February 2016 Council Highlights

  • Council approved a contract authorizing three water line projects. Construction will begin soon on the replacement of 100 year old water lines from Bartlette to Hampton, along Washington Street and lines from Washington to Harvin, along Bartlette Street as well as Kingsbury Drive at Lewis Road Roundabout.

 

  • Council approved a first reading on an annexation request for two parcels of land at 1177 Broad Street, consisting of 3.34 acres.

 

  • Council approved a resolution for the construction of a new municipal parking garage. This garage will be built in conjunction with the new Hyatt Place Downtown hotel.

 

  • Downtown business development is growing with three new businesses in the past year as well as five upcoming businesses, including three new restaurants, a shared office space and an engineering firm. At our meeting last night Council also approved the sale of an additional city owned property, located at 35 N. Main Street, to a private business to again foster economic development, encourage job creation and increase the tax base.

 

  • Council approved to establish a mutual aid agreement with Camden Police Department and the Sumter PD. These type of agreements are required to be proactive, and provide our Police Departments with additional aid, as needed, for various public safety situations, including transportation, pursuits, investigations, natural disasters, like our most recent flood, and many other situations.

 

  • Council received a special report on findings from the Hampton Park Traffic Calming Study.  The study analyzed traffic and other modal conditions within the historic district and offers traffic calming recommendations for Calhoun St.--the primary through street--and at other locations in the neighborhood.

 

Other News & Announcements:

 

  • Council recognized the 2015 American Legion Post Firefighter and Police Officer of the Year. Including Detective Lt. Truman Duggin of the Sumter Police Department. Duggin, who recently retired with more than 27 years with the department, is credited with building our Forensics Unit and polygraph services. And at the Sumter Fire Department, Lt. of Training Will Glover. Glover has been with the department since 2008 and has over 2500 hours of training. He’s dedicated to educating the 277 paid and volunteer firefighters in the department by teaching them proper techniques that not only save the lives of our citizens but our firefighters as well.

 

  • We are currently building water plant #6 off Highway 521 South. This addition will bring greater redundancy in our system as well as assist in attracting additional industrial development to the Pocotaligo Industrial Park, as industrial clients are looking for “site ready” locations.

 

  • We are also working on a streetscape project at the intersection of Lafayette Drive and Manning Avenue in South Sumter. This intersection has quickly become the “southern gateway” into the City.
    • Construction is currently underway with utility relocation.
    • Road construction will begin immediately following
    • Landscaping and new welcome to Sumter signage.

 

This project is another piece to the larger Manning-Main Street corridor, which will continue improvements that dissect through the downtown area and continue North to the Lafayette Diamond. The City has applied for a Tiger Grant to help us finish this entire corridor.

 

  • The Santee Lynches Regional Council of Governments is hosting a new business Startup Weekend in Sumter. The hardest part of starting up a business is starting out. This startup weekend will surround you with passionate people with the best tools and approaches at your disposal to help you get going.
    • Connect with people driven to build something new.
    • Find resources available near you.
    • Learn what it really takes to start a company.

Event price ranges from $10-50 and will be held at the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center at Central Carolina Technical College, located at 853 Broad Street, February 26-28. For more details or to register visit the City’s website and look for Startup Weekend in our calendar of events.

 

  • New community capital projects (Penny for Progress projects) have or are launching soon, including:
    • A new E911 Radio project; the purchasing and programming of more than 900 radios for Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS services.  In conjunction with this project will be the installation of two new radio towers to improve the range and coverage for emergency radio service in Sumter County. 
    • The construction of a new Police and Fire Department Headquarters will commence in summer 2016.
    • The installation of baseball field lights at Palmetto Park has begun, so completion will be prior to 2016 youth baseball season.
    • Central Carolina Technical College will begin renovations on the Industrial Building on Miller Road.
    • Additional projects from the Penny list will begin their engineer and design phase prior to construction throughout the year.

 

For a full list of the Penny for Progress projects, visit www.pennyforprogress.com.