Newberry City Council honors milestones, achievements

NEWBERRY – Newberry City Council recognized employees and departments for various milestones and achievements as part of their July council meeting.

Caitlin Branch was recognized for her five years of service with the city’s police department. Branch has served as a patrol officer, patrol shift sergeant and now currently serves as the department’s juvenile crime prevention investigator.

Council also recognized Teresa Jones for her 25 years of service to the city’s public works department. Jones began working for the department in 1998 as an administrative assistant and processes citizens’ concerns and schedules appointments. She also specializes in administrative technology, manages and orders fuel for all city fleet and equipment. Jones attained the position of senior administrative assistant in 2023.

The Newberry Fire Department was recognized by council for receiving the Fire Safe S.C. community designation. The initiative promotes community education and training on fire prevention within the community.

“I think we’ve got a lot to be proud of not only with how they [staff members] respond to emergencies, but how they go on the forefront of preventing them,” Fire Chief Gene Shealy said. “We’re very proud of this award, it’s something we take pride in.”

In other business, Mayor Foster Senn issued a proclamation for the upcoming National Night Out event. The annual event will be held on Tuesday, August 1 and promotes community and police partnerships. The event will be held in Marion Davis Park from 6-8 p.m.

Newberry County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michelle Long provided council and the community with an update on the Digital Economy Ecosystem road mapping project for Newberry.

The S.C. Office of Rural Health received a Rural Business Development grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Newberry County was selected as a recipient. The grant funds were used to develop a roadmap for rural innovation in Newberry.

“When I say roadmap, think of it more as a business plan if you’re a business, or a strategic plan if you’re in the nonprofit sector,” Long said.

In its final stages, Long said this roadmap would be an economic development tool for helping to revitalize communities through the advancement of digital literacy and skills.

“Anything from teaching grandma how to text to actual coding and cyber security type things,” she said. “We’re looking for this program to offer a lot of different opportunities for this community.

The vision of the roadmap, Long said, was to leverage our “gig city” and rural fiber infrastructure to unite the community in modern ways and create access to information, resources and opportunities that embrace innovation, entrepreneurism and the future of work while establishing a higher quality of life for individuals, families and businesses.

The mission is to successfully develop a thriving digital economy ecosystem with a world-class innovation centerpiece supported by high-caliber projects, programs, funding and intentional growth strategies while mindfully preserving Newberry’s small-town charm and quality of life.

While they had not been informed as to if Newberry would receive more funding for the second year, Long said next steps were to create and staff an innovating space, partnering to bridge the gap in digital and tech skills training programs. Also, to create a marketing and communications plan to raise awareness around digital and tech workforce development.

Assistant City Manager Jeff Wicker provided an update on the USDOT Safe Street and Roads grant. The opportunity, Wicker said, comes with a 20% local match.

The program supports the development of a comprehensive safety action plan that identifies the most significant roadway safety concerns in a community and the implementation of projects and strategies to address roadway safety issues.

“Planning grants provide funds to develop a comprehensive safety action plan. The goal of an action plan is to develop a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries in a locality,” Wicker said. “Planning and demonstration grants also fund demonstration activities that inform the development of a new or existing action plan.”

Wicker said an action plan must be completed to seek implementation funds available in the grant.

In other business, several public hearings, combined with second readings, of ordinances surrounding zoning map amendments were held.

With no one speaking in favor or opposition, second reading of an ordinance was passed to adopt the city’s redistricting map. Senn said with the Census in 2020, lines were redrawn for districts across the country. The changes will be in effect until the year 2030, Senn said.

Motion to approve second reading was made by Councilperson Jackie Holmes and seconded by Councilperson Carlton Kinard.

The question was raised during the public hearing to amend the city’s zoning maps for a parcel located at 912 Cline Street as to the definition of the zoning classification of Neighborhood Commercial.

Planning and Development Director Wayne Redfern defined the classification as being between General Commercial and Office Commercial.

“It’s more restrictive than office commercial in that restaurants, bars, hotels cannot be located there,” Redfern said.

Sheena Paige, the citizen who made the request for the zoning change, spoke to the question as well by sharing that for several years they had been performing a charitable transportation service in the community and had the opportunity to expand on that with a brick and mortar location.

Second reading to approve the ordinance for 912 Cline Street was made by Councilperson Lemont Glasgow and seconded by Councilperson David DuBose.

With no one speaking in favor or opposition, second reading of an ordinance was passed to reclassify a parcel located at 2700 College Street from GC – General Commercial to R6 – Residential. The parcel’s intended purpose would allow for residential use. Motion to approve second reading was made by Kinard and seconded by Councilperson Edwin Wicker.

Second reading of an ordinance to reclassify a parcel located at 2517 Main Street to R6-Residential was also passed following no comments in favor or opposition during the public hearing. This was done with a motion by Glasgow and seconded by Wicker.

Helen Martin, a Newberry resident, spoke on behalf of the ordinance amending the zoning map for a parcel of land located on both sides of Dixie Drive to Residential Mixed Use – RMX.

Martin shared concerns about privacy in the area and the hope for a privacy fence between her property on Glenn Street and the future residential properties.

Following the public hearings, with a motion from Kinard and seconded by Holmes, this property was annexed into the city limits. Senn mentioned to Redfern that council was sensitive to Martin’s comments of privacy to which Redfern replied a landscaping buffer in these situations was typically required. Second reading of this ordinance to amend zoning was then passed with a motion from Holmes and seconded by Wicker.

With no one speaking in favor or opposition of an ordinance to amend the zoning and reclassify land located at 2207 Adelaide Street to R6 – Residential, second reading was passed to annex the property into the city limits with a motion from DuBose and second from Glasgow.

This property was then reclassified with a zoning classification of R6-Residential with a motion from DuBose and second from Wicker.

Under new business, council approved a consideration for an outside water request for a property location at 220 Timber Lane. Senn said the property owner has agreed to execute an annexation covenant indicating a willingness to annex if the property becomes contiguous to the city limits and council determines it is in the best interest of the city to annex the property. There will be a $1,400 outside water tap fee.

Motion to approve the request was made by Holmes and seconded by Councilperson David Force.

Council also approved a resolution authorizing the city clerk the authority for check signing on behalf of the city during the interim transition period of city manager. This authority is given along with the city’s finance director and assistant finance director.

Interim City Manager Ed Driggers noted that he would be reviewing the check register on a monthly basis, that this resolution was just allowing for an additional signature. Motion to approve the resolution was made by Glasgow and seconded by Kinard.

For public comment, Senn said resident Robert Partridge shared concerns about trees near his property that had fallen and that he would be speaking with Driggers about what the city’s responsibilities may be with those.

Representative Joe White shared information on state law that those caught distributing drugs within a half mile of any school, park or playground, can be charged with a felony, rather than a misdemeanor. White said he felt if we were to enforce that locally in Newberry County, we would have a safer community as there was a very limited area that did not fall within that category.