WINNSBORO – The commission of the Fairfield Joint Water and
Sewer Authority will conduct a public hearing to receive public comment regarding
the construction of a wastewater treatment plant with a planned discharge of
treated effluent into Big Cedar Creek located in southern Fairfield County.
The Fairfield Joint Authority will provide an update to the
public on the status of the plant and its proposed location.
All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be
heard and express their views at the hearing. The hearing will be held on
Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m., in county council chambers at 350 Columbia Road in
Winnsboro.
For additional information, email Clerk to Council Patti
Davis at patti.davis@fairfield.sc.gov
WINNSBORO – The issue of the county’s proposed wastewater
treatment plant was not on Monday night’s agenda, but it was a topic of
conversation during the second public comment session and again during council
time
Gary Coats, who lives near Cedar Creek in Richland County,
and Ruchelle Gee, a resident of the Center Creek Community, in Fairfield County
addressed council, both opposing the plant and the discharge into Cedar Creek.
Gee said 1,550 names had been signed on a petition opposing the plant.
While County Administrator Jason Taylor said the county was
continuing to look at alternative sites for the wastewater treatment plant, he
said the effluent would still have to be discharged into Cedar Creek, no matter
the site, unless the county could come up with the money to take it to the
Broad River.
Chairman Neil Robinson noted that negative publicity about
the Syrup Mill site and the proposed discharge into Cedar Creek that Creek that
resulted from comments made during the Jan. 13 council meeting may have caused
the landowner of a desirable alternative site to raise the price of that
location the next day, putting it out of reach of the county’s purse.
“That happened the day after that meeting,” Robinson said.
In addition, Taylor said the county is looking at space the
county already owns in the Commerce Center on Peach Road, but engineers will
not have results of its suitability until the end of February, Taylor said. He
said the county is also weighing the pros and cons of other sites.
“But some of those sites have other issues associated with
getting easements and/or purchasing additional properties for us to get a line
to Cedar Creek,” Taylor said. “And, again, Cedar Creek is the option DHEC
[Department of Health & Environmental Control] has given us that we can
afford. With some of the other properties we’d have to purchase a much larger
piece of property that would cost more.”
Coucilman Mikel Trapp warned Center Creek residents from the
dias, however, that the county is not looking for other sites.
“That’s not going to happen,” Trapp said. “That’s just a
stall tactic. No one’s looking for other property. They’re just going to tell
you that to try to wait you out. But it’s not going to happen. And I sympathize
with you. When council says they are looking at alternative properties, that’s
a bunch of crap. I apologize for council,” he said.
Councilman Bell weighed in on the side of the Cedar Creek
citizens, portraying them as lacking resources that are available to the more
affluent communities to fight the battle.
“People with a lot of resources get a lot of attention,” Bell
said.
County Administrator Jason Taylor said the county is also
looking at grant sources.
“We’ve gone to Washington and talked to Congressman Norman,
specifically, about this,” Taylor said. “There’s a large grant bill [$1.7
trillion] coming up, for infrastructure, but with everything that’s going on
right now, it will be a long time coming. Even to do what we’re doing, the
state is giving us a huge infusion of money,” he said.
“As much as we’d love the state to cover the $80 million [to
take the discharge to the Broad River], getting $30 million is a stretch. COG
[the Central Midlands Council of Governments]
and the S.C. Department of
Commerce are working with us to make it viable at all,” Taylor said.
CEDAR CREEK – About a hundred residents of the northeast
section of Blythewood 29016 and the southern part of Fairfield County, many of
whom live along Cedar Creek, met in the Cedar Creek Community Center Sunday
afternoon to discuss a wastewater treatment plant Fairfield County Council has
proposed to locate on a 50-acre property on Syrup Mill and Broom Mill
Roads. The wastewater from that plant is
proposed to be discharged into Cedar Creek.
Fairfield County officials, Administrator Jason Taylor,
Planning Director Chris Clausen and Economic Development Director Ty Davenport
fielded questions.
Fairfield County officials answer questions from Cedar Creek Community residents. | Barbara Ball
The first sore spot brought up by meeting organizers as well
as some in the audience was the feeling that information about the proposed
site had been kept secret by the county and not made public.
“I didn’t know about this until about a week ago.” Shawn
Goff, one of the organizers, told the audience on Jan. 19. “I had no idea this
is coming,” Goff said.
“You understand why we feel blindsided about this,” Cedar
Creek resident Jim Young added. “I didn’t hear about it until a week ago.”
An unidentified woman spoke up to say Fairfield County
residents also didn’t know about the proposed site.
The information about the site location was made public
during a council committee meeting two months earlier on Nov. 11, 2019.
The Voice reported the proposed location on Syrup Mill Road in a front page story on Dec. 5, titled ‘Water Authority Moving Forward.’ The story read, in part, “At an Administrative and Finance committee meeting, also held Nov. 11, county officials said the property being targeted is located off Syrup Mill Road near Big Cedar Creek.”
“We rarely disclose these things until we’re well into the
process with an economic development project,” Taylor said. “We usually give a
code name [until a contract is signed].”
“We found a property, but we weren’t going to announce, ‘Hey
we’re looking at property along Cedar Creek’, because if we do that, the costs
will go up,” Fairfield County Economic Director Ty Davenport said. “Once we put
the property under contract, it was announced at a public meeting.”
Another concern of many at the meeting was whether the
wastewater that would be discharged into the creek would contaminate it.
Both Goff and the county officials disclosed that the creek
is already receiving wastewater from the Ridgeway wastewater plant that is
currently in violation for discharging contaminants into the creek.
Taylor said the Ridgeway plant cannot be modernized. He said
if the county builds a wastewater plant, it could take on the Ridgeway
discharge, effectively cleaning up the creek instead of contaminating it.
John Culbreth, with Thomas and Hutton engineering
consultants, said at the Jan. 13 council meeting that the wastewater discharged
from the Syrup Mill Road facility would be processed by a state-of-the-art
treatment system – a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system – that would not
contaminate the creek. He said it is an advanced level of treatment that would
discharge water of near drinking water quality. He said that discharge is used
to irrigate golf courses and crops and for other uses.
Taylor reiterated Sunday that the discharge would not
pollute the creek. Asked if he would let his children swim in it, he said he
would.
Goff, who lives on Cedar Creek and opposes the discharge
into the creek, agreed that the MBR technology, from his research, is the best
of the best.
“If you have to have one, this is the one you want,” Goff
said. “I can’t tell you that it’s the devil, because it’s the most advanced
wastewater treatment facility that’s available. There are no open pools. It’s
all contained and it has a small footprint, about seven acres. Anyone can
Google and do the research. I was trying my darndest to find some piece of bad
press or something that has happened at one of these plants, and I can’t,” Goff
said. “They say the creek will be cleaner than it is now.”
“Membrane technology is a very clean technology, but it is
highly intensive from a maintenance standpoint,” an unidentified man from the
audience said. “And you’re turning over a very complex treatment facility to
who? To Fairfield County?”
The audience laughed.
Taylor said the county would manage the treatment facility.
Asked if the county had anyone who had experience managing wastewater treatment
plants, Taylor said it does, that he had successfully operated one in Jasper
County for 13 years.
Center Creek resident David Valentine, a civil engineer,
asked why the county is rushing the wastewater treatment facility through and
would the county be willing to put the project on hold for a period of time so
citizens could do the due diligence.
“We are open to looking at other options without question,”
Taylor said. “But I will say it’s not been rushed from our side. I’ve been
working on it for three years and the county’s been working on it since 1997,”
he said. “We have been losing population and jobs. We need to plan for jobs and
to reverse population.”
Taylor said hooking into Columbia is too costly and that
Columbia would then control Fairfield’s future. “Columbia could control whether
we get an industry or not by not making sewer available,” he said. “And going
with Columbia would pull a whole huge amount of money out of Fairfield County and
send it to Columbia to develop their infrastructure. We can build our own
infrastructure in house and control it much cheaper and then keep all the
revenue here.”
Retired Blythewood attorney Stuart Andrews explained to the
residents their legal options to stop Fairfield County from discharging
wastewater into Cedar Creek. He said it could cost millions to mount a legal
campaign against the county but offered that it would be possible to slow the
process down to the point of effectively dismantling the county’s efforts.
Someone in the audience suggested bringing pressure on the
county by boycotting the merchants in Fairfield County.
By the end of the hour and a half meeting, many in the
audience remained convinced that the system would or could, somehow,
contaminate the creek and ruin their water wells.
According to South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) there is no conclusive evidence that water wells have been contaminated by treated wastewater discharges. Still, members of the audience insisted they want options for the discharged water other than Cedar Creek. Those other options, however, for one reason or another, are not a fit for the county (see ‘What Are The Options?’ below).
Longtime Cedar Creek resident Lynn Robertson is not
convinced. She said that while she wishes Fairfield well in its endeavor to
bring infrastructure and jobs to the county, she is not convinced that the
proposed wastewater treatment plant would not contaminate Cedar Creek.
“There are some other options and I just feel like, I hope and pray that they will look at other options for this rather than dumping it in Cedar Creek,” Robertson said. “I do not want Cedar Creek to be the wastewater pipeline through Richland County to the Broad River. No matter what they say, errors can occur.”
What are the Options?
contributed by the Richland County Conservation Committee
Fairfield County is setting up a new service area to provide
wastewater treatment to Winnsboro, Ridgeway, the Fairfield County Industrial
megasite and for existing and future development along the 1-77 corridor inside
Fairfield County.
This service area would be managed through a joint use
partnership agreement (the new Joint Water Authority) and a management entity
which is currently under development for the new area. This new service area
would require an amendment of the existing 208 (Wastewater) Water Quality
Management Plan for the area as well as a new National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) Permit which has not been applied for at this point.
More public meetings and informational sessions are being
planned by the County for the proposed site.
The Site
The final site for the wastewater treatment plant has not
been selected, although Fairfield County Council has approved the purchase of a
certain size and price of property. The County has an option agreement on a
50-acre site on Syrup Mill Road at Broom Mill Road.
If this site is selected the new discharge point will be
into Big Cedar Creek.
The plant will need approximately 7 to 10 acres, and will be
designed for an initial capacity of 2 million gallons per day (mgd) and a
maximum with additions of 4 mgd. Twenty-five percent of the waste to be treated
at the new site is projected to come from the megasite with the rest coming
from the Winnsboro and Ridgeway facilities as well as existing and future
development along the 1-77 corridor.
The Winnsboro and Ridgeway treatment facilities have been in
service for a very long time and are very near their flow capacities. The
Winnsboro facility currently discharges to Jackson Creek, and the Ridgeway
facility discharges to Big Cedar Creek upstream of where the new discharge is
currently proposed. Big Cedar Creek flows from Fairfield County into Richland
County and eventually into the Broad River.
The Options
Other alternatives to the proposed plant were discussed at
the Jan. 15 Environmental Planning Advisory Committee (EPAC) meeting. Those
options included revamping the existing Ridgeway or Winnsboro discharge,
providing onsite treatment at the megasite, piping to the Broad River, or land
application.
Revamping the Ridgeway site would be cost prohibitive and
undesirable because of the additional piping needed to cover the new areas
which would be serviced by the new site.
The Wateree is currently unable to accept more Ultimate
Oxygen Demanding (UOD) substances which are present in treated effluents.
Providing onsite treatment at the megasite would also negate
coverage of the new areas and again, treated effluent would end up in the
Wateree after flowing through Dutchman Creek.
Piping to the Broad River would be much more expensive than
the proposed new plant and would be cost prohibitive.
Land application would require an estimated 1,200 acres and
would also be cost prohibitive.
Cedar Creek Option
The plant proposed on Syrup Mill Road would provide tertiary
quality treatment to a re-use level discharging into Big Cedar Creek downstream
of the current Ridgeway discharge. This tertiary treatment discharge would be
of higher quality treated effluent than the existing Ridgeway discharge. In
addition, the megasite would be required to provide pretreatment of any
industrial type effluents to meet discharge standards from industrial sites
before the pre-treated effluent would go to the new plant. The county officials
are also working to find users in the area who could re-use the wastewater for
irrigation, industrial or other purposes. A preliminary engineering report is
projected to be completed for this project within 3 to 6 months.
John Culbreth of Thomas & Hutton engineering presents information about the proposed wastewater treatment plant to packed chamber during council’s meeting Monday night. | Barbara Ball
WINNSBORO – Over a hundred residents from lower Fairfield
County, Cedar Creek and the northwestern section of Blythewood, including the
mayor of Blythewood, filled Fairfield county council chambers and an overflow
room Monday evening during a three hour council meeting over concerns about a
wastewater treatment plant that council has proposed on a site near the
intersection of Syrup Mill and Broom Mill Roads.
While the county has only optioned the site at this point,
residents expressed concerns about the proximity of the site to their homes.
Their urgency was to stop or delay the third and final reading of Ordinance 738
which many thought would finalize the purchase of the Syrup Mill Road site.
County officials said, however, that the ordinance is not
for a particular parcel of land but authorizes the county to purchase at least
50 acres of land not to exceed a cost of $300,000 that would be suitable for
construction of a wastewater treatment facility.
After several false starts, council approved the ordinance
with a 4 – 3 vote with councilmen Moses Bell, Mikel Trapp and Douglas Pauley
voting against. Pauley represents the Syrup Mill Road area.
Residents voiced their concerns during public comment time
at the beginning of the meeting. But as the meeting wore on, tempers flared
with frequent interruptions and outbursts from the audience. At one point
chairman Neil Robinson threatened to eject those who continued to interrupt.
Addressing council, Don Quick, a resident of the Center
Creek community in Ridgeway, said the big issue is the stigma attached to a
wastewater plant and the effect it would have on home values in the area.
David Valentine, who also lives on Center Creek Road, said
the county’s proposal would be using antiquated processes. He addressed the
wastewater treatment plant as being located on an industrial site.
“Modern technology drives for a zero discharge proposal with
on-site holding ponds,” Valentine said.
While many of those attending the meeting live in proximity
to the plant, others who live downstream on Cedar Creek west of Blythewood in
Richland County expressed concern that the plan calls for the wastewater plant
to discharge treated wastewater into the creek.
“It’s bad enough that council would consider building an
industrial wastewater treatment plant in the midst of this bucolic residential
setting, but you would propose to flush the large toilet down Cedar Creek,”
George Walker, Jr., who owns a farm in Blythewood, said.
“What guarantees do we have that this discharge water will
not pollute the aquafers around and under the creek that so many families
depend on?” asked Sean Goff who owns a farm on Cedar Creek. “Data shows
elevated bacteria levels downstream of similar facilities. How can we let our
kids play in this creek with this in place?”
Other residents addressed odors, contamination, traffic and
the eyesore of the plant itself.
John Culbreth, principal/regional director of engineering
firm Thomas Hutton addressed those questions as well as another 100 or so
council had invited residents to send in.
With a power point presentation, Culbreth displayed what he
said the facility would look like – a state-of- the-art water treatment plant
recently constructed in the town of Isle of Palms.
“The type of system we’re proposing is what is being done in
coastal communities where you’re dealing with property next door worth upwards
of $2 million,” he said. “The one shown here is right next to a golf course.”
Culbreth said the golf course uses some of the discharged water for irrigation.
“It’s nice and clean. The system is all enclosed. There are
not big open aeration basins that you’re looking at. It’s not the old school
stuff you see driving down I-77. That’s not what’s being built. This,” he said,
pointing to the screen, “is what’s going to be built.”
“An odor scrub system will be in place, and as far as noise,
sound attenuation walls on the structure will minimize pump sounds. You
probably wouldn’t hear anything unless you’re on the property, and it would
sound more like office type activity, nothing more than that.”
Culbreth said there will be at least 100 feet of buffer
around the property and could be more if that particular sight is eventually
settled on. He also said a membrane
bioreactor (MBR) system, the latest technology, was chosen for its advanced
level of treatment of the wastewater that will come out and because it has a
small footprint.
“The system can be put inside of a facility that will look
like a golf club house. It’s all inside and covered,” he said. “This is the
state-of-the-art that we can do right now. It’s not your typical wastewater
treatment plant. ”
Pauley asked if there was a reason the plant could not be
built on the megasite.
“The issue is that the megasite is not the best site
countywide,” Culbreth said. “If you’re going to try to serve just the megasite,
then put it there. But the goal here is to have larger investment to the
overall regional community, to benefit the overall area, and the best location
for that is closer to where the site is that it benefits. And it’s the area
that’s going to grow first. If the state’s going to help provide $40 million to
pay for a wastewater treatment plant, it has to benefit the entire region, not
just the megasite.”
While County Administrator Jason Taylor said the county has
looked at other properties and that a couple of others are still in play, all
of them are going to discharge into Cedar Creek.
As far as the possibility of water well contamination along
the creek, Culbreth said with this type of system that will be used, he didn’t
see any concerns with discharging into the creek.
“It’s septic tanks that are about five to 20 percent of the
causes of any kind of well contamination,” he said. “That’s on DHEC’s website.
I’ve never been asked to fix a well that was impacted.”
“Are you saying it [water discharged from the plant] won’t
affect their wells?” Pauley asked.
“Yes sir, I am saying that,” Culbreth said.
“The level of treatment we’re talking about is near drinking water standards. [This discharged water] will be about as clean as the water in the creek.”
WINNSBORO – Fairfield County is one vote away from
unleashing a ban on animal tethering, an important protection animal advocates
say will help reduce animal injuries and abuse cases.
On Dec. 9, council members unanimously passed second reading
of the ordinance, which also includes provisions curtailing animal hoarding.
Third and final reading will likely occur in January.
A key component of the Fairfield ordinance is a set of
guidelines for a trolley system, which resembles a zip line. With a trolley,
leashes are attached to an overhead cable that gives dogs greater freedom.
Trolley lines must measure at least 20 feet between
endpoints, and dogs attached to trolleys must wear a harness. The ordinance
prohibits attaching the trolley leash to a collar. Harnesses are considered
safer because they wrap around a dog’s chest instead of having a collar around
a dog’s neck.
Dogs must also have access to adequate food, water and
shelter, according to the draft ordinance.
An earlier version of the ordinance allowed limited
tethering for short durations, but the latest ordinance bans tethering
altogether.
“[This ordinance] takes the tethering concept away,” said
Tommy Morgan, the county’s attorney.
“This [revision] is needed on so many levels,” said Kathy
Faulk, a Fairfield County resident with the Hoof and Paw Benevolent Society,
who spoke during the public comment session. She thanked council for their
promotion of animal welfare in Fairfield County and also called for an end to
overbreeding and hoarding in the county.
Chain, Collar Injuries
To illustrate the problem of animal abuse, Faulk distributed
to council members a stack of graphic photos of dogs with deep neck wounds that
resulted from tethering.
“We were mortified, very sad and angry as we looked at these
photographs,” Faulk said.
“We seem to be picking up more and more animals that are
injured by chains and collars,” Bob Innes, the director of the county’s animal
control and adoption center, added.
While the ordinance also cracks down on animal hoarding, Morgan
said the ordinance isn’t directed at legally operated kennels or livestock.
Ridgeway resident Randy Bright called all kinds of animal
abuse a “stain on our entire county.”
Bright repeated his previous calls for the solicitor’s
office to more aggressively prosecute animal abuse and neglect cases. He also
noted some cases could be prosecuted under the new federal animal cruelty law,
which carries penalties of up to seven years in prison for the most serious
offenses.
“How can we leverage that? Federal laws have the highest
penalties it seems,” he said.
Winnsboro resident Randy Sisk cautioned council members
against adding more restrictions.
“While you’re doing this, think very carefully,” Sisk said.
“This could cost the county significantly with lawsuits.”
In July 2018, Sisk was charged with ill treatment of animals
after, according to an incident report, his two dogs were discovered in a back
yard, chained to a tree and tangled in the chain so that one of the dogs couldn’t
reach shade.
The dogs also didn’t have access to food, water or shelter
and were subsequently taken into protective custody, the report said. However,
a Fairfield County magistrate dismissed the case in October 2018.
At the Dec. 9 council meeting, Sisk said one of his dogs had
died while in the county’s custody.
But veterinary documents previously obtained by The Voice
state the dog was already suffering from severe dirofilariasis, commonly known
as canine heartworms, when it was taken into protective custody. A necropsy
report stated that there were “large numbers of nematodes within the heart, the
pulmonary artery and its branches.”
This is Fairfield County’s second revision in as many years
to its animal control ordinance.
In 2018, council revised the ordinance to include a $500
civil fine for violations. The updated law also includes more detailed
definitions of nuisance animals and requires all pets to be fed once a day and
provided potable water. It also requires mandatory reporting of pets struck by
a vehicle.
As proposed, the Fairfield County’s anti-tethering ordinance
mirrors a similar ordinance that Aiken County adopted in 2017. Aiken County
Administrator Clay
Killian told The Voice that the ordinance has not faced any
legal challenges.
Taxpayers Pay for Abuse
Innes said all types of animal abuse cases, including over
breeding and hoarding, burden taxpayers in the long run.
“There’s a lot of people in this county that are just
chaining a dog and just breeding it and breeding it,” Innes said. “They dump
puppies on animal control, which means taxpayers are picking up the bill.”
2019 In Review: New Industries Brought Jobs, Investment to Fairfield County
WINNSBORO – A year
and a half ago, a Lowcountry newspaper lamented Fairfield County’s double digit
unemployment. What a difference a couple of years has made.
Today, the county’s unemployment rate has shrunk to 3.1
percent and, according to County Administrator Jason Taylor, industrial
prospects over the last couple of years have accounted for the creation of more
than 700 new jobs and a $70 million impact.
In fact, Fairfield County has completed one of its busiest
years on record, with county leaders tackling a flotilla of projects and inking
a number of important deals. The new year saw the opening of the Providence ER,
complete with additional outpatient services. The transformation saves the
county some $600,000 annually over the previous funding of the former Fairfield
Memorial Hospital.
Economic development, infrastructure improvements and
revitalization highlight a laundry list of accomplishments that followed in
2019, and county officials say they plan to continue growing that list in 2020.
County Council Chairman Neil Robinson said while much was
accomplished in 2019, he predicted that 2020 could be a breakout year. He
credited Taylor, who was hired a little over two years ago, for guiding the
council’s directives to fruition.
“His vision and knowledge of where we should be and how we
get there surprises me every day,” Robinson said. “If Fairfield’s 2019 could be
summed up in one word, it’s jobs.”
Taylor agreed.
“Between the various projects, it’s been a very good year
for us,” Taylor said. “One of our responsibilities in local government is to
improve the quality of people’s lives. A job is critical to someone having a
good quality of life.”
Taylor, council and county employees have taken that
responsibility seriously and the results are popping up in various ways, not
the least of which is a new, cooperative relationship between the county and
the Town of Winnsboro – a far cry from the rancor that had for years stymied
progress for the two governments.
Bringing employment to the county is a trend county leaders
hope to continue in 2020 as the result of groundwork laid the past couple of
years in revitalization, water and sewer infrastructure and the acquisition of
new industry.
To that end, the county is working to expand its newly
created Fairfield County Water Authority as well as construct a major
wastewater treatment facility to serve the I-77 corridor and megasite,
something Robinson says is vital in landing major industry on the order of
Boeing, BMW or Mazda.
Here’s a summary of the major projects Fairfield County
tackled in 2019, as well as the forecast for 2020.
Economic Development
MLILY, Pharmacy Lite Packaging and Sea Pro Boats are the
latest industries to have commenced or announced operations in Fairfield County
in 2019. More job announcements are anticipated in coming weeks, according to
Robinson.
Mattresses at MLILY move along a conveyor belt where they are inserted into mattress covers, then rolled up by another piece of equipment and packaged for shipping.
“Landing MLILY was a major accomplishment,” Robinson said.
“You’re talking about a $48 million investment into the county. That’s a lot of
tax money coming to us.”
Ty Davenport, Director of Fairfield County Economic
Development, said Pharmacy Lite Packaging, which is launching operations in the
former Wal-Mart building, represents a $2.9 million investment, though he
thinks that figure will grow to $3.5 million in time.
“It’s expected to create 33 new jobs, which we think in
coming years will get up closer to around 100,” he said.
Just before Christmas, the county authorized an agreement
with Victory Boats, LLC, which is expanding to Fairfield County. Located in the
former Fazio building on Hwy 34 near the Highway 321 bypass, the company brings
with it a $3 million investment and 135 new jobs.
“We also did a lot of work to save and help expand both Element
and MEKRA Lang,” Taylor said.
“If we continue to target industrial growth opportunities,
commercial and residential growth should follow,” he said. “We were at 14
percent (unemployment) not too terribly long ago,” Taylor said. “The problem is
a lot of people are driving outside the county to work. We have to have
opportunities for people to work here at home. When people stay at home, they
invest and shop here.”
Water and Sewer Infrastructure
Heavily linked to economic development is the improvement of
the county’s infrastructure. Water and sewer are a top priority.
In March, the county formed the Fairfield County Joint Water
and Sewer Authority Commission. So far, the membership is made up of the county
and the Town of Winnsboro.
The authority is vital to the funding and construction of
the wastewater treatment plant, which is seen as needed infrastructure by
industry looking to relocate to Fairfield County.
In 2020, the county hopes to place a sales tax referendum on
the November ballot to help generate additional funds for the plant.
“We’ve been working hard in conjunction with the Town of
Winnsboro and the State of South Carolina to secure funds for the plant,”
Taylor said. “Water and sewer are critical to our future development.”
Over the past two years, the state has provided about $3.8
million to Fairfield County to cover costs associated with engineering and
studies for the new plant.
Robinson said council looked all across the county before
securing a site off Syrup Mill Road for the plant. Piping would funnel
wastewater from the megasite to the plant. It would then be discharged into Big
Cedar Creek.
Once we complete the wastewater treatment facility, that’s
when we’re going to land that big deal,” Robinson said. “Those (deals) could
mean hiring 1,500 to 2,000 employees.
Accommodations, hospitality taxes
The proposed local option sales tax referendum is separate
from the county accommodations and hospitality taxes enacted in 2019.
Expected annual revenue of about $250,000 from these taxes
will be paid primarily by tourists. The revenue can be spent in a number of
ways to benefit the town and county and their businesses. It can also be used
to construct public meeting facilities, other enhancements and tourism services
as well as entertainment events and capital projects that will attract tourist
dollars to the town and county.
The accommodation and hospitality tax revenue can also be
used to pay indebtedness issued by the County for public purposes.
In December, the Town of Winnsboro adopted a resolution
allowing the two taxes to be collected (by the county) from businesses in the
town as well.
“We’ve overcome the last obstacle to implementing the
accommodations and hospitality tax, and that will move forward shortly,” Taylor
added.
Airport upgrades
The Fairfield County Airport is seeing more large corporate jets like this one that arrived for the grand opening of MLILY last month. | Denise Bryan
An especially valuable commodity in the county’s economic
development toolbox is the Fairfield County Airport, located off Hinnants Store
Road in Winnsboro. But it was not always so before Taylor hired pilot Denise
Bryant as director of the airport in 2017. Until then, the airport was
deficient in many areas. The previous fuel farm technically didn’t comply with
regulations set by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
“We found that our fuel farm and our tanks were not what
they should be,” Taylor said. “They weren’t even licensed by DHEC. We have
taken measures to remediate all of that.”
During the last two years, Bryant has overseen the
construction of a new state-of-the-art fuel farm that was completed in
December.
“The fuel farm is very attractive, well-done. It’s something
to be proud of now,” Taylor said.
Two, 12,000-gallon fuel tanks were installed. With the extra
capacity, the airport can take in more fuel deliveries, which translates into
lower costs.
In addition, the pumps feature a card reader display and a
second screen display large enough for pilots to view, even when they’re
fueling their planes from the opposite side of their craft.
“You can actually go to the other side of your plane to fuel
and you can see the dollar amount of what’s going into your plane,” Bryant
said.
Bryant has also overseen other major upgrades including
lighting and signage. The facility boasts a 5,000-foot runway and parallel
taxiway, a modern terminal building with upgraded furnishings, a laser grade
testing center, a pilot’s shop, flight instruction and new T-Hangars.
In 2020, the county plans to resurface all of the airport’s
ramps, taxiways and runways. The work is expected to start sometime in March or
April, and take about a month to complete.
Bryant said the federal government is covering 90 percent,
or about $320,000 of the project. The county and state are each picking up 5
percent, or about $16,800 for their respective portions.
“Upgrang and modernizing the airport is important because
the facility is often the first impression CEOs of prospective industries have
when they fly into Fairfield County,” Bryant said.
“There’s a lot of general aviation traffic that comes into a
community first, especially in the corporate world,” she said. “The general
aviation airport in Fairfield is extremely important in putting down the
welcome carpet.”
Mt. Zion renovation
Fairfield County spent much of 2018 putting together a plan
to revitalize the former Mt. Zion Institute building to serve as a new
Fairfield County government center in downtown Winnsboro.
In 2019, the county devoted considerable efforts to working
with the developer, 1st and Main, a North Carolina firm, to secure the financing
for the renovation.
More than half of the funding of the $11.5 million project
would come from state and federal tax credits associated with the property.
Fairfield County plans to buy the building via interest free
annual lease payments of approximately $4.9 million over seven years. At the
end of those seven years, the county will make a final payment to purchase and
take ownership of the property from 1st and Main.
“We got all the
financing we were hoping we would get and a little more, actually. And all the
design work is done,” Taylor said.
The actual construction is slated to start in January 2020
and is expected to last 16 months, with a projected opening sometime in Spring,
2021.
Market Building
More than 100 people attended the Ag + Art Farm to Table dinner at the new Market building in downtown Winnsboro last June.
The launching of the Fairfield County Market building has
helped increase foot traffic in downtown Winnsboro, which county officials hope
will spill over to existing shops and restaurants.
Opened in May, the Market is located in a renovated former
county building located on East Washington behind the Town Clock. With a
kitchen, classroom, restrooms and a large, open market room, the building can
be used not only by the farmer’s market on Saturdays but for weddings,
receptions and other large community or family gatherings.
Zion Hill Revitalization
During 2019, the county and Town of Winnsboro cooperatively
undertook the revitalization of the Zion Hill and Fortune Springs Park
neighborhoods, with input from the residents of the area. It is a major step
forward in bringing this area back to its Glory days, county officials say.
In November, the county landed the first of several planned
grants to help pay for the project. The initial $488,000 Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) will be augmented by a 10 percent ($48,900) local government
match, giving the county more than $536,000 at its disposal to begin Phase I of
the revitalization effort.
This dilapidated home on West College Street is one of the eyesores county and town officials are aiming to clean up in the Zion Hill neighborhood with CDBG grant funding. | Barbara Ball
That work will include the demolition and clearance of
approximately 40 dilapidated and vacant structures, according to the Central
Midlands Council of Governments’ (CMCOG) planners who are working with the
county and town to guide and supervise the revitalization.
The demolition work made possible by the bond will begin
this spring and must be finished in two years. Both the town and the county are
eligible to apply for two $500,000 bonds each year.
At a community meeting in July, Gregory Sprouse, a planner
with the CMCOG, said he hopes the Zion Hill project represents the beginning of
more broad revitalization work in Winnsboro neighborhoods.
“We want this [Zion Hill] to be a starting point for how we
can move similar types of projects into other areas of the town that need the
same type of commitment,” Sprouse said. “CDBG funds must be spent to benefit
low to moderate income populations based on census data, and Zion Hill and the
Fortune Springs Park area fit that criteria.”
Broadband
County officials ended the year in new pursuit of broadband
expansion in the county – a pursuit that, in the past, has been futile.
“On broadband, I will just say we are exploring potential
opportunities that may be available that could assist us in working with our
existing local providers to expand the service,” Taylor said. “Like other
infrastructure that we are working on, we realize that for the county to grow,
improving our broadband service is critical. In today’s world, people expect
service to be widely available and fast.”
Company Brings $50M Investment and 250 Jobs to Fairfield
Cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of MLILY USA are, from left: Fairfield County Director of Economic Development Ty Davenport, Operations Manager Chad Reinsel, Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy, Rep. Annie McDaniel, State Senator Mike Fanning, Chairman and CEO of Healthcare Co., Ltd. James Ni, S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, Fairfield County Council Chairman Neil Robinson, President of MLILY USA Stephen Chen and Suns Jian, president of Healthcare Co., Ltd.’s global sales and marketing. | Photos: Barbara Ball
WINNSBORO – The grand opening last week of MLILY USA,
Fairfield County’s new memory foam mattress factory, was an international event
covered by Chinese television and newspapers as well as local and state media.
MLILY is owned by Healthcare Co., Ltd., China’s largest mattres manufacturing
company.
Industry officials from China flew into the Fairfield County
airport on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, they joined state and local
government, business and industry leaders for the open house and ribbon cutting
at MLILY’s renovated 650,000 square-foot manufacturing facility located at 1
MLILY Way just off Highway 321 in Winnsboro.
S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt
Prior to the ribbon cutting, there were comments by company
officials as well as S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt and Fairfield
County’s Director of Economic Development Ty Davenport. A tour of the facility,
conducted by Chad Reinsel, operations manager, was followed by lunch.
Barely a year ago, Fairfield County Council finalized an
agreement with MLILY to bring a nearly $50 million investment into the county
and restore the idle factory – previously owned by Mack Truck and later Guardian
Building Products – to produce a line of sleep products for the U.S. market. In
addition, the company announced it would hire 250 employees.
So far, about 64 employees are already on the payroll.
“And most of the folks hired so far are from this area,”
Fairfield County Economic Development Director Ty Davenport told the 100 or so
in attendance.
Fairfield County Director of Economic Development Ty Davenport
“We’re thrilled when the people who live here are the people
working here. Revenue from this plant is going to flow to the town, the schools
and will be used to further our county’s economic development,” Davenport said.
“We’re going to see benefits from this plant for a long
time. Things are looking up for Fairfield County. We already have other new
industry coming in,” Davenport said. “We’re on a roll, and MLILY helped put us
on that roll. I can’t thank you enough,” he told MLILY officials.
Hitt said the open house marked a landmark day for
Fairfield.
“The Fairfield County government routinely works hard to
make our community attractive to companies from all over the world,” Hitt said.
Turning to Stephen Chen, Hitt continued, “Your investment in
Fairfield reinforces that this is the business address, sitting right here
above the state capital, in a very modern, progressive county.”
Chen thanked Davenport, “for guiding the MLILY team through
each step of the process to establish a factory in Winnsboro.”
MLILY USA President Stephen Chen looks on as James Ni, Chairman and CEO of Healthcare Co., Ltd. addresses those attending the open house.
MLILY’s factory will supply the company’s North American
retail customers with mattresses, pillows and toppers made in the U.S. – a
shift in the mattress manufacturing business where many companies are looking
at off-shore production to maintain costs.
In addition to the general cleanup and renovation of the
plant, which had been dormant for nine years, MLILY has installed equipment to
manufacture, fabricate and distribute mattresses including springs, memory foam
and other proprietary foams.
“This is an exciting time for our company as we continue to
grow in the United States. Our U.S. customers will now be able to get their
products from Winnsboro, made by American workers,” James Ni, chairman and CEO
of Healthcare Co., Ltd., said, drawing a burst of applause from the audience.
“The investment in this factory allows us to develop and
supply MLILY products that appeal to U.S. consumers, and it provides us with
the opportunity to expand our product reach in this country. I’m thankful to
our leadership team and our employees for their work in getting this plant
ready and operational, as well as to the local and state government officials
who have welcomed us into the community,” Ni said. “We look forward to playing
an important role in the community.”
Ni is credited with not only building Healthcare Co., Ltd.
into the largest mattress manufacturer in China, but expanding operations
throughout Asia and Europe.
Ni said he saw a huge opportunity in the United States. To
that end, his company built a North American headquarters in Knoxville,
Tennessee.
“The company’s mattresses, pillows and sleep accessories are
now all manufactured in state-of-the-art factories located in China, Thailand,
Spain, Serbia and, now, Winnsboro,” Ni said, “The factories located in China
span more than 6 million square feet.”
Davenport emphasized that MLily’s economic impact on
Fairfield County will be significant.
“Two hundred fifty jobs will mean 250 families are better
off. It’s a great thing for any community,” Davenport told The Voice, “but it’s
a huge one for ours, so we’re very thankful for that. “It’s a great way to
start the new year. I think it’ll be a good place for our residents to work.”
Mattresses move along a conveyor belt where they are inserted into mattress covers.
Mattresses are rolled up by another piece of equipment and packaged for shipping.
During the plant tour, Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor and the county’s Director of Economic Development Ty Davenport, County Councilman Clarence Gilbert and Council Chairman Neil Robinson talk with Wally Wang of the S.C. Department of Commerce.
Company bringing $2.9 Investment, 33 jobs to Fairfield
COLUMBIA – Another new industry has announced plans to set up shop in Fairfield County. This time in the Wal-Mart building which has been vacant since Wal-Mart moved out almost three years ago.
COLUMBIA – Another new industry has announced plans to set
up shop in Fairfield County. This time in the Wal-Mart building which has been
vacant since Wal-Mart moved out almost three years ago.
It was announced Monday that Pharmacy-Lite Packaging, a
division of Pacific Management Holdings, LLC, plans to establish operations in
the building, bringing with it a $2.9 million investment and 33 new jobs.
According to County Administrator Jason Taylor, the company
asked for almost no incentives.
“They didn’t ask for a whole lot,” Taylor said. “The county,
along with the town of Winnsboro, will assist with upgrading the sprinkler
system in the building…that’s all. No tax credits involved.”
Fairfield County was awarded a $150,000 Rural Infrastructure
Fund grant to assist with the costs of those property improvements to
accommodate the move-in.
A family-owned business based in the U.S., Pharmacy-Lite
Packaging manufactures streamlined vial systems for prescription drugs. The
company’s innovative packaging features fewer barcodes and offers
child-resistant, reversible and easy-open twist caps for dry and liquid
vials.
The business will be located at 721 U.S. Highway 321 Bypass
South in Winnsboro. Pharmacy-Lite
Packaging’s Fairfield County operations will serve as a manufacturing and
distribution center and is expecting to begin operations later this month.
Initial hiring is slated to begin in the spring of 2020.
“Fairfield County is thrilled to welcome Pharmacy-Lite
Packaging,” County Council Chairman Neil Robinson said. “I am very happy to
welcome another corporate citizen to the county and for the Wal-Mart building
to be occupied again. Pharmacy-Lite Packaging is a great addition to the
county’s growing manufacturing base,” Robinson said. “I think they will find
that their Winnsboro location will be well supported by local businesses and
our willing workforce. Most good things happen with hard work, and we want to
recognize the town of Winnsboro’s effort to help Pharmacy-Lite Packaging make
the decision to select our community,” Robinson added.
Winnsboro Mayor Roger Gaddy also expressed his enthusiasm
for the company’s decision to select Winnsboro to grow their business.
“Our citizens welcome the job opportunities, and I can
assure you that the town stands ready to support Pharmacy-Lite Packaging with
utilities and other valuable services. Our partnership with Fairfield County’s
leadership is paying dividends, and we know the future is bright,” Gaddy said.
“A key to the success of this project is the Town of
Winnsboro’s cooperation and willingness to participate to make it happen,” Ty
Davenport, the county’s Director of Economic Development, said. “We asked for
their support and they jumped right in. And I think this project, because of
its location, will be a big benefit to the town and help it to grow from the
core out. Having more employees close to the town will help keep dollars in the
town, in the restaurants and stores,” Davenport said.
Council also voted 7-0 to pass an ordinance authorizing the
execution and delivery of an agreement with Victory Boats, LLC to move
operations to the county. While negotiations are ongoing, council was reluctant
to discuss details.
“We’re always actively trying to recruit industry to
Fairfield County,” Taylor said. “However, to recruit industry we often have to
put together an incentive agreement. In this case, we’re trying to bring a
company to an existing building. The county and the state are offering certain
incentives and we’re also putting it in a multi-county park.”
It was announced Monday that Pharmacy-Lite Packaging, a
division of Pacific Management Holdings, LLC, plans to establish operations in the
building, bringing with it a $2.9 million investment and 33 new jobs.
According to County Administrator Jason Taylor, the company
asked for almost no incentives.
“They didn’t ask for a whole lot,” Taylor said. “The county,
along with the town of Winnsboro, will assist with upgrading the sprinkler
system in the building…that’s all. No tax credits involved.”
Fairfield County was awarded a $150,000 Rural Infrastructure
Fund grant to assist with the costs of those property improvements to
accommodate the move-in.
A family-owned business based in the U.S., Pharmacy-Lite
Packaging manufactures streamlined vial systems for prescription drugs. The
company’s innovative packaging features fewer barcodes and offers
child-resistant, reversible and easy-open twist caps for dry and liquid
vials.
The business will be located at 721 U.S. Highway 321 Bypass
South in Winnsboro. Pharmacy-Lite
Packaging’s Fairfield County operations will serve as a manufacturing and
distribution center and is expecting to begin operations later this month. Initial
hiring is slated to begin in the spring of 2020.
“Fairfield County is thrilled to welcome Pharmacy-Lite
Packaging,” County Council Chairman Neil Robinson said. “I am very happy to
welcome another corporate citizen to the county and for the Wal-Mart building
to be occupied again. Pharmacy-Lite Packaging is a wonderful addition to the
county’s growing manufacturing base,” Robinson said. “I think they will find
that their Winnsboro location will be well supported by local businesses and
our willing workforce. Most good things happen with hard work, and we want to
recognize the town of Winnsboro’s effort to help Pharmacy-Lite Packaging make
the decision to select our community,” Robinson added.
Winnsboro Mayor Gaddy also expressed his enthusiasm for the
company’s decision to select Winnsboro to grow their business.
“Our citizens welcome the job opportunities, and I can
assure you that the town stands ready to support Pharmacy-Lite Packaging with
utilities and other valuable services. Our partnership with Fairfield County’s
leadership is paying dividends, and we know the future is bright,” Gaddy
said.
“The decision by Pharmacy-Lite Packaging to call South
Carolina home is further proof that our state’s manufacturing and distribution
sectors continue to shine. I applaud this great company for establishing operations
in the Palmetto State and look forward to the impact they will have on
Fairfield County,” Bobby Hitt, Secretary
of Commerce, added.
WINNSBORO – Eleven years passed before Fairfield County
updated its animal control ordinance in December 2018. The next update,
however, likely won’t take as long to arrive.
On Nov. 11, the Fairfield County Council voted unanimously
to move forward a proposed ordinance that strengthens the existing animal
control law by addressing animal hoarding, tethering and other issues.
First reading was by title only, so there was no discussion
during the regular meeting. Prior to the regular meeting, during the Public
Affairs and Policy Committee meeting, council members and county staff voiced
support for moving the ordinance forward.
“The main thing is getting something in place so when the
offenders do an action, we have something to take care of that,” said
Councilwoman Bertha Goins, the committee’s chairperson.
If the proposed changes become law, tethering an animal to a
chain would become illegal in Fairfield County.
“We don’t think an animal needs to be on a chain at all,”
said County Administrator Jason Taylor.
Bob Innes, the county’s animal control and adoption center
director, said tethers cause great harm to animals. It is not unusual for dogs
to be brought into the shelter with deep gashes cut into their necks by
tethers.
“It’s just craziness. If you want to stop these horrific
sort of things from happening, then you have to change the rules,” Innes said.
“It’s a proven fact that dogs chained up their entire life become aggressive.
And people wonder why pit bulls are aggressive. If you’re chained up your
entire life and don’t mix with humans, that’s what happens.”
Instead, the new law sets forth guidelines dogs to wear
harnesses connected to a trolley system, which functions similarly to a zip
line. An animal’s leash line connects to a second line suspended in the air,
giving animals more freedom to roam.
The proposed ordinance states the suspended trolley line
must measure at least 20 feet between endpoints and be at least three feet
above the dog.
Dogs must also have free movement along the length of the
trolley without becoming entangled. The trolley must also give dogs adequate
access to food and water, according to the draft ordinance.
Councilman Clarence Gilbert said he supported trolleys, but
also asked about cost. Gilbert said he mainly wanted to ensure pet owners could
afford trolleys. Innes said trolleys cost as little as $20.
In the end, the committee unanimously approved a motion to
study trolley systems that incorporate harnesses, and then bring back the
findings to the next committee meeting.
Fairfield looks to
Aiken
Tommy Morgan, the county’s attorney, said the proposed
Fairfield ordinance incorporates verbiage from an anti-tethering measure Aiken
County adopted in March 2017.
In Aiken, tethering is only allowed “for a brief period of
time necessary to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be
restrained,” setting a four-hour maximum. Fairfield County’s proposed law would
go further, banning tethering altogether.
The Aiken County ordinance also establishes provisions for a
trolley system. Fairfield County’s proposed law on trolleys is virtually
identical to Aiken’s.
Morgan said the chief goal is to strengthen Fairfield’s
existing law as much as possible without exposing it to a possible legal
challenge.
“I want to stress that this is not a final document. It’s
living and breathing and some edits are going to be made,” Morgan said.
Aiken County Administrator Clay Killian told The Voice that
there’ve been no legal challenges to its tethering ban, nor is he aware of any
future attempts to challenge it.
“Having an ordinance is the only way you can enforce the
regulation,” Killian said. “I would say that having this tool has been
successful in that it gives us a chance to address matters as they are reported
or found.”
Animal hoarding
Fairfield County’s proposed ordinance also addresses animal
hoarding. The county’s animal control workers have recently had cases where
dozens of animals or, in one case, hundreds, living on the same property.
Taylor said the ordinance revisions aren’t intended to
target livestock, where dozens of animals typically graze on large farms.
“We have one case where we found 62 dogs that were
inbreeding,” Taylor said. “We need to get control of that kind of thing.”
Innes said the county also has a problem with what he called
“backstreet breeding,” something he said the revised ordinance needs to
address.
“This is the sort of thing that we need to tighten up on,”
Innes said.
Taylor also noted the ordinance also isn’t designed to
target legally operating kennels. The proposed law would define “kennels” to
avoid any confusion, he said.
Later, during the regular council meeting, Ridgeway resident
Randy Bright thanked council members for continuing its focus on animal
welfare.
In December 2018, the council revised its animal control
ordinance to impose a $500 civil penalty for violations of the county
ordinance.
Other provisions include mandatory reporting of striking a
pet with a motor vehicle or bicycle, more detailed definitions of nuisance
animals and requiring all pets to be fed at least once a day and have potable
water.
But Bright also noted the solicitor’s office needs to more
vigorously prosecute violators.
A recent investigation by The Voice newspaper found that
most animal abuse cases prosecuted by the 16th Judicial Circuit result in pleas
to lesser charges or outright dismissals.
“If we don’t have a working relationship with the
solicitor’s office, this not going to happen. It’s not going to be enforced,”
Bright said.
WINNSBORO – Fairfield County’s former planning director has
filed a wrongful discharge lawsuit, claiming in court papers he was subjected
to a hostile work environment, demoted and ultimately dismissed after refusing
to testify a certain way in the ongoing VC Summer lawsuit.
Fairfield County, however, has denied the allegations,
saying in a recent response that any sanctions taken were due to “poor
performance.”
Timothy Roseborough filed the suit Aug. 19, 2019. He had
been employed by the county until June 2018, when he was dismissed, the suit
states.
The suit requests a jury trial. It seeks unspecified
damages, legal fees and other costs to be determined by the court.
The case was removed to federal court on Oct. 14. A trial
date has not been set.
U.S. Magistrate Paige Gossett has set a deadline for all
motions of May 26, 2020, according to a scheduling order signed Oct. 15.
According to the suit, Roseborough was promoted twice during
his 20-year tenure with the county. He said there were never any issues during
his employment until a controversial rock quarry proposal arose in 2017.
“Plaintiff always got along well with his supervisors and
County Council until the first part of 2017 when he refused to look the other
way on a proposed rock quarry that did not comply with local zoning codes,” the
suit states. “Plaintiff then heard comments from his supervisors, in the form
of indirect pressure, that caused him to sense that certain powerful community
leaders held a grudge against Plaintiff for refusing to look the other way on
the proposed quarry’s zoning violation.”
After the quarry controversy, Roseborough stated that his
title was changed in January 2018 to community service manager. He said he
perceived this as a demotion, something the county denied since his salary did
not change, according to the suit.
At about the same time, the county hired Chris Clauson as
the new planning director. Roseborough claims in court papers that Clauson
asked him to resign.
“Right away, upon Clauson’s hire, Plaintiff began
experiencing what he perceived to be a racially hostile work environment,
including the removal of permission to attend trainings and trips, arbitrary
denials of paid time off, and a request that Plaintiff resign,” the suit
states.
Roseborough said in the suit he was ultimately dismissed
after refusing to testify that two unfinished reactors at VC Summer constituted
a public nuisance, according to the suit.
In its response filed on Oct. 14, the county denied the
allegations.
“Any adverse employment action and materially adverse action
taken against Plaintiff by Defendant was taken for non-retaliatory reasons,”
the response states.
“The actions taken by Defendant were made for legitimate
business reasons, in good faith, and without malice or intent to harm or
retaliate,” the response adds. “Defendant at all times believed it acted in
compliance with applicable statutes and their implementing regulations.”
The county in its response also states that Roseborough’s
suit “may be limited or barred under applicable statutes of limitations and the
doctrines of estoppel, waiver, and laches.”
The county’s response seeks dismissal of the suit, as well
as reimbursement for court costs and attorney fees.
