Council narrowly approves CTC road repairs
Four members of Darlington County Council were sworn in for new terms at council’s January 3 regular meeting. Pictured here, left to right, new members Joyce Wingate Thomas (District 3, Darlington) and Lewis Brown (District 7, Hartsville/Kelleytown) join re-elected members Marvin “Le” Flowers (District 5, Swift Creek Area) and Robert L. “Bobby” Kilgo, Jr. (District 1, Darlington) to take the oath of office, administered by Judge Marvin Lawson. Council member Kilgo is accompanied by his wife, Sue Kilgo.
Photo by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Darlington County Council held their first meeting of 2017 on January 3 and started the new year with a split vote approving distribution of $846,927 in County Transportation Committee (CTC) funds to resurface sixteen damaged county roads.
Council voted 5 to 3 in favor of allocating the money, which comes from the South Carolina Department of Transportation and requires no match from the county. Typically, the state budgets funds based on CTC requests, that money is then accepted or refused by county council, and the county’s Roads and Bridges Department then uses the money to construct or repair the designated roads.
The split vote came after extensive discussion, with several members of council voicing concerns about how the CTC chooses which roads will receive attention. Council member Lewis Brown asked this exact question, and interim county administrator Charles Stewart replied that committee members inspect roads submitted for consideration and then prioritize which ones require immediate care.
Roads and Bridges director Bobby Richardson added that the CTC “has always been willing to take recommendations from council” and they regularly ask for input from county staff when making their determinations.
“The sixteen roads that you’re voting on tonight are triple treatment roads and are really deteriorated. If they’re not resurfaced, we’re going to lose them,” Richardson said.
“Triple treatment” refers to the topmost road surface on which vehicles travel, and this particular surface uses a thin sand seal atop aggregate layers. Triple treatment roads are typically not as smooth as carpeted asphalt roads, but they are a cheaper alternative often used in high stress areas.
Roads included on this CTC repair list include Pisgah Road, Nettles Road, Persimmons Drive, East Horse Branch Trail, Flatnose Road, Harmony Hall Road, Ambergate Drive, Clover Street, Confederate Street, Critcher Road, Pine Hollow Street, Maple Street, Oaktree Street, Wellington Drive, Fox Trot Drive, and Silver Fox Drive.
Some members of council said that while those sixteen roads all surely needed help, they felt compelled to vote against the allocation because other badly degraded county roads – like Commanchee Street in the Centerville community – are not on the list.
Since spring of 2016, Pastor Christopher Frazier has repeatedly appeared before council asking for help to secure repair funds for Commanchee Street, which regularly floods and becomes nearly impassable after heavy rains. Council has referred Frazier to the CTC and suggested he contact members of Darlington County’s state legislative delegation, since they appoint CTC members and could possibly help get Commanchee on the repair list.
Additionally, Stewart explained that unlike most other CTC projects, paving Commanchee Street would require a substantial investment of county money. Stewart attended the November 30, 2016 CTC meeting where committee members agreed that the county must commit to provide half of the $1.4 million project cost (including purchase of property for stormwater retention ponds) before they could possibly pledge state funds toward the project.
When discussion ended and votes were tallied, council members Joyce Wingate Thomas, Mozella “Pennie” Nicholson, and Bobby Kilgo all voted against the CTC allocation. Council Chair Bobby Hudson, Vice Chair Le Flowers, and council members David Coker, Lewis Brown, Dannie Douglas all voted in favor.
“I respectfully let you know that I’m going to vote ‘no’ on this matter. Those people on Commanchee ought to have a say so in this,” Kilgo said. He added that he wanted the CTC to examine how much it would cost to pave the worst portion – about 3,200 feet – of Commanchee and consider placing that project on their priority list.
Thomas said she voted against the allocation because she wasn’t clear on the CTC’s criteria for road selection.
In other matters, council again carried over second reading of Ordinance 16-19, related to regulation for renewable energy systems (such as solar farms) within the county. This ordinance has been repeatedly referred back to the Planning Commission for amendments and reviews, and Vice Chair Flowers asked that a special worksession be scheduled where council and the county attorney can hammer out details and finally get the ordinance passed. The worksession is scheduled for 9 a.m., January 17, in the fifth floor courtroom of the Darlington County Courthouse.
Bid awards were given to Palmetto Corp. of Conway for several CTC paving and resurfacing projects, including $48,000 for the Lake Darpo entrance area, $97,165 for the Lake Darpo parking lot, $25,000 for the Dovesville Recreation parking lot, and $156,378 for improvements to Watts Place, Candlelight Drive, and Lantern Drive.
Council also held a third and final reading for Ordinance 16-23, allowing the Darlington County Library System to receive and expend an additional $36,956 in lottery funds.
In a last minute addition to the agenda, council agreed to allow Darlington County to act as a pass-through sponsor for federal funds to repair Bethea Road, which was washed out due to flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew in October of 2016. Bethea Road connects Hwy 52 to Ebenezer Road. This measure requires no commitment of county funds.
During closing comments, newly installed council members Lewis Brown and Joyce Wingate Thomas offered thanks to their constituents and expressed hopes for a productive new year in Darlington County government.
Their fellow council member, Mr. Kilgo, proposed a way to make that hope a reality. Kilgo closed out the meeting with pointed remarks about the absence of true “home rule” in South Carolina, and voiced frustration over the lack of autonomy local governments are granted to conduct their own affairs.
“When I was on (county) council back in the eighties, we had more home rule than we do today. And it was taken away by the Legislature. We live by the Legislature, and it’s time for the Legislature to give us back true home rule so that county councils and city councils can do the appropriate thing. We cannot effectively do a budget because we don’t have any taxing authority because they’ve taken so much of it away,” Kilgo said.
