SEAGOING 1B 2A OPINION 4A OBITUARIES 6A SPORTS 2B PUZZLES 3B BOOKINGS 5B CLASSIFIEDS QUOTE ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ EDMUND BURKE Vol. 144, No. 40 NewTWO SECTIONS • 14 PAGES s&PressESTABLISHED 1874 OCTOBER 3, 2018 75¢ Darlington, S.C. WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET Hartsville City Council discusses grants, storm water and flooding Council by Samantha Lyles finalized in mid-October recover from hurricanes. like to see the city hire an near Black Creek on Editor copies of the application will Garland said he was person- engineer to help with storm Shoshone Drive, Hank Haney [email protected] votes on be given to members of City ally told by representatives water drainage issues, such Lane, Circle Drive, and the Darlington City Council Council and the Mayor. from PDCOG and EDA that as mapping catch basins and Oakdale community experi- water rates convened a work session on Garland distributed copies of Darlington meets the qualifi- drains that regularly under- enced such severe flooding Tuesday, September 25 to dis- a letter signed by Pee Dee cations and should apply for perform during heavy rain. that many of them evacuated cuss grant applications, Council of Governments the grant, and Reed conceded Garland said that if the their homes. He said that and issues related to the Executive Director Johnny that was “good enough” for city took such steps, it would since Oakdale was built in the Hurricane Florence after- Brown stating that his agency her. make sense to keep the proj- early 1960s, no one had surveillance math, and the city manager's would complete and submit Discussion then turned to ect short-range (three to five formed a plan to deal with employment contract. the grant application for no Garland's employment con- years) and ensure that the flooding that might result The meeting opened with fee, and would charge no tract. Reed said that since engineer could interface and from Prestwood Lake over- cameras more than $25,000 to admin- Council voted 4 to 3 at a July work well with the South Council discussing the appli- topping its dam and sending ister the grant, if the applica- special meeting to extend Carolina Department of by Samantha Lyles cation for an EDA (US massive amounts of water tion is successful. Garland's existing contract Transportation, which owns Editor Economic Development into the creek – which nearly [email protected] Administration) grant to The EDA grant the city is for another two years, there many of the roads where poor seeking is an 80/20 funding was little that could be done drainage occurs. Garland happened as a result of improve four sewage lift sta- Florence. tions located on Joe Louis split, with the city responsi- to alter it now, but she would noted that “the majority of Hartsville City Council con- “That's a brand new Blvd, the intersection of ble for only 20 percent of the like to see a detailed job the storm water system in vened a special meeting on (issue) for everybody at this South Main and the Hwy 52 project costs. Garland said description added to future this city is SCDOT.” Wednesday, September 26 to table,” said Garland, adding consider establishing a new Bypass (near Verizon), the that regular EDA grants are city manager contracts. He later added that plan- city's old water treatment funded on a 50/50 basis Reed also voiced a desire ning is needed to help areas that he wants City Council to water and sewer rate class for meet with representatives heavy industrial users. This spe- plant on the Old Florence Council member Elaine for the city to develop a of town that experience dan- from Darlington County and cial meeting was originally Hwy, and near Hampton Reed questioned whether the human resources depart- gerous flooding during major other municipalities to estab- scheduled for September 18, but Street behind Grove Hill city would qualify for this ment, and establish a regular storms like Hurricane was postponed due to the after- Cemetery. EDA grant, since the $147 grievance committee to deal Florence. Garland said that lish clear communication math of Hurricane Florence. City Manager Howard million funding pool was with employee issues. during the storm and the protocols so local govern- Council held first reading for Garland said the application established to help communi- Council member Sheila flooding worries that fol- ments are better informed of Ordinance 4350, a measure that is in the works, and when it is ties in southeastern states Baccus added that she would lowed, city residents living such potential dangers. would establish a Large Water User Industrial Rate Class. The ordinance states that this classi- fication will apply to “any indus- trial customer of the System that maintains an account with aver- National Science Board Visits SiMT age monthly water usage in excess of 2,000,000 gallons.” by Samantha Lyles The minimum charge (covering Editor the city’s fixed costs and [email protected] 2,000,000 gallons of monthly water usage) will be $7,466.38 The Southeastern Institute for these customers. A volume of Manufacturing and charge above that amount Technology (SiMT) welcomed would be set at $3.48 per 1,000 members of the National gallons. Science Board last Thursday, This ordinance would also Sept. 27 for a tour and a listen- establish a Large Sewer User ing session where local indus- Industrial Rate Class for indus- try representatives, educators, trial customers with “an average and students discussed the monthly water usage in excess of future of STEM (Science, 2,000,000 gallons, a discharge Technology, Engineering, point not associated Mathematics) in education with a water meter, and with and employee training. no permanent sewer flow This event was co-hosted by meter.” These customers will be South Carolina Advanced charged a flat fee of $1,385 per Technological Education month. (SCATE), and Florence- Council voted unanimously Darlington Technical College. to approve this ordinance. The listening session at SiMT Council member Teresa Mack is one of four the NSB held this and Mayor Pro Tem Johnny year across the nation. Andrews were not present at this Dr. Victor R. McCrary, NSB meeting. member and chair of the Also on the agenda was a first Skilled Technical Workforce reading for Ordinance 4351, Task Force, opened the listen- which would allow the City of ing session by discussing the Hartsville to lease a portion of importance of developing properties in the South workers with technical profi- Hartsville Area owned by D. ciency and knowledge to fill Brown for the purpose of the jobs of the future. installing a surveillance camera. “We were in Detroit about The terms of the lease call for three months ago, and they a one-time cost of $1, and the told us they're going to need a million auto workers. They lease would remain in effect won't necessarily need people until either party seeks to termi- with a four-year degree, but nate the agreement. Properties those auto workers are not named in the lease include going to be the same kind of “Logan Ave/ Fletcher Street, workers Henry Ford had in his Brewer Ave/ Fletcher Street, Dr. Victor R. McCrary, NSB member and chair of the Skilled Technical Workforce Task Force factories in the 1920s, where Rice Street at back of gin, all you needed was a good Sumter/ Fletcher Street on workers. alarm clock and a good back. If the event had an overar- north end, In between buildings You'll have to have some of gin between Sumter and Bell, ching theme, it was likely this: sophisticated skills in order to as science and technology play (and) Seventh/ Sumter.” work on these (new) vehicles,” The ordinance says the cam- ever greater roles in global said McCrary. economies, the American era would be used “for the mon- After McCrary's opening itoring of illicit activity in order workforce must keep pace remarks, NSB members held with the trend or risk falling to increase the safety and well- private table discussions with being of citizens.” Council voted behind. NSB literature pres- guests to learn about ways our ents some daunting statistics unanimously for approval. local schools and businesses A similar ordinance, No. that indicate our international are planning to meet the grow- role as leader of the science 4352, commits the City of ing need for STEM-capable Hartsville to lease a portion of and technology pack is in 400 Bell Avenue from Thomas E. Goodson, Jr. for the installation and maintenance of security monitoring equipment. Again, the cost is a one-time payment of one dollar giving the city access to install and maintain the cam- era equipment. Again, Council voted unanimously to approve first reading of the ordinance. Second and final reading for these ordinances should take place at Hartsville City Council's peril. 1,653,565. nical workers who “can next regular meeting, scheduled One such statistic: “Our nation's future com- install, repair, debug, and for Tuesday, October 9 at 5:30 between 2000 and 2014, the petitiveness relies on building build, but do not have four- pm in the City Council Chamber, number of Americans with a STEM-capable U.S. work- year degrees.” The report located at 100 East Carolina four-year science and engi- force,” states the NSB's stressed a need for “on- Avenue in Hartsville. neering (S&E) degrees grew Science and Engineering ramps” where workers at all by 53 percent, rising from Indicators 2018 (a report pro- levels, from all backgrounds, 483,764 to 741,763; in con- vided at the SiMT event).