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Tag: Mayor Heath Cookendorfer

  • Mainstay Senior Living expands

     

    Opening the Mainstay Senior Living barbecue festival are President and CEO Tod Petty, left; Frances Mattox, Admissions and Activity Director; Ridgeway Town Councilman Dan Martin and Ridgeway Mayor Heath Cookendorfer. | Photos: Darlene Embleton

    RIDGEWAY – Tod Petty, President and CEO for Mainstay Senior Living, says his company is all about southern hospitality. As the new owner of Ridgeway’s former Fairfield Manor Assisted Living location at 117 Belfield Road, he showed that he knew what he was talking about when he feted his staff and the residence’s seniors with a barbeque festival last Saturday.

    Frances Mattox, Admissions and Activity director for Mainstay introduced Ridgeway’s Mayor Heath Cookendorfer and Council member Dan Martin, and the Mayor welcomed Mainstay officials on behalf of the Town.

    The day was filled with entertainment that included the Freedom Dancers, antique and classic cars and barbecue cooked by Dwight Robinson and served by his seven assistants.

    Site renderings were on display of an expansion planned for the facility.

    “We have an amazing group of contractors who work with us on improving existing locations. They allow us to create an affordable venue. Here, we have already reworked the asphalt in the front and upgraded the landscaping. We are in the process of repainting the building, fixing the roof and bringing in a full time therapist and 26 fully electric beds for our residents.

    “It will be a great venue for long term care”, Petty said.

    The new expansion will bring Mainstay up to 112 beds.

    Barbecue pit master Dwight Robinson and his cook crew, all classmates who graduated high school in 1971, served up barbecue to the residents and guests. From left: Robinson, Delores Squirewell, Larry Bell, Nadine Boyd, Elijah Squirewell, Linda Gaither, Melvin Peay and Larry Young.

  • Fairfield, RW laud policing pact

    Ridgeway Mayor Heath Cookendorfer, front, and Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery comment about the county’s new arrangement to police Ridgeway. | Michael Smith

    RIDGEWAY – Fairfield County and Ridgeway elected leaders are calling it a win-win arrangement.

    Following the defunding of the Ridgeway Police Department, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office will now police the town of 319 residents.

    Speaking at Monday night’s County Council meeting, Sheriff Will Montgomery said off-duty deputies would spend about six hours per day policing the town. That may increase if and when Ridgeway sees a need to increase police presence, he said.

    “It gives the deputies an opportunity to make some extra money, so that’s another good thing,” Montgomery said.

    Ridgeway Mayor Heath Cookendorfer said he’s excited by the new intergovernmental agreement.

    “We’re getting some great feedback from citizens,” Cookendorfer said. “This is something we’d be using for just six hours with the option to increase hours as we need or see the need for, as well as more days.”

    Earlier this month, Ridgeway Town Council voted to disband and defund the town’s police department and the former chief, Christopher Culp.

    The vote came following a flotilla of complaints lodged against the chief.

    Many complained the chief spent a disproportionate amount of time doubling as a de facto school resource officer at Geiger Elementary School at the expense of policing the town.

    Other complaints cited general rudeness, according to documents The Voice obtained from the state’s Freedom of Information Act.

    The tone at Monday night’s County Council meeting was much more positive, however.

    “We appreciate the county allowing us to enter into an agreement,” Cookendorfer said.

    Specific costs weren’t mentioned, though Town Councilman Dan Martin reported at the Aug. 9 Town Council meeting that the switch to using county law enforcement services would save the Town approximately $70,000 annually.  Under the agreement, the Town of Ridgeway would be responsible for paying for gas for police vehicles, while the county would handle vehicle maintenance.

    Montgomery didn’t see those as issues.

    “We’re already in the town of Ridgeway, so that’s not a big deal. Most of the time they [deputies] are on foot,” he said.

    In other business, the council voted 6-0 to give Montgomery approval to apply for an $11,251 JAG grant to purchase a Ranger utility vehicle.

    Montgomery said the vehicle would be a helpful tool during special events. He said it could also be used to help search for missing persons.

    Council members noted it also would be helpful during wildfires or other natural disasters.

    “It will be a great addition to our department, a great tool for our department,” Montgomery said.

  • Judge, others issue complaints against chief

    RIDGEWAY – Ridgeway Police Chief Christopher Culp has repeatedly shown “a lack of manners, professionalism, and respect” for the town’s traffic court and Municipal Judge Adrian Wilkes, according to public records obtained by The Voice through a Freedom of Information request.

    Wilkes recently penned a scathing letter directed at the chief, who according to Wilkes, at one point made a veiled threat against him and disputed the judge’s sentencing.

    “He openly attempted to tell me how I should sentence individuals and insinuated that previous judges had been relieved of their duties for not issuing sentences the way he thought they ought to be issued,” the letter states.

    Culp couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

    Mayor Heath Cookendorfer said the letter was one of a number of complaints the Town Council addressed in executive session Thursday.

    “It didn’t paint a good picture of our police chief,” Cookendorfer said on Tuesday. “All in all I’m not happy with any of it.”

    A motion to immediately terminate Culp failed due to a lack of a second. Instead, Cookendorfer said after Thursday’s meeting that the town plans to address performance issues with Culp.

    “We do have some underlying issues with the police department, some complaints, and we’re going to correct those issues,” the mayor said. “Addressed to Cookendorfer, Wilkes’ letter was dated June 13, the day before Ridgeway Town Council considered firing Culp.

    Wilkes’ letter says the chief consistently speaks over the judge and others in the courtroom.

    Culp also “repeatedly continues to argue” after rulings, questions court rulings and decisions, and challenges courtroom procedures, the letter continues.

    Of direct impact to town operations, Culp called in sick 10 minutes before a June court session was supposed to begin, the letter continued.

    “I told him that would cause a major problem and asked him for a doctor’s excuse,” the judge wrote. “He got very defensive and rude with me. He told me he would not be going to the doctor or providing any type of paperwork to explain his absence.”

    As a result of the chief missing court, everyone on the docket that day received “not guilty” verdicts, the letter states.

    “It is my belief that if a person is sick enough to miss court, he is sick enough to go to the doctor,” Wilkes wrote.

    Wilkes added that Culp told him that he informed his “supervisor” of his plans to call in sick, according to the letter.

    When Wilkes asked to whom Culp was referring, the chief replied that it was Ridgeway Councilman Donald Prioleau.

    Prioleau and Cookendorfer confirmed that Prioleau is considered Culp’s supervisor. They said a hierarchy was established in recent weeks to increase communication and to keep closer tabs on Culp’s whereabouts.

    Prioleau said the procedure calls for the chief to notify Prioleau if he expects to miss court, and for Prioleau to relay the message to the clerk of court.

    “That’s the instructions from the mayor,” the councilman said.

    Prioleau contends that personality conflicts are to blame for issues between Wilkes and Culp. Prioleau said he hoped to address them in a meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday with the Fairfield County chief magistrate.

    “The chief has 18 years of experience,” Prioleau said, defending Culp. “With a judge with no experience and a chief with lots of experience, I have recommended we bring in the chief magistrate of Fairfield County to develop proper procedures.”

    Cookendorfer said he has a meeting scheduled with Prioleau on Wednesday to discuss the town’s police department, but that he is not aware that the Fairfield County chief magistrate had been contacted in regard to issues with the police chief.

    Judge Adrian Wilkes’s letter of complaint to Mayor Heath Cookendorfer concerning Ridgeway Police Chief Christopher Culp.

    Related: Chief survives move to fire him

  • Chief survives move to fire him

    NAACP, School officials called to defend Culp

    RIDGEWAY – Christopher Culp still has his job.

    Ridgeway’s police chief was not present when town council members killed an effort to fire him immediately.

    Councilman Rufus Jones made a motion to immediately fire Culp, but the motion died when nobody seconded it.

    Culp’s brush with potential termination comes amid a number of complaints, including doubling as a school resource officer at the expense of policing the town and openly disrespecting the town judge, according to public records obtained by The Voice. (See ‘Judge, others issue complaints against chief’.)

    Mayor Heath Cookendorfer said Monday that Culp isn’t certified to serve as an SRO, nor has the town appointed him to that role.

    “His primary job/responsibility is to perform the duties of a police officer,” the mayor said.

    In a letter obtained by The Voice, Municipal Judge Adrian Wilkes said Culp frequently challenges his authority in and out of the courtroom.

    “Chief Culp has shown a lack of manners, professionalism, and respect for the Court,” the letter states. “He has consistently attempted to speak over and interrupt myself and others within the courtroom.”

    In spite of these complaints and others, council members adjourned Thursday’s three-hour meeting without further discussion.

    Jones declined to comment after the meeting.

    In making his motion, Jones alluded to complaints about the chief doubling as a de facto school resource officer at Geiger Elementary School. But he said other complaints drove his desire to fire Culp.

    “I want to make a motion – this has nothing to do with the school – this motion is for the complaints we’ve had about Mr. Culp,” Jones said. “I would like to terminate him at once.”

    Cookendorfer told The Voice that Culp’s time spent at Geiger Elementary wasn’t an underlying issue, but acknowledged there have been discussions about the chief’s school visits.

    Additional complaints drove the discussion, but Cookendorfer declined to specify the nature of those complaints.

    “We had some complaints, and we addressed those complaints tonight,” the mayor said Thursday. “We talked about the times that he has been going there (the school), but we have to find a happy medium there. He’s not a school resource officer. He’s the chief of police.”

    State Law and SROs

    In his monthly report, Culp said he performed 22 security checks in May at Geiger Elementary. He also responded to five accidents there, council documents state.

    Culp further stated that 20 citations and 11 warnings were issued in the town. There were no arrests.

    State law defines school resource officers, or SROs, as sworn law enforcement officers who have “completed the basic course of instruction for School Resource Officers.”

    The course must be provided or recognized by the National Association of School Resource Officers or the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy, the law states.

    State law further states SROs “have as a primary duty the responsibility to act as a law enforcement officer, advisor, and teacher for that school district.”

    Maj. Florence McCants, spokeswoman for the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy, said Culp meets the primary qualification of being a Class 1 officer, which basically means he has full arrest powers and has completed the academy’s 12-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program.

    But the chief has not completed any SRO certification courses recognized by the Justice Academy.

    McCants couldn’t say whether Culp met the second requirement, which says an SRO’s primary duty is to work as a law enforcement officer for the school district.

    William Frick, chairman of the Fairfield County School Board, said all SROs are currently contracted through the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office. The arrangement applies to schools both within and outside municipal limits, he said.

    Asked if there have been any communications between the Town of Ridgeway and school district about SROs at Geiger Elementary, Frick said he didn’t think so and deferred further comment to Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green.

    “Any contract negotiations would initiate with the district office,” Frick said.

    Green couldn’t be reached as of press time.

    In the meantime, Cookendorfer said the town plans to address performance issues with Culp.

    “It’s a heated situation, none of us run [for public office] to be popular. We have hard decisions to make,” he said. “We do have some underlying issues with the police department, and we’re going to correct those issues.”

    Supporters back Culp

    During both public input sessions, residents overwhelmingly spoke in favor of Culp. Among them were representatives of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

    Brenda Murphy, president of the state NAACP and Ridgeway native, called Culp a role model.

    “You have a policeman who’s on the cutting edge,” Murphy said. “He’s there with our young people. He’s teaching them to not be afraid of the police. You are on the cutting edge because of this policeman.”

    Tiffany Allison said that as a relatively new resident and expecting mom that she believes in Culp’s ability to protect the town. She raised concerns about the town prohibiting Culp from performing well checks at Geiger Elementary School.

    “I was advised that you had banned Officer Culp from visiting the school for any reason other than to issue a citation,” Allison said.

    “You have removed the only protection our children have at this time during their school day for reasons that have yet to be justified,” she continued.

    Myra Bramlett, principal at Geiger Elementary, pleaded with council members to allow Culp to continue visiting the school.

    “If you are indeed thinking of taking away the local officer, I want you to think about how the kids have built a relationship [with Culp]. They know him and they support him,” Bramlett said. “The officers in law enforcement are our friends.”

    Related: Judge, others issue complaints against chief

  • Ridgeway Council proceeds with Cotton Yard purchase

    RIDGEWAY – Mayor Heath Cookendorfer called a special council meeting Monday evening to put the Cotton Yard purchase to bed – to either move forward to purchase it or to back out of the purchase.

    Cookendorfer said he wanted both residents and Council members to have the chance to speak their minds in public about the pending purchase from Norfolk Southern. Two members of the audience, Tina Johnson and Vicki Maass, spoke in favor of the purchase. Council members then had their turns.

    “The Cotton Yard is the center of our town and is an asset,” Councilman Dan Martin said. “Nobody likes the price, but my feeling is that if we pull out now, we’re going to lose $15,000 up front,” Martin said. “It would be good to have control of it. That’s my thinking.”

    “No doubt we need to buy it,” Councilman Rufus Jones agreed, but with a caveat. “I hate to be forced to buy it and that’s what we have to do because of the last administration. We used it for years for free, and they kept messing with the railroad till they got ticked off and I don’t think we have a choice but to buy it. The amount is ridiculous, but I don’t see where we have a choice,” Jones said.

    “I voted against it in the previous administration, and I vote against it now,” Councilman Don Prioleau said. “I felt $73,000 plus all the other fees was too much. As Councilman Jones said, we always used this property at no cost. I voted against it, and today I vote against it.”

    Councilwoman Angela Harrison passed on speaking, and Cookendorfer took his turn.

    “As part of the previous administration, I thought the first price was a fair, economical decision,” Cookendorfer said. “Then we got the second one and I was against that. But I’ve also been one to say I hate losing money. At this point, we’ve spent $15,000 on the earnest money, the survey, legal fees and phase one of the environmental study.  The Cotton Yard is a big part of our downtown, so I agree that we need to move forward with the purchase.”

    Jones said he would like to see the fire station and police station on the property renovated for use as spaces for merchants.

    “Maybe we could get a grant to help pay for it,” Jones said.

    “So am I to understand that there have been discussions about what to do with the buildings in the Cotton Yard that I’ve not been privy to?” Harrison asked.

    “I’ve mentioned in open session that I would like to see something go there as rental space,” Cookendorfer said. “I’ve been more than forthcoming that that is something I would like to see.”

    “In the past we did discuss buying the property under the buildings. Just a discussion. We talked about taking the space next to the (old) post office and making that into public restrooms…” Prioleau said before Harrison interrupted.

    “Well that’s not what’s up for discussion tonight and it wasn’t on the agenda for discussion…”

    “We’re just discussing buying the property and what we’ll do with it if we buy it…,” Prioleau said.

    After further discussion about boundaries of the Cotton Yard and the railroad’s 65-foot right of way,
    Cookendorfer closed in on the purchase.

    “It sounds like Council would like to move forward except for Councilman Prioleau,” Cookendorfer said. Council agreed that the mayor would contact the Town’s attorney for the contract and move forward with the closing on June 22.

    Following the meeting, Cookendorfer said he would like to see the former Just Around the Corner consignment shop (behind Olde Town Hall Restaurant) renovated for use as public restrooms.

    “I think that would be helpful to the merchants and a good use for the building,” Cookendorfer said. “It’s all about funding. That’s where we stand now.”

    The property inside the red line is the .65 acres the Ridgeway Town Council is purchasing from Norfolk Southern Railroad.

  • Rules for behavior on Ridgeway agenda

    RIDGEWAY – In an effort to return what he termed respect and order to Ridgeway Town Council meetings, newly elected Mayor Heath Cookendorfer rolled out new rules for behavior for council members at the last meeting.

    “When someone has the floor and someone else has something to add, if that person will raise their hand, they will be called upon and be given the floor next,” Cookendorfer said. “That way, we won’t have interruptions in the meetings or be talking over each other. This will allow respect for each other and an orderly meeting.”

    And that’s what happened. There were no interruptions and the meeting was orderly.

    In one of the first items of business, Cookendorfer sought to clear the air in public session about the status of the Town’s contract with Norfolk about the status of the Town’s contract with Norfolk Southern Railroad to purchase the cotton yard. He called on attorney Kathleen McDaniels, who was hired by former Mayor Charlene Herring’s administration to negotiate the purchase of .6 acres of property (cotton yard) for which the Town agreed to pay Norfolk Southern $73,000 plus about $20,000 in additional expenses to include surveying, legal fees, an environmental soil study, etc.

    Although the contract was signed by the previous council on March 22, 2018, and can now be discussed in public session, McDaniels suggested she update council behind closed doors regarding the contract.

    Cookendorfer, however, repeated that he would like to have the update in open (public) session, and McDaniels proceeded to the podium.

    “The Norfolk Southern closing on the property is set for June 20, 2018,” McDaniels said. “During that period of due diligence, lots of things have to happen – an environmental study of the soil, a survey, a legal description, title commitment, etc.,” McDaniels said.

    “Can the Town still get out of the contract?” Cookendorfer asked. “Do we have the option of renegotiating the contract?

    “There is certainly the possibility to do that,” McDaniels said. “But the likelihood that Norfolk Southern is going to renegotiate the contract is pretty slim. The earnest money of $5,000 has been paid to Norfolk Southern, so if you terminate the contract, you’ll lose the earnest money and the costs that you have already incurred for surveying, the environmental study, legal and other costs,” McDaniels said.

    Cookendorfer thanked McDaniels for her presentation.

    Other Business

    Luke Law was unanimously appointed as the Town’s new zoning administrator to replace Rick Johnson who resigned April 6.

    Council passed, 4-1, first reading of the fiscal year 2018-19 budget in the amount of $774,840. Councilwoman Harrison voted against first reading, saying she did not have enough information to vote. Council will hold a public hearing and second reading on June 14.

    Council voted unanimously to select the paint color ‘aqua sky’ for the new water tower.

    A discussion of water rate increases proposed by the Town of Winnsboro was tabled until next meeting.

    Council voted 5-0 to terminate Southern Resource Advisors previous arrangement to find overlooked income for the town government. The company said it has found approximately $900 of annual income for the town, 50 percent of which will go to the Town of Ridgeway and 50 percent to Southern Resource Advisors for their efforts. Cookendorfer said the company advised, however, that there is little more they can do for the town in that regard and suggested not going forward with the agreement.

    FOIA Reminder

    Cookendorfer said he had sent out a letter to all town government committee heads reminding them that they are subject to the provisions of the S.C. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for public bodies.

    “Meetings must be open to the general public,” Cookendorfer said, “and must be properly posted 24 hours in advance.” Cookendorfer said that anyone wishing to be notified of these meetings can have their name placed on a list at Town Hall to receive emails of the agendas.

    Executive Session

    Two agenda items were discussed in executive session – an employee matter related to the police department and another related to the town’s municipal court. Following executive session, Rufus Jones made a motion to consider former municipal judge Gen Palmer as a backup for the town’s current municipal Judge, Adrian Wilkes. The motion passed 5-0. No motion was made concerning the police department item.

    The next regularly scheduled meeting of Council will be Thursday, June 14.

  • Ridgeway Council OKs sidewalk match; water tower bid

    RIDGEWAY – Two new town councilmen and a new mayor held their first council meeting last week, four days after being elected to office. The first order of business was to elect a new Mayor Pro Tem to replace Mayor Pro Tem Doug Porter who did not seek re-election for his council seat.

    Longtime Councilman Don Prioleau was nominated, and Mayor Heath Cookendorfer and the two new Councilmen, Rufus Jones and Dan Martin, voted 3-0 to approve Prioleau. Councilwoman Angela Harrison did not vote but looked down at her desk with no acknowledgement of the vote taking place.

    Water Tower Bids

    Council voted 5-0 to accept the lower of two bids submitted for construction of an elevated water tank near the Geiger Elementary School. That bid, for $549,153 was submitted by Phoenix Erectors and Fabricators, Inc. A second bid in the amount of $572,930 was submitted by Caldwell Tanks, Inc.

    Matching Sidewalk Grant

    Council also voted 5-0 to accept the Fairfield County Ordinance match requirement for a grant for $57,000 to help pay for an extensive sidewalk project in Ridgeway. The County grant requires a 20 percent match of $11,400 from the Town.

    The Town is seeking a total of $500,000 for the sidewalk project. Council plans to apply for a $400,000 grant from the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s (SCDOT) Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) which requires matching funds from Ridgeway in the amount of $100,000 or 20 percent of the project’s total cost ($500,000).

    To come up with that $100,000, the Town has applied for $43,000 from the Fairfield County Transportation Committee (CTC) and hopes to receive $45,600 ($57,000 less $11,400) from Fairfield County.

    “If we want to come up with that TAP grant of $400,000, then we will have to commit $11,400 out of Town funds [toward the $100,000 match],” Harrison said. “It could come out of our capital improvements or we could wait and put it in our budget for next year.”

    Harrison said the Town must get all the matching funds together – $43,000 from CTC, $45,600 from the County and $11,400 from Ridgeway – before Council can apply for the $400,000 TAP grant.

    Zoning Administrator Resigns

    In other business, Council accepted a letter, dated April 6, from Rick Johnson notifying Council that he was resigning his post as Zoning Administrator for Ridgeway, effective immediately.

    The next meeting will be held at the Century House, at 6:30 p.m. on May 10.

  • Mayor and councilmen sworn in

    RIDGEWAY – Ridgeway’s newly elected mayor and town council members were sworn into office Friday evening at the Century House by Ridgeway Municipal Judge Adrian Wilkes. From left are Councilman Dan Martin with Robbie Martin holding the Bible; Mayor Heath Cookendorfer with Patti Cookendorfer holding the Bible and Councilman Rufus Jones with Gloria Keeffe holding the Bible. The mayor and the two council members will each serve four-year terms. The next meeting of the Ridgeway Town Council will be Thursday evening at 6:30 at the Century House.