City Recognizes Achievements; Other City Council News
Newberry City Council recognized several achievements of various city departments last Tuesday night.
From the Newberry Fire Department, council shared that they had received the FireSafeSC Community Designation for 2023 for the fifth consecutive year. The department earned this award through personnel completing Community Risk Reduction training, submitting quality national and state data reporting, community engagement and public education programs.
Mayor Foster Senn commended the fire department for their hard work.
“We have a very wonderful staff at the Newberry Fire Department,” said Chief Gene Shealy. “Every day they’re out in the community. Without our staff this wouldn’t be possible.”
The electric division of the city’s utilities department received the 2024 Certificate of Excellence in Reliability (pictured) by the American Public Power Association. The American Public Power Association’s Certificate of Excellence in Reliability recognizes utilities with an average System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) in the top quartile including or excluding major event days based on EIA data in 2018-2022. SAIDI is the average outage duration for each customer served.
“Our team does an amazing job in getting our customers back on as quickly as possible,” said Utility Director Tim Baker. “We’re fortunate to have each one of them.”
Senn said the award was something the city was really proud of and that out of 21 municipalities, only 2-3 in the state of South Carolina (including the city) had received the certificate.
The water plant division of the city’s utilities department was also recognized for receiving the South Carolina Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) Award by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) Bureau of Water.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) began participating in the EPA’s AWOP in 1997. The goal of the drinking water optimization program is to maximize public health protection by setting and meeting stringent water treatment plant and water distribution performance goals. The AWOP is flexible and adaptable in order to set goals in other areas of drinking water such as lead and copper corrosion control, contaminants of emerging concerns, as well as operation and maintenance techniques and procedures.
Baker thanked the staff that works at the water plant, sharing that while others are enjoying holidays and other special occasions, that someone is always staffed at the city’s water treatment plant.
The Central Midlands Council of Government’s application for EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant was selected for funding. The City of Newberry is a participant in the application and will plant 500 trees over five years in disadvantaged areas and prioritize areas established in the city’s tree canopy assessment.
The estimated cost for the city’s portion of the application is $100,000 over the five years, with the city being responsible for a 40% match, said City Manager Jason Taylor. This would be 60% in grant funding and $40,000 local match. The EPA hopes to award the funds by the end of the year, establishing a Spring 2025 anticipated start for the work.
More Announcements
As additional updates for council and the community, Senn shared more good news items from the city to include previous employee spotlights Colby McDaniel and Chansel Minick, the ribbon cutting for the grand reopening of Walmart as well as the opening of Mad Max Taphouse in Newberry and the City of Newberry being named to the 10 Adorable Small Towns in SC list for 2024.
Also shared was information about the upcoming Towns in Tune event that will take place during the last weekend in September, with representatives from Bulls Bay, Newfoundland traveling to Newberry for a weekend of artists events and a Saturday evening concert taking place at Willingham and Son’s.
Old Business
Under old business, council postponed first reading of an ordinance to amend the zoning map for Parcels 401-13, 401-64, and 401-65 located on Dixie Drive. The parcel’s intended purpose would allow for residential use.
Motion to postpone first reading was made by Councilperson David DuBose and seconded by Councilperson Edwin Wicker. DuBose said the details were not worked out yet.
Council then approved second and final reading of an ordinance to better address loitering by amending Section 11-13 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Newberry by deleting Section 11-13 in its entirety and replacing it with a new section 11-13.
Taylor said the city was amending their former ordinance to bring it in line with what the Supreme Court requires. The ordinance amends the municipal code addressing loitering, camping and improper use of public places.
Police Chief Kevin Goodman said their department would start with an education phase before slowly beginning to enforce the ordinance as necessary.
Motion to approve second reading was made by Councilperson Jackie Holmes and seconded by Councilperson Lemont Glasgow.
Second and final ordinance was also passed to amend Article I and Article III of Chapter 7 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Newberry to better address fire prevention. Fire Chief Gene Shealy said the ordinance gives more clear language as to what the exceptions were, but was no different than what was already being done.
Exceptions for outdoor burning include recreational fire in a commercially manufactured fire pit with a screen enclosure and recreational outdoor cooking.
Motion to approve second reading was made by Councilperson David Force and seconded by Councilperson Carlton Kinard.
New Business
Under new business, council approved first reading of an ordinance to authorize the painting of a mural on the West facing wall of the Blue Magnolia, located on the corner of Lindsay and Main Streets.
The Architectural Review Board approved the mural design and place3ment at their meeting on July 18. To officially approve the mural application and its installation, council must approve two readings and a public hearing that will take place on Tuesday, September 10.
The mural design contains the word “Newberry” along with magnolias as well as yellow jasmines. Rather than painted, the design is actually a large decal, Taylor said that is supposed to be durable, made to not fade for a period of up to 20 years.
Motion to approve first reading was made by Kinard and seconded by Glasgow.
Also under new business, council approved first reading to authorize the lease-purchase of a vacuum truck. The principal amount of the agreement is not to exceed $550,000.
Taylor said the financing would occur at an interest rate of 4.59% for a term not exceeding four years. Motion to approve first reading was made by Wicker and seconded by Kinard.
City Manager’s Report
Under his report to council, Taylor shared that the Boundary Street Bridge project, being handled by SCDOT had been delayed until January 31, 2025 according to DOT.
The City of Newberry previously received a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant through DOT for the Johnstone Street sidewalk project. While the city hadn’t received a timeline, Taylor shared that some of the preconstruction work had begun. The sidewalks are planned for Johnstone Street between Wise Street and Wilson Road.
Other project updates included:
- Receiving two bids for work on the Newberry Arts Center. Taylor said both came in over the $2.4 million budget and that city staff would be looking at ways to make up that difference.
- The CPST project of the downtown amphitheater was early in the process and proposed designs would soon be reviewed along with Newberry County.
- Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Collin Shealy said a public meeting would soon be scheduled and shared with the community to discuss the skate park at the Newberry Recreation Complex as part of the CPST funding.
- Shealy also shared that two educational signs had been ordered for the Hidden Lake TRACK Trail as funded through the Newberry Rotary group.
Taylor shared with council that a cost of $7,500 had been estimated to work on the drainage system and replace the sod in Memorial Park. The goal would be to complete the project prior to the Towns in Tune event in September, he said.
Newberry City Council recognized several achievements of various city departments last Tuesday night.
From the Newberry Fire Department, council shared that they had received the FireSafeSC Community Designation for 2023 for the fifth consecutive year. The department earned this award through personnel completing Community Risk Reduction training, submitting quality national and state data reporting, community engagement and public education programs.
Mayor Foster Senn commended the fire department for their hard work.
“We have a very wonderful staff at the Newberry Fire Department,” said Chief Gene Shealy. “Every day they’re out in the community. Without our staff this wouldn’t be possible.”
The electric division of the city’s utilities department received the 2024 Certificate of Excellence in Reliability (pictured) by the American Public Power Association. The American Public Power Association’s Certificate of Excellence in Reliability recognizes utilities with an average System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) in the top quartile including or excluding major event days based on EIA data in 2018-2022. SAIDI is the average outage duration for each customer served.
“Our team does an amazing job in getting our customers back on as quickly as possible,” said Utility Director Tim Baker. “We’re fortunate to have each one of them.”
Senn said the award was something the city was really proud of and that out of 21 municipalities, only 2-3 in the state of South Carolina (including the city) had received the certificate.
The water plant division of the city’s utilities department was also recognized for receiving the South Carolina Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) Award by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) Bureau of Water.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) began participating in the EPA’s AWOP in 1997. The goal of the drinking water optimization program is to maximize public health protection by setting and meeting stringent water treatment plant and water distribution performance goals. The AWOP is flexible and adaptable in order to set goals in other areas of drinking water such as lead and copper corrosion control, contaminants of emerging concerns, as well as operation and maintenance techniques and procedures.
Baker thanked the staff that works at the water plant, sharing that while others are enjoying holidays and other special occasions, that someone is always staffed at the city’s water treatment plant.
The Central Midlands Council of Government’s application for EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant was selected for funding. The City of Newberry is a participant in the application and will plant 500 trees over five years in disadvantaged areas and prioritize areas established in the city’s tree canopy assessment.
The estimated cost for the city’s portion of the application is $100,000 over the five years, with the city being responsible for a 40% match, said City Manager Jason Taylor. This would be 60% in grant funding and $40,000 local match. The EPA hopes to award the funds by the end of the year, establishing a Spring 2025 anticipated start for the work.
More Announcements
As additional updates for council and the community, Senn shared more good news items from the city to include previous employee spotlights Colby McDaniel and Chansel Minick, the ribbon cutting for the grand reopening of Walmart as well as the opening of Mad Max Taphouse in Newberry and the City of Newberry being named to the 10 Adorable Small Towns in SC list for 2024.
Also shared was information about the upcoming Towns in Tune event that will take place during the last weekend in September, with representatives from Bulls Bay, Newfoundland traveling to Newberry for a weekend of artists events and a Saturday evening concert taking place at Willingham and Son’s.
Old Business
Under old business, council postponed first reading of an ordinance to amend the zoning map for Parcels 401-13, 401-64, and 401-65 located on Dixie Drive. The parcel’s intended purpose would allow for residential use.
Motion to postpone first reading was made by Councilperson David DuBose and seconded by Councilperson Edwin Wicker. DuBose said the details were not worked out yet.
Council then approved second and final reading of an ordinance to better address loitering by amending Section 11-13 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Newberry by deleting Section 11-13 in its entirety and replacing it with a new section 11-13.
Taylor said the city was amending their former ordinance to bring it in line with what the Supreme Court requires. The ordinance amends the municipal code addressing loitering, camping and improper use of public places.
Police Chief Kevin Goodman said their department would start with an education phase before slowly beginning to enforce the ordinance as necessary.
Motion to approve second reading was made by Councilperson Jackie Holmes and seconded by Councilperson Lemont Glasgow.
Second and final ordinance was also passed to amend Article I and Article III of Chapter 7 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Newberry to better address fire prevention. Fire Chief Gene Shealy said the ordinance gives more clear language as to what the exceptions were, but was no different than what was already being done.
Exceptions for outdoor burning include recreational fire in a commercially manufactured fire pit with a screen enclosure and recreational outdoor cooking.
Motion to approve second reading was made by Councilperson David Force and seconded by Councilperson Carlton Kinard.
New Business
Under new business, council approved first reading of an ordinance to authorize the painting of a mural on the West facing wall of the Blue Magnolia, located on the corner of Lindsay and Main Streets.
The Architectural Review Board approved the mural design and place3ment at their meeting on July 18. To officially approve the mural application and its installation, council must approve two readings and a public hearing that will take place on Tuesday, September 10.
The mural design contains the word “Newberry” along with magnolias as well as yellow jasmines. Rather than painted, the design is actually a large decal, Taylor said that is supposed to be durable, made to not fade for a period of up to 20 years.
Motion to approve first reading was made by Kinard and seconded by Glasgow.
Also under new business, council approved first reading to authorize the lease-purchase of a vacuum truck. The principal amount of the agreement is not to exceed $550,000.
Taylor said the financing would occur at an interest rate of 4.59% for a term not exceeding four years. Motion to approve first reading was made by Wicker and seconded by Kinard.
City Manager’s Report
Under his report to council, Taylor shared that the Boundary Street Bridge project, being handled by SCDOT had been delayed until January 31, 2025 according to DOT.
The City of Newberry previously received a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant through DOT for the Johnstone Street sidewalk project. While the city hadn’t received a timeline, Taylor shared that some of the preconstruction work had begun. The sidewalks are planned for Johnstone Street between Wise Street and Wilson Road.
Other project updates included:
- Receiving two bids for work on the Newberry Arts Center. Taylor said both came in over the $2.4 million budget and that city staff would be looking at ways to make up that difference.
- The CPST project of the downtown amphitheater was early in the process and proposed designs would soon be reviewed along with Newberry County.
- Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Collin Shealy said a public meeting would soon be scheduled and shared with the community to discuss the skate park at the Newberry Recreation Complex as part of the CPST funding.
- Shealy also shared that two educational signs had been ordered for the Hidden Lake TRACK Trail as funded through the Newberry Rotary group.
Taylor shared with council that a cost of $7,500 had been estimated to work on the drainage system and replace the sod in Memorial Park. The goal would be to complete the project prior to the Towns in Tune event in September, he said.
