October 2020 Council Highlights

• Citizens are invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Sumter Veterans Park, located along Highway 378 adjacent from Shaw Air Force Base. The parks new entrance is off of Oleander Drive. Officials from Shaw Air Force Base, the City of Sumter, Sumter County and the Sumter County Legislative Delegation will participate in a ceremonial ribbon cutting to dedicate the park. The event will take place at 2:30 pm this Thursday afternoon. CDC guidelines will be followed with masks and distancing. The event will also be hosted live on the City of Sumter’s Youtube Channel and Facebook Page.
  
  
• With support from Palmetto Pride and the Boy Scouts of America, the City of Sumter has organized several litter pick-up days this past month.
  • Cleanups took place along North Main Street, Cook Street and Wall Street.
  • We are always looking for potential partners and volunteers to assist with litter cleanup in the City. For more information on the City’s litter control programs, please contact Glenn Button at 803-305-5266 or [email protected].
    
    
• The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce has partnered with Coursera, a leading online learning platform, to launch an initiative intended for worker retraining and reskilling for those displaced from work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those interested must register with Coursera by October 31, 2020. Talk to a DEW representative in Sumter (803) 774-1300 or visit https://dew.sc.gov for more information.
  
  
• The Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Agency is currently offering free rides on its busses and shuttles in Sumter County. For more information, call (803) 775-9347 or visit www.swrta.com.
  
  
• Sumter City/County offices housed at the Liberty Center, located at 12 W. Liberty St., have temporarily relocated due to necessary interior renovations as part of the planned Penny for Progress. The following City/County departments have relocated to Magnolia Place, located at 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, SC 29150:
  • Building
  • Business License
  • Code Enforcement
  • Community Development
  • Events
  • Planning
  • Recreation 

• The Third Circuit Solicitor’s Office Worthless Check Unit has relocated to the second floor of the Sumter County Courthouse, located at 141 N. Main St., Sumter, SC 29150. 

• For the safety of our staff, the City of Sumter sanitation crews are not sorting recycling by hand at the curb during pickup. Please bag your recycling items and place them in the same container as your regular trash, until further notice. If you would like to continue recycling or have large items, there are nine recycling centers located around Sumter County.

Recycling Centers are located at:

3995 Pinewood Road, Sumter

2860 Queens Chapel Road, Sumter

800 Pleasant Grove Road, Lynchburg

4620 Cane Savannah Road, Sumter

113 Rainier Boulevard, Sumter

2680 Stamey Livestock Road, Sumter

815 Bethel Church Road, Sumter

60 Alligator Branch Road, Sumter

3665 Spencer Road, Rembert

• Hours of the Recycling Centers are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 7am-7pm and Sunday 1:30-7pm. Closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Sumter County Public Library has reopened and it’s two branches are open as well. The Main Library and the Wesmark Branch are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and the South Sumter Branch is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday.
  
  
• Youth Sports are underway at the Sumter County Recreation Department. Basketball signups are open until November 2. To sign up and for more information call 803-436-2248.
  
  
• All voting locations are open in Sumter. For our senior or infirmed citizens, please know that curbside voting is an option at all of these locations. You can cast your in-person absentee ballot Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at these places:
  • Catchall-Shaw Community Center, 2680 Peach Orchard Road, Dalzell, S.C. 
  • North Hope Center, 904 North Main Street, Sumter, S.C.
  • Pinewood Community Center, 130 Epperson Street, Pinewood, S.C.
  • Former Jones Nissan Building, 1260 Broad Street, Sumter S.C.
    
    
• You can also cast an in-person absentee ballot at the Sumter County Courthouse, 141 North Main Street, Sumter, S.C. from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Nov. 2, 2020.
  
  
• Would you like to volunteer to help your community? Serving on a City of Sumter commission, board or committee is one of the most effective ways for citizens to influence City policies and activities. Those interested in serving on a City board, commission or committee may visit sumtersc.gov/council/commissionsand fill out the Citizens Form for Service, which is linked on the page. 
  
  
• City Council meetings are held on the first Tuesday at 1 p.m. and on the third Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. While on a normal schedule, our meetings can be attended in person in the Council Chambers on the 4th floor of the Opera House. Currently, almost all meetings are being held virtually. Residents may watch our meetings online by visiting www.youtube.com/cityofsumter. Public comments may be submitted online through our website at www.sumtersc.gov/council/meetings, any time prior to a meeting or feel free to contact your Mayor or Councilperson to discuss any concerns or ideas you may have for the City.
  • Next month our regularly scheduled meetings are on November 3 at 1 p.m. and November 17 at 5:30 p.m.