Winning Entries
Population Category: 1-1,000
Town of Wagener
The Town of Wagener desperately needed an adequate Town Hall. Town business was being conducted in a 10x16 office, and the police department occupied a 10x12 office. The Wagener Town Council decided that a new site was very much needed and achieved that goal in a very practical and economic way.
A committee was selected to choose an available property. Once a property had been selected, Town Council was able to convince the owner to donate the buildings (abandoned warehouses) to the town for renovation. Funding was secured through the sale of a medical building that was owned by the town. A local citizen was hired to oversee the work. Under his watchful eye, town employees, councilmembers, the mayor and their family members worked to complete the project. The town used the services offered by South Carolina State Surplus to furnish the new building. The total spent on furnishings was less than $1500.
The Town of Wagener now has a Town Hall with almost 5,000 square feet available for use. The upstairs will add another 5,000 square feet and will enable the town to house the museum in the building. Employees are now proud of their workplace, and the citizens are beginning to take more of an interest in their town. The project has also sparked a measure of growth for the town. Prior to the project's completion, five of the eight buildings on the block were vacant and/or in need of repairs. At this time, all eight buildings are occupied.
Contact: Mayor Steve Carver, 803.776.2610. x3531
Population Category: 1,001-5,000
Town of Chesterfield
Like many rural areas, Chesterfield faces a shortage of childcare options. The Town's Recreation Commission sought to develop a local solution to the common problem of so-called "latchkey kids." As a result, the Commission decided to open the Chesterfield Community Center each afternoon to the community's young.
This program, known as the Town of Chesterfield's After School Club, has provided a safe and structured learning environment for children (ages 6-14) since its inception in 2000. Through arrangements with the local school district, Chesterfield children can get off the school bus at the Community Center to spend three hours together.
The children first enjoy a snack, spend an hour completing homework (with tutoring available), and then participate in recreational activities. A variety of speakers offer educational sessions on safety, and the children learn civic responsibility by taking on the seasonal plantings in front of the Community Center. The Center is open all day on school in-service days.
Fees are charged at the rate of $5 per day for in-town residents and $5.60 per day for those residing outside the town limits. While the program does not produce monetary profit, its benefits to the community are invaluable. A recent survey of participants" parents found that 86% have noted an improvement in their children's grades. Prior to joining the After School Club, about 20 percent of the participants attended a traditional daycare, 40 percent stayed with a relative, and 40 percent stayed home alone.
Contact: Mayor John Douglas, 843.623.2131
Population Category: 5,001-10,000
City of Georgetown
During Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Bertha, the City of Georgetown faced difficulties in communicating both with its citizens and with traveling motorists who were evacuating the area. The local radio stations did not have emergency power capabilities, and regional stations were too busy with their localities to give any priority to Georgetown.
As a result of experiences like these, the City of Georgetown came up with the idea to operate a low-power radio station in the AM radio band that was capable of reaching motorists and citizens. The goal was to economically establish a new avenue of communication to citizens for emergencies and disasters.
The new station, WPKY Radio Georgetown, has been very successful. Now almost four years old, it has earned its reputation as a reliable source of information directly from the City. The station is housed at the Fire Department Headquarters. This location made sense for several reasons: the Headquarters already had backup electrical power; it is nearly in the center of the city; and the City's emergency operations center is also housed in that building. The initial cost of the system was budgeted at $12,000. Annual maintenance to the system is less than $100. To improve the system, the City plans to construct a low-power FM radio station.
When not in use for emergency communications, the station provides information about the city in a continuously playing loop. A secondary goal of the station is to direct motorists to various historical sites throughout Georgetown and to keep residents informed about City government.
Contact: Elizabeth Krauss, 843.545.4000
Population Category: 10,001-20,000
City of Clemson
Lack of affordable housing is a problem for every city and county, but particularly for smaller cities where local budgets cannot afford to provide assistance to reduce development costs. In the City of Clemson, high costs of land and housing exacerbate this problem.
Blitz Build 2001 began as a collaborative effort among the City of Clemson, Pickens County Habitat for Humanity, and the Clemson University Student Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. This initiative will take place over a two-year period and will ultimately provide 13 economically disadvantaged families with homes. The first phase of the Blitz was held in the late winter/early spring of 2001. During that time, more than 2000 local college students - alongside the homeowners - volunteered more than 9,000 hours of their time during their spring break to construct five houses. Blitz Build 2001 is the first student blitz build in the nation.
Funding for this project came from a variety of sources, the largest of which were a Community Development Block Grant and HOME Grant Funds. The City of Clemson, Pickens County Habitat for Humanity, Clemson University, student organizations at Clemson University, and local businesses and civic groups also contributed funding. Building materials, transportation and refreshments for the volunteer-builders were generously provided by local businesses and churches.
Contact: Arlene K. Young, 864.653.2072
Economic Development
City of York
The City Council of York, its mayor, and the city manager set goals to revitalize the historic downtown area.
As a first and major step toward achieving this goal, the City of York hired an economic development director. The main purpose of this position was to identify the city's needs and work to retain, expand, and attract new businesses. Downtown revitalization is one of the major focuses of this position.
The economic development director has helped successful downtown businesses form a Downtown Merchants" Association, which meets monthly. The Merchants" Association, the City of York and the economic development director are working together on a variety of initiatives that include:
- beautifying the downtown area through updated streetscapes, parking redevelopment plans, burying utilities, installing landscaping, etc.
- attracting people and commerce through advertising in regional newspapers and on the local government cable access channel
- distributing promotional material on York that positions it as an important business center as well as a recognized historic district
- recruiting new businesses to buy, lease and renovate buildings in the downtown area
- finding specialty businesses to buy, lease and renovate buildings in the historic district
A very successful renovation of the 1850's Rose Hotel was completed this year. This $1.6 million renovation was funded in part by a CDBG grant. The building now houses 15 apartments and three offices. Other main street businesses have transformed space over their businesses into apartments, and more are under construction at this time.
Contact: Bill Boyd, 803.684.2341
The Cayce Department of Public Safety realizes that violence in schools can happen anywhere, in any city. With this in mind, they developed the POSITIVE Plan - Protect Our Schools . . . Innovate, Train, Intervene, Visit, Educate.
There are six public schools and one private school within the Cayce city limits. The Positive Plan includes training Public Safety personnel to respond effectively to natural as well as man-made disasters that may occur in schools; thereby, reducing potential loss of life and property.
This project is coordinated with Lexington School District #2. The major steps that have been taken are:
- Placement of a School Resource Officer (SRO) in each middle school and having a "floating" SRO who can assist in any school when needed. Funding for this phase was accomplished by securing a grant in a joint venture with the school district. (The two public high schools in the city already had SROs provided by the Lexington County Sheriff's Department.)
- Contingency Plans were developed for each type of possible disaster, natural or man-made. The plans covered all natural disasters such as fires, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes. They also cover man-made disasters such as bomb threats, intruders in the school, hostage situations and gunmen in the school.
- Security Assessments were conducted of each school. The assessments were designed to focus on areas where safety and security needed improvement. All Cayce Police and Fire personnel toured the schools.
- Training for faculty and staff in the schools on how to deal with certain emergency situations has been provided.
Contact: John C. Sharpe, 803.796.9020
All cities face the problem of older homes that have become rundown or abandoned by their owners. These vacant homes, and overgrown lots, represent safety and health hazards.
To address this problem, the City of Aiken formed two companion programs: the WHOA (We-re Helping Out Aiken) Program and the Demo 200 Program.
The WHOA Program was designed with teenagers in mind. Fully funded by the city, it targets young people out of high school and early-college age who need jobs. These young people work four days a week cleaning lots. One day per week is dedicated to training them in life skills - such as CPR, first aid, defensive driving and safety on the job.
In the Demo 200 Program, the owner of a vacant or abandoned building may petition the city to enter their property and remove the structure at a cost of $200. This program provides a nonthreatening method by which a property owner may get an abandoned or substandard structure removed without experiencing the emotionally charged process of condemnation. This win-win program allows the owner to save thousands of dollars that would otherwise be spent on contractor demolition services. The City benefits because the process expedites the revitalization of neighborhoods.
Together, these two programs work in a very uncomplicated fashion. The city building inspector notifies the Department of Public Works of lots or buildings that are eligible for either the WHOA Program or the Demo 200 Program. Upon receipt from the property owner of the $200 fee for Demo 200, Public Works schedules the equipment and manpower to remove any structure and schedules the WHOA team to clean the lot that is adjacent to the structure. If a lot has no structure but is still in need of cleaning, the WHOA team is scheduled without use of additional Public Works personnel.
Contact: Larry Morris, 803.642.7610
Public Works
Town of Hilton Head Island
During large storms, severe flooding occurs in the Main Street commercial areas, the public school complex and residential areas. In 1996, the Town of Hilton Head Island decided to widen and deepen the existing stormwater drainage system of the Jarvis Creek Ditch to alleviate the problem. However, the project - as planned - was very expensive and would destroy large areas of upland habitat and freshwater wetlands. A new approach was needed.
The Town purchased a 50-acre tract adjacent to the Jarvis Creek Ditch and constructed a 13-acre lake capable of storing and releasing stormwater as needed. The lake would be the central feature of a new passive community park.
Final design elements of the park include interpretative trails winding around existing trees and a boardwalk guiding visitors through the wetland area while teaching them about wetland mitigation.
The Town constructed a pump station to pump stormwater into the lake through four 48-inch pipes. The park's entrance road was built on top of the pipes, thus requiring only one small area of land to be cleared. The system is designed for stormwater to flow into the lake through the vegetated wetland mitigation site into an existing bottomland hardwood wetland and then into a freshwater creek. The detention time in the lake and the filtering effect of the wetlands is designed to improve the quality of water flowing into Jarvis Creek.
With this innovative approach, the Town was able to solve its stormwater drainage problem while protecting the wetlands. The majority of the site will be left in its natural state as a haven for wildlife with all wetlands areas protected by restrictive covenants.
Contact: Steven Grant, 843.341.4686
Other Entries
City of Bennettsville
A need for both downtown revitalization and increased recreational facilities was the catalyst for the City Council of Bennettsville to implement three main projects: walking trails, parks upgrade and a downtown streetscape project. The Walking Trails Project was a collaborative effort between the City of Bennettsville and Marlboro County. The trails can accommodate hiking, walking, bicycling and motorized vehicles. The Parks Upgrade Project was a collaborative effort between the City of Bennettsville and the Marlboro County Parks and Recreation Commission. The Project involved almost total renovation of three existing parks and the creation of a new park on a city-owned site. The Streetscape Project, funded in part by a grant from the South Carolina Department of Transportation, involved the redesign of four blocks in the historic business district.
Contact: Angela Ward, 843.479.9001
City of Clinton
Clinton is a small community and a college town. Presbyterian College is one of its biggest assets. The City wanted to find a way to welcome Clinton's freshman class and to help acquaint them with what Clinton has to offer. To address this need, the City of Clinton and P.C. jointly created the "P.C. Freshmen Welcome to Clinton Uptown Party." The event was a big success, and the City's budget for funding was zero: everything was donated by either the College or by local businesses. The freshmen who attended listened to music, danced, ate, met the local business people, and were welcomed into the Clinton community.
Contact: 864.833.7505
Town of Clover
The Clover Town Council recognized the need to revitalize its downtown and took positive steps to do so. Their initiative was divided into four major projects. The first was a streetscape and beautification project which enhanced the appearance of the downtown area. The second involved the purchase and restoration of a historic, but dilapidated, downtown building - the Larne Building. It now serves as a meeting and banquet facility and is the host site of the very successful "Clover Bluegrass Jam Session Nights." Third was the creation of a YMCA in a downtown building that had been slated for demolition. The Town purchased the building. Its renovation and equipping was funded by local businesses and individuals through a capital campaign. Finally, a new fire station was built downtown. This project was spearheaded by volunteer firefighters, who mounted a phone campaign in support of the bond referendum for constructing the new station.
Contact: 803.222.9495
Town of Edgefield
The Town of Edgefield completed one of the premier rail trails in South Carolina during 1999. The Ten Governors Rail Trail is a one-mile trail that accommodates pedestrians, skaters and bicyclists. It is lighted and, thus, usable 24 hours a day. Edgefield's rich political history is highlighted by having a granite marker at each tenth of a mile with a bust of one of the ten governors from Edgefield and a brief biography. The Rail Trail averages more than 120 users per day. It offers an alternative mode of transportation, links neighborhoods to downtown, connects other recreational facilities, and provides a great recreation and casual-use facility with breathtaking vistas of Slade Lake and the adjoining greenways.
Contact: 803.637.4014
City of Greenville
Historically, Court Street and Court Square in Greenville had been the heart of the city. As the whole downtown began to decline in the 1970s, so did this historic section. In 1996, the development of the Court Street area began. Using a successful public/private partnership, the City commissioned a design that would showcase the historic buildings on Court Street while creating a unique public space in the center, known as Court Square. From its inception, the Court Street Project was guided by and fulfilled these objectives: to encourage the restoration of Court Street's historic buildings; to support mixed-use development for residents, businesses, and visitors; to create a unique public space at Court Square; to draw pedestrian traffic onto the side streets through the landscape and streetscape design; and to create a strong link between the North Main Street area and the West End Historic District.
Contact: Melinda Davidson, 864.467.4403
City of Greer
The City of Greer recognized the need for a fire training facility and devised a creative way to realize that goal by partnering with a local private industry, Mitsubishi Polyester Film.
In 1999, when it was time to renew the City's fire services contract with Mitsubishi, the City and its Fire Department made the industry an attractive proposal: provide funding to build a fire training facility, and the City will keep the payment for fire protection services at the current $70,000 annually for the next 13 years. Mitsubishi agreed to these terms and provided $400,000 to construct the facility. Completed in October 2000, this facility helps train firefighters for both the City of Greer and for Mitsubishi Polyester Film. The facility allows both entities to train in interior firefighting, confined space rescue, high angle rescue, fire suppression systems, and many other situations that could arise during commercial and residential fire responses. This facility also allows the City to move closer to obtaining an I.S.O. Class 2 Fire Rating for insurance purposes; thus, reducing insurance premiums for all city residents.
Contact: Fire Chief Chris Harvey, 864.848.2166
Town of Johnston
The Johnston Historic Cotton Warehouse was in a state of disrepair and was an eyesore to the downtown area. The Mayor and Town Council set out to improve downtown by revitalizing the warehouse to house a new library ten times bigger than the one they had, put in underground wiring, remove poles, add antique streetlights, and make all curbs ADA-compliant. This ambitious project was achieved through a collaborative effort of many entities. Public and private funding was secured, including the award of several grants. The result: an $800,000 plus project completed in January 2001 with no indebtedness.
The project achieved these goals: historical preservation along the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor route; creation of a new 4,200-square-foot, state-of-the-art Town Library; opening 7,500 square feet of additional space in the renovated building for future economic development; and improvements of the look and feel of the central business district. The Town of Johnston completed a unique and comprehensive project that will enhance the quality of life in Johnston and Edgefield County for decades. Contact: Bernard Welborn, 803.275.2488
Town of Kershaw
All too often residents of rural areas do not have access to or the knowledge of programs that promote healthy lifestyles. The Town of Kershaw and the University of South Carolina have taken a step toward solving this problem in the Kershaw area through the creation of the Kershaw Community Health Education Center (KCHEC). The Town received a grant from the J. Marion Sims Foundation to purchase a building and provide stipends for three years for USC graduate students to help develop and implement community health programs. The KCHEC building contains a 230-square-foot learning center with computer stations linked to all the USC-Columbia electronic library sources, a 450-square-foot conference room, and two community computer workstation rooms that are connected to the Internet. Over 90% of the funding for this project came from grants. The Town of Kershaw operates and maintains the building.
Contact: Phyllis Dorman, 803.475.6065
Town of Kingstree
The Town of Kingstree was experiencing low morale, high absenteeism, high rates of injury claims, and general lackluster performance from its municipal employees. To address this problem, the town's management team - along with an Employee Morale Committee - developed the Kingstree Incentive Award Bonus. The bonus is based on a point system of five categories: performance, disciplinary action, absenteeism, safety, and volunteerism. This is the first year of the new bonus program; these bonuses will be awarded in November. Already, the Town has seen the following improvements: departments have taken on extra work, other than their own, to increase their community service volunteer hours; safety guidelines are being followed to the letter; performance has improved in almost every department; fewer disciplinary actions have been taken against employees; absenteeism has declined 20 percent; injuries are at a record low; and employees are no longer taking "mental health" days on Fridays and Mondays.
Contact: Michelle W. James, 843.355.7484
City of Loris
Recreational facilities and programs in the City of Loris have expanded over the past several years as a result of the combined efforts of private citizens and the City's Recreation Committee and Recreation Department. Generous property donations by various families have resulted in the creation of many recreational facilities over the years, including: the high school football field, the city's tennis courts, the little league baseball and softball fields, a senior citizens center, a municipal auditorium, and a Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club. In addition, the youth soccer program has been developed and funded by the efforts of parents because of their desire to have the sport available in a youth league.
Contact: Joan S. Gause, 843.756.0250
City of Mullins
The main goal of Operation RENEW (Restore Every Neighborhood By Eradicating Waste) was to rid the city of overgrown lots and dilapidated buildings and to get neighborhoods involved. Neighborhood-district meetings were held at which citizens were asked and encouraged to voice their concerns and express their needs. As a result of the meetings, priority needs were listed in the following areas: 1) infrastructure, drainage, water/sewer; 2) demolition or clearance of deteriorated buildings, houses, etc.; 3) economic development supporting job creation and education of existing workforce; and 4) housing rehabilitation for single-housing units. Currently, the City of Mullins is currently using this ranking as a guideline in applying for grants from state and federal sources. Great progress has been made already in addressing citizens" concerns in these areas.
Contact: Howard Garland/Mayor Wayne George, 843.464.9583
City of Lancaster
The City of Lancaster had an underutilized local government access cable channel. Through a partnership between the City and the Lancaster County School District, this government access channel is now widely viewed and very popular. Now known as Learn TV - The Lancaster Connection, the production is aired from Lancaster High School and is manned by students. Donations from the local cable company, a nearby regional production facility of ESPN, the City of Lancaster and local civic groups outfitted the production site. The Lancaster County School District provides staff, and the City of Lancaster provides a budgeted amount for operations that is transferred to the school district annually to help cover both staff and operating costs.
Contact: Steve Willis, 803.286.8414
Town of McCormick
The Town of McCormick took action to prevent one of its historic and most beloved homes from being razed. The Joseph Jennings Dorn home was built in 1917 but was facing the prospect of being sold and demolished. To avoid this unfortunate occurrence, town leaders proposed that the home be bought, restored, and used as a museum and genealogy center. This proposal was presented to a private foundation that was created by the Joseph Jennings Dorn family. The foundation wished to preserve the home and provided $900,000 in onetime funding for its purchase and renovation. The foundation also provides $30,000 a year for annual support of the facility. The house has been open to the public since December 2000. It has become a popular tourist stop and has greatly enhanced the historic and aesthetic quality of downtown McCormick.
Contact: Mayor Miriam E. Patterson, 864.465.2225
City of Orangeburg
A cooperative effort between the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) of the City of Orangeburg and the County of Orangeburg resulted in the building of an industrial park located outside of the city limits. The park included an 80,000 square-foot shell building. City and County leaders determined industrial development for their area should be a number-one priority. With that in mind, they jointly created and financed this project. Even though the City of Orangeburg gains no direct tax dollars from this project, it recognized the economic value to the larger area, which would ultimately be of great benefit to the City as well. Initially, the project was a 50/50 ownership, with the County incurring the cost of land and the City's DPU incurring the cost of bringing infrastructure to the site. Upon completion of the park, ownership was transferred to a seven-member Commission that owns and oversees its operation.
Contact: Mark D. Weber, 803.268.4103
Town of Pageland
The Town of Pageland recognized a need to expand its recreation services. A 17-acre site was purchased in 1998 to provide a comprehensive, efficient, orderly and safe recreation area. Grants and generous donations of local businesses and individuals funded development of the recreation park. This site has four lighted ball fields designed to meet statewide tournament specifications, walking trails and a playground area.
Contact: Cecil Kimrey, 843.672.7292
Town of Patrick
Communication in small towns, which do not have a newspaper, is not easy. The Town of Patrick, which traditionally gives Christmas gifts to its residents, wanted a practical and attractive way to advertise various town meetings and events, as well as a way to boost community pride. The solution to this need has been the Town of Patrick Calendar. The calendar, now given as the traditional Christmas gift from the Town to its residents, has photos of local sites and people and includes important meeting dates. This very popular calendar is an inexpensive way both to advertise the beauty of the Town and to encourage community participation in important meetings and events.
Contact: Mayor Rosa L. Millsaps Privette, 843.498.6994
Town of Port Royal
The Town of Port Royal and the Burton Fire District of Beaufort County entered into an Automatic Mutual Aid Response Agreement for the "Shell Point Subdivision area," located in the Burton area of Beaufort County. Port Royal has annexed portions of Shell Point, which is 3.5 road miles from Port Royal's fire station and exactly the same distance from Burton's fire station. Through this agreement, either fire department can provide two manned pumpers within a nominal travel distance of 3.5 road miles or less. The agreement has reduced response times; thereby, reducing property damage and the chance of loss of life. Another benefit is that both fire departments save on operating costs. Also, intergovernmental relations are improved through joint training and on-the-job activities between Port Royal and Burton.
Contact: John Perry, 843.986.2205
Town of Ridgeland
The Town of Ridgeland is a small community straddling Interstate 95 near Hilton Head, Beaufort and Savannah, Ga. Town leaders wanted to find a way to 1) make Ridgeland a specific stop for Interstate travelers; 2) bring people from throughout the Lowcountry to Ridgeland for the first time; and 3) bring together the diverse cultural groups within the town. By decorating one of the area's existing nature trails with beautiful holiday light displays, the Town of Ridgeland created The Holiday Trail of Music and Lights. The cost of the project was paid for from the local accommodations and hospitality tax. Local businesses were invited to a "sneak preview" event and could choose to financially sponsor a display. Admission to the event was free. The Cultural Council of Jasper County assisted by organizing musical groups to perform at the Trail. More than 5,000 people visited Ridgeland to see the Trail during its first season.
Contact: Carl F. Lehmann, 843.726.7500
City of Seneca
The City of Seneca and the Historic Seneca Neighborhood Association joined hands in a public/private partnership to transform a dilapidated trailer park into a beautiful neighborhood park. The City purchased the property, and the Association asked to be allowed to establish and maintain a neighborhood park on the site. Various city departments contributed to the project, and a grant from the South Carolina Forestry Commission was also obtained.
Contact: Walter Scharer, 864.885.2726
City of Spartanburg
In 1996, the historic Spartanburg train depot was in danger of being demolished. Spartanburg residents rallied behind saving the depot, and the City took action to have the building restored. The City negotiated with Norfolk Southern to deed the property to the City at no cost. Plans for restoration began. Funding for the project came from grants, the City of Spartanburg, community fund raisers and donations. The restored station covers more than 2,700 square feet and has become a vital community facility that attracts local and regional visitors. Preserving the station has also had a positive effect on downtown redevelopment.
Contact: Mandy S. Merck, 864.596.2796