Volume 5 Issue 2 August 2002 ACOG Offering ESRI Authorized Appalachian COG Receives National Training Awards nvironmental Systems Re- he Appalachian COG re- search Institute (ESRI) is cently received national the premier GIS software recognition for three inno- provider for the world, with vative programs. Innova- tens of thousands of users worldwide. tion Awards were presented by the Na- ESRI training is highly valued, and over tional Association of Development Or- 20,000 people attend ESRI training ganizations Research Foundation for the courses annually. The Appalachian COG’s efforts in Homeland Security Council of Governments (ACOG) is Training, Small Towns Technical As- pleased to announce that they now have sistance, and the GIS-based decision an ESRI Authorized Instructor on staff. support system, InfoMentum. Ann Ratliffe is certified to teach the In- In the area of Homeland Secu- troduction to ArcGIS I (for ArcView 8, rity, the COG conducted a series of Ter- ArcEditor 8, and ArcInfo 8) and Migrat- rorism Awareness classes and briefings ing from ArcView GIS 3.x to ArcView 8 including: elected officials and admin- istrators awareness training; a water system security workshop; and briefings by South Carolina’s Homeland Security Director and nuclear plant officials. grating from ArcView GIS 3.x to Arc- The COG is currently scheduling a se- View 8 class is geared towards users ries of First Responder Awareness with prior ArcView 3 experience. The classes for local law enforcement, EMS, minimum requirement for the Intro to and fire personnel. ArcGIS class is experience using basic The Small Towns Assistance windows software. For the Migrating program focuses intensive, hands-on course, students should have either technical assistance on some of the re- completed the Intro to ArcView training gion’s smallest economically distressed ESRI training courses. Both two-day class or have 3-6 months of recent Arc- municipalities. The COG conducted a classes are now offered at the ACOG, View 3 experience. detailed needs assessment for each as well as at client sites. These courses are excellent for town, and is currently providing custom Intro to ArcGIS I and Migrat- people of many different disciplines and computer programming, budget assis- ing from ArcView GIS 3.x to ArcView 8 areas of interest. GIS is a very useful tance, strategic planning sessions, gov- are both introductory level GIS courses, tool for data analysis, project planning, ernmental training, and a number of designed to teach the fundamentals of modeling and map creation. GIS is util- other services tailored to each town’s ESRI’s ArcGIS technology. Both ized for land use planning, routing, util- specific needs. The COG hopes to ex- courses teach GIS concepts and cover ity applications, wetland delineation, pand the program in the coming year. working with tabular data, editing spa- hydrologic modeling, permit applica- InfoMentum, a program tial data, creating maps, and working in tions, pollution studies, environmental started by the COG several years ago, the ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcTool- modeling, public safety applications and continues to provide the region’s eco- box applications. The Intro to ArcGIS much more. Contact Ann Ratliffe at the nomic development professionals with a course is designed for people with little ACOG today to see if a GIS course powerful database tool used to recruit or no GIS experience, whereas the Mi- could benefit you or your organization! (Awards continued on page 3) Page 2 VIEWPOINT

Gaffney West End Community Personal Property Development Plan Completed Taxes in 2003

he COG, working with staff accommodating children’s activities. from the City of Gaffney Also, while there is a park located in the and residents of the West West End, citizens identified improve- End community, recently ments to the facility, and in security, completed a development plan for the that could make it more useful to resi- West End neighborhood. Through field dents. work by COG staff, interviews with Over the next few weeks, the community leaders and input from a se- Community Development Committee of ries of public meetings, this plan identi- the Gaffney City Council will review fies strategies for preserving and en- findings of the plan and report to full hancing the area. Its conclusions pro- Council on possible actions to be taken. vide a framework for improvement ac- Another .75% drop in prop- tion to be carried out by residents of the erty tax assessments

In 2001, in response to a state- 2002 S. C. wide referendum, the General Assembly enacted a law gradually lowering the Conference on 10.5% assessment ratio on personal vehicles to 6% over a period of six years. The General Assembly created a Aging new class of personal property, includ- ing personal cars and pickup trucks, This year’s conference will be which was assessed at a 9.75% rate in community and the City. It also puts held November 14-15, 2002, at the 2002 and will be assessed at 9.00% in the City in a position to seek Commu- Embassy Suites Hotel in Greenville. 2003. Assessments are to continue to nity Development Block Grants to sup- The theme will be “South Carolina: A drop by .75% per year until 2007. port development initiatives. Community for all Ages.” Conference By the end of the transition Over 50 residents came out for highlights will include an address on period, vehicle owners will be receiving community meetings held at Bethel “Creativity and Aging” by Gene a substantial tax break. Unfortunately, Baptist Church. Participants were Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the local governments and schools are also asked to identify strengths of the Center on Aging, the Senior Celebra- slowly beginning to realize a significant neighborhood, as well as to list priori- tions Award Ceremony, six concurrent reduction in tax revenues. The drop ties for improvements. Identified workshops at three separate times dur- from 10.5% to 6% will result in a 43% strengths include the commitment of ing the conference, a great exhibit hall, decrease by 2007. Increases in vehicle long time residents, and the presence of and a closing general sessions lunch values may offset some of the loss, but strong churches and civic organizations, featuring guest speaker Roddy Gray most jurisdictions will lose annual reve- as well as a convenient location to from Abbeville. Information on regis- nue growth that they have come to rely downtown and shopping. The top three tration fees and an application should upon to stave off property tax increases. improvement priorities listed are hous- be mailed to interested persons by Au- South Carolina’s already com- ing rehabilitation, development of a gust 9, 2002. The Appalachian re- plicated classified tax assessment sys- community center and enhancement of gion’s aging network is excited about tem will be further altered by 1999 Act park facilities. the conference and encourages you to 130. Local governments will be pressed For housing rehabilitation, the participate and support this wonderful to make up revenue losses by raising primary areas identified are Peeler training opportunity. If you have ques- other taxes or fees, and the lower as- Street, Broad Street and West Robinson tions, need additional information, sessments will produce more of a tax Street. In addition, residents believe would like to receive a registration “shift,” than tax “relief.” In any case, that a community center could provide package, or are interested in being an local government budget writers must many benefits, including serving as a exhibitor/sponsor, please contact be prepared to deal with shrinking per- place for volunteer groups to meet, and Michael Stogner at the ACOG’s office. sonal property tax revenues. VIEWPOINT Page 3

Of the 79 students graduating Upstate Receives Four Community from the in-school program, 22 were from Anderson County, 29 from Development Investment Grants Oconee County, and 28 from Pickens County. The out-of-school program graduated 31 students from the three- he S. C. Department of have outgrown the space and desper- county area. Commerce recently ately need to expand to meet the grow- In his graduation address, Pen- awarded Community In- ing need for medical assistance, food, dleton High School’s Gary Burgess vestment Grants from the and clothing. The services benefited talked about being adopted and growing Community Development Block Grant 6,847 during 2001. up with six brothers and sisters. Bur- (CDBG) Program to four communities The City of Landrum was gess’ adoptive father worked three jobs in the Upstate. The Grants Services awarded $350,000 in CDBG funds and to provide for his family and gave them staff of the Appalachian Council of will also receive $150,000 in ARC the idea that they could become who- Governments assisted all four commu- funds for the McDowell Street Sewer ever they wanted to become if they nities in developing the projects, sub- Project. The project will extend public worked hard. Burgess quoted African- mitting the applications, and will ad- sewer to an area that is experiencing American educator and Martin Luther minister the grants. problems with malfunctioning septic King Jr. confidant Benjamin Mays Anderson County was tanks, causing health and safety con- about dreams: “The tragedy in life awarded $250,000 in CDBG funds, and cerns for the 67 residents, all of whom doesn’t lie, young people, in not reach- will also receive $250,000 in ARC are low income. The project will also ing your goals. The tragedy lies in hav- funds for the Lyonswood Sewer Pro- construct bathrooms for two houses that ing no goals to reach. Today our soci- ject. This project will extend public do not have indoor facilities. ety is seeking change, but we need to sewer service to a small neighborhood For more information on these know that the power of change is in our located just south of the Anderson city projects or the CDBG program, contact hands,” said Burgess. “Success is your limits that does not currently have a member of the Grants Services staff. only option. Failure is not an option. sewer. The neighborhood is suffering Don’t let anyone look down on you from malfunctioning septic tanks, which because of the side of the tracks you are creating a severe health and safety live on or because of where you come hazard in the neighborhood. Residents AdVenture from. Simply make up your mind that often have raw sewage standing in their you’re going to do what you need to do backyards and running down into a Program Holds in order to be successful.” nearby creek. This project will benefit In his closing comments, Hugh 106 persons, 65 percent of whom are Carroll, Chairman of the Pendleton Dis- low income. Graduation trict Workforce Board’s Youth Council, Cherokee County was congratulated students who completed awarded $250,000 in CDBG funds and More than 100 students from the program. He urged them to put their will also receive $250,000 in ARC Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens coun- training to use in job skills and life funds for the Wilkinsville Water Pro- ties graduated from the AdVenture skills. Carroll commented that “to ject. This project will extend public program through the Paxen Group, Inc. close” meant “to end,” but added that water service to an area located about It was the first ceremony in which stu- the second definition is “to bring to- 10 miles southeast of the City of Gaff- dents from all three counties graduated gether, and connect the circle – to bring ney, which is suffering from contami- together. Graduation ceremonies were together the youth and talent with train- nated and dried up wells. The project held on June 28, 2002, at Southern ing and education, to close the gap, to will serve 296 persons, 83 percent of Wesleyan University. make a better person, a better employee, whom are low income. The Paxen Group was a better citizen.” The City of Easley was awarded a grant from the Pendleton awarded $500,000 to allow the Good District Workforce Investment Board Samaritan Alliance to purchase a to deliver youth services for Anderson, building in order to expand the services Oconee, and Pickens Counties. Ad- (Awards continued from page 1) offered to the low-income and working Venture, which focuses on business new industry to the region. The COG re- poor in Pickens County through the perspectives, critical thinking, decision- cently contracted with the new Upstate Free Medical Clinic and United Chris- making, and academics, offers an in- Regional Alliance to provide database tian Ministries. These services are cur- school program for ages 14-18 cur- services through InfoMentum, which rently provided out of the West End rently enrolled in school, as well as an will help that organization market the Community Center, but the agencies out-of-school program for ages 16-21. ten-county Upstate region to the world. Page 4 VIEWPOINT

Long Term Care Ombudsman Development Program Corporation News

t the June Board meeting ⇒ The community at large of the Appalachian De- velopment Corporation, a ⇒ Other interested groups concerned loan to Anderson Door about the welfare of residents of and Glass was approved in the amount long-term care facilities of $163,000. The proceeds were used in conjunction with financing from What Does the Long Term BB&T of South Carolina to purchase Care Ombudsman Program Do the assets of the business located in Anderson. The company currently con- For Long-Term Care Resi- tracts with Clemson University and dents? Greenville Public Schools on the re- placement of windows and door repair. ⇒ RECEIVES and investigates com- The purchase allows seven employees plaints, and assists residents to re- to remain working, with three people to solve complaints be added within the next two years. What Is a Long Term Care A loan of $140,000 was ap- Ombudsman? ⇒ EDUCATES residents, family, and proved for Joel Hensel to assist him in staff about residents’ rights financing a new office building in ⇒ A person who is concerned with Simpsonville for his State Farm Insur- protecting the civil and human ⇒ PROVIDES information and refer- ance Agency. Joel has been a State rights of elderly residents of long- ral regarding long-term care pro- Farm Agent for two years. New Com- term care facilities grams and services merce Bank has agreed to be the princi- pal lender for the property located in ⇒ A problem solver and a mediator ⇒ ADVOCATES improvements in Greenville County. The loan will allow state and federal laws and regula- Joel to double his staff to four people ⇒ A source of help tions and in improvement of quality during the next two years. of care Loans were then approved for ⇒ An objective investigator of com- World Indoor Sports, Inc., in the plaints ⇒ IDENTIFIES and seeks to remedy amount of $200,000 from the Revolving gaps in facility, government, or Loan Fund and $1,000,000 through the Who Can Use the Long Term community services SBA 504 program. Bob Povost owns World Indoor Sports, Inc., which, in Care Ombudsman Service? turn, owns Greenville Racquet and Fit- ⇒ RESPECTS the privacy and confi- dentiality of residents ness Club. World Indoor Sports, Inc., is ⇒ Residents in any long-term care fa- opening a second location in Simpson- cility, including nursing homes, ville. BB&T of South Carolina has personal care boarding homes, psy- agreed to be the principal lender with chiatric hospitals and other facili- WHO TO CONTACT? the total project totaling $4,480,000. ties operated by or licensed for op- World Indoor Sports, Inc., currently eration by the State Department of Contact the Appalachian employs 30 people and will hire another Mental Health and Mental Retarda- Council of Governments' Long Term 28 people with this project. tion Care Ombudsman toll free at: During the month of July, the following loans were closed: $80,000 ⇒ Friends and relatives of long-term Anderson County 225-3268 to Palmetto Graphics for the purchase care residents Cherokee County 489-6960 of a building in Greer; $154,000 to Greenville County 242-9733 BAB, LLC for permanent financing on ⇒ Long-term care staff members and Oconee County 882-7538 a truck facility on the Westside of administrators with resident-related Pickens County 855-0163 Greenville; and $163,000 to Anderson concerns Spartanburg County 582-1403 Door and Glass in Anderson. VIEWPOINT Page 5

PRSRT STD VIEWPOINT U.S. POSTAGE PAID GREENVILLE, SC Appalachian Council of Governments PERMIT NO. 1604 P. O. Box 6668 Greenville, South Carolina 29606