Both recommendations received Council’s unanimous approval.

     

  • County Won’t Kick In for Library Raises

    WINNSBORO (May 13, 2016) – The Fairfield County Library won’t be getting any help from the County in funding a 2 percent cost of living increase for its employees as County Council Monday night voted down a proposal to kick in nearly $9,000 to the Library Commission’s budget.

    The Library Commission, Councilman Billy Smith (District 7) pointed out, is an autonomous entity that has its own millage on county property tax bills. Council, he said, does not have the same oversight over the Library as it does over internal departments.

    Council has discretion over how much to fund the Library, Interim County Administrator Milton Pope added, but how those funds are spent are entirely up to the Commission and its executive director.

    “Other agencies – the Disabilities and Special Needs Board, the Council on Aging, things like that – they might come next time and ask the same thing if we set this precedent,” Smith said.

    The Commission had requested an additional $8,948 from the County to help fund the cost of living increase. Pope brought the request to Council during their final budget work session on May 3. During the work session, Council asked Pope to ask the Commission if they could find a way to make the pay increase work with their existing budget.

    Monday night, Pope reported that the Commission had told him that, “due to some internal expenses” their request stood.

    Mary Lynn Kinley (District 6) put the motion on the floor to amend the budget to include the funding for the Commission, and Kamau Marcharia (District 4) offered the second. The motion failed 2-4, with Smith, Dan Ruff, Walter Larry Stewart and Marion Robinson voting against.

     

  • Blythewood Academy Gets Historic Designations

    BLYTHEWOOD (May 12, 2016) – The Blythewood Planning Commission voted May 2 to designate as historic properties the interiors of the Blythewood Academy gym and auditorium and to change the classification of both the gym and auditorium from Class II to Class I.

    Because those two items were recommended by the Commission, it was necessary to also recommend an amendment to the Town’s zoning map to show those changes on both the zoning map and in the Legend on the map.

    The Blythewood Historical Society recommended the changes, which were in turn recommended by the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) last month. Under 155.538(8) of the Town Code of Ordinances, the Planning Commission provides formal comment on any historic property designation before it goes to the Town Council for a vote.

    “What is the benefit of this?” newly appointed Commissioner Michelle Kiedrowski asked about the change from Class II to Class I. “The owner could not make changes (to the property) without a process of approvals. So what’s the benefit of changing the classification?”

    Town Planner Michael Criss explained that the change in class would require more rigorous review to get approval for changes from the BAR.

    “How is that beneficial?” Kiedrowski asked again.

    “From the perspective of those who value the historic nature of the structure as it is,” Town Administrator Gary Parker explained, “(the owner) can’t change something as easily as if it were Class II.”

    “The representative of the owners, Richland School District 2, are on board with the Historical Society to make the change (for the gym and auditorium) to Class I,” Criss said.

    The vote was unanimous to recommend the changes and zoning map amendment. The issue is expected to go before Town Council later this month.

     

  • Manor Pulls Out of Slump

    BLYTHEWOOD (May 12, 2016) – The Town’s event center, the Doko Manor, which was once labeled by at least one Town official in a public meeting as a financial albatross, appears to be pulling out of a three-year financial nose dive with a projected revenue of $145,992 for fiscal year 2016.

    While Event Director Steve Hasterok told The Voice last week that The Manor, “is still a little ways from being full-blown profitable, we’re getting there.”

    “We’re now covering operating costs, and sales are great,” he said.

    “I think the fourth quarter this year will probably be the strongest quarter the Manor has ever had,” Hasterok reported to Council during their April 25 meeting. “I projected fourth quarter revenue at $50,800, and we’re looking at revenues now of about $60,650 for the quarter.”

    “The Manor’s busy,” Hasterok said. “We had 22 events in April, with a fourth quarter average of over 17 events per month. We average 20-50 inquiries per week now, and we’re becoming known as the place of choice, especially for Friday night parties and Saturday weddings. We have a beautiful facility, people like it and we’re very competitive in our pricing.”

    Hasterok said The Manor’s newly completed bridal dressing room is currently being furnished, as is his new office, both of which were located in The Manor after the facility’s front porch was enclosed for additional space.

    Hasterok told Council, “We are looking for a very strong FY 2017. We don’t have a weekend available from now until the end of this calendar year. “

    He said The Manor expects to accommodate 40 – 50 weddings during 2016.

     

  • Scrolling Sign May Scroll No More

    BLYTHEWOOD (May 12, 2016) – Having prevailed in 2011 in what the attorney representing Companion Animal Hospital called “the unpleasantness” of securing a variance for a non-compliant electronic changeable copy (ECC) sign after a long, contentious sign permitting history dating back to 2008, the hospital’s owner, Elaine Meincke, returned to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Monday evening in an attempt to keep the hospital’s non-conforming ECC portion of the sign scrolling beyond the previous variance’s January 2016 deadline.

    This time, the BZA ordered that the ECC portion of the sign must either come into compliance with the current sign ordinance or cease operation. Compliance would mean the ECC sign would change only once per hour during hours of operation and would not scroll but remain static.

    Companion’s attorney, Alexander Shissias, said the hospital’s ECC sign cannot comply. He said the ECC portion of the sign is an LED, which is subject to burn out when left static over long periods of time, and it cannot display more than one line of text with a few words at a time.

    In a letter to Town Administrator Gary Parker, Shissias wrote, “Without scrolling, the sign is limited to a display of ten characters at any one time. After working with the software, I was unable to change the size of the characters, unable to change the font to fit more characters in, and I was unable to split the text into two lines.

    “The only thing we are asking relief from is the one-hour limitation,” Shissias told the Board. “We are requesting, instead, to have three messages displayed over a nine minute period. No scrolling. That will allow the owner to display three short messages such as hours of operation and the services. And changing every three minutes will keep the sign from burning out. Without something like this, the sign will grind to a halt.”

    BZA Chairwoman Sabra Mazyck reminded Shissias that all the businesses in the town had been asked to have their signs comply with the current sign ordinance by Jan. 16.

    “If we allow you to do this, what about all these other businesses who have come into compliance?” Mazyck asked.

    Shissias reluctantly reviewed the sign’s tortured history in which Companion and many in the community felt the sign’s permit had originally been held up until a new ordinance was put in place that would not allow ECC signs.

    “The sign was purchased in 2008,” Shissias said, “but it took so long to get it permitted that the ordinance (limiting ECC signs) beat it. There was issuance of something that looked like a sign permit and then the sign was turned on and my client was immediately served for non-compliance and taken to magistrate’s court. It wasn’t until April 2009, the sign was allowed to scroll.”

    Shissias concluded his request, saying, “We’re just trying to get the life out of this sign before it dies.”

    The Board expressed sympathy for Companion’s plight and Board member Joseph Richardson offered a possible solution to give Meincke more time before taking the non-complying sign out of commission.

    “I’d like to put on the table that we (give you) a very limited-in-time extension of the right to use this sign,” Richardson said, “perhaps allowing it to change a little bit more often than every hour based on the fact that this is one time in this set of circumstances and that we’re going to limit use significantly, and then a drop-dead date after which there is no more discussion of this sign. And then it has to be gone or operated within the ordinance.”

    While Board Attorney Danny Crowe advised that the Board could, indeed, attach conditions to a variance, the variance was not to be.

    Every variance granted by the BZA must, by law, meet all of five specific findings and conclusions. While the variance met some, it did not meet all and was denied.

    “We tried to find a resolution that would work,” Board member Debra McLean said at the conclusion of the meeting.

    The BZA is a quasi-judicial board and its decisions are appealed to Circuit Court. Meincke said she does not plan to appeal the Board’s decision, but is looking at other sign options.

     

  • BZA Denies Abney Hills Variance

    BLYTHEWOOD (May 12, 2016) – The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) rejected a request Monday night for a variance that would have squeezed more homes into less space in the Abney Hills subdivision.

    About 25 residents of the Phase I section of Abney Hills subdivision packed Monday night’s BZA meeting in opposition to the request from Essex Homes, the neighborhood’s developer, for a variance to reduce the residential side setbacks from 15 feet to 10 feet in Phase II of the subdivision. With the reduced setbacks, the houses would be closer together. The side setbacks in Phase I are a combined 17-feet minimum.

    Resident Colin Murch led off a string of speakers opposing the request.

    “The variance request is more of a financial request than a request for (better) land utilization. The letter submitted with the application for the variance was, in my opinion, disingenuous and misleading in the fact that the developer states they don’t want to change the character of the development. They are reducing the lot size (in Phase II) by an average of 19 percent. There were only 47 lots in the original concept of Phase II,” Murch said, “and now Essex proposes 52 lots, an increase of five lots. If you (Essex) went back to the 47 lots, you wouldn’t need the variance to make the houses all fit in. It’s clearly a financial ploy.”

    Because the first phase of the project was designed before the subdivision was annexed into the town of Blythewood, that phase was developed to the standards of Richland County’s Open Space ordinance, which allowed more flexibility in setback metrics, said John Champoux, Vice President of Sustainable Design Consultants, Inc., representing Essex. The second phase is being developed completely under the Town’s regulations, which require the 15-foot side setback.

    “The lots in Phase I are larger than they had to be,” Town Planner Michael Criss confirmed, “and the lots proposed in Phase II are smaller than those in Phase I. But they are not smaller than the 12,000-square-foot minimum required by R-12 zoning, the subdivision’s zoning classification.”

    Champoux pointed out in the letter accompanying the variance application that, “A reduction in the side setback requirement will give (Essex) the ability to offer a comparable product (home) at a comparable price point in the second phase as they were able to offer in the first phase. The more restrictive 15-foot side setback would require Essex to offer a different, downsized product that will change the character of the neighborhood and lower property values of those who have already bought into the community.”

    Board member Joseph Richardson clarified Essex’s position for those in attendance.

    “In order to build the same size home on the smaller Phase II lots as you built on the larger Phase I lots, you are proposing to reduce the setbacks between the (Phase II) homes,” Richardson said. He pointed out that the restrictions could be eliminated if Essex went back to 47 lots.

    Champoux agreed that the reason Essex was asking for the setback was partly financial.

    “The best-selling product in Blythewood is selling in Phase I in Abney Hills Estates,” Champoux said, “so we want to offer the same size (homes) on these (Phase II) lots as we offered in Phase I. We’re asking for a variance in order to do that.”

    Chairwoman Sabra Mazyck reminded the Board that “The fact that property may be utilized more profitably, should a variance be granted, may not be considered grounds for a variance.”

    She also read from the Powers and Duties of Board of Zoning Appeals that the Board can only grant a variance if it can meet all of five findings and conclusions in a written order. After considering each of the five items, Board members concluded that all of the findings and conclusions could not be met and voted 4-0 to deny the variance request.