Woodruff High School AYP: Met

The SC Department of Education released its 2007 Adequate Yearly Progress report yesterday and Woodruff High School fared well. It met its progress goals which included it in the 37% of schools across the state that made adequate yearly progress. Woodruff High met 17 out of 17 of its objectives while Woodruff Elementary met 19 of 21 and Woodruff Middle met 16 of 21 objectives.

While there is some work to be done by our district as a whole, I think a close look at the numbers will reveal that overall, Woodruff schools perform well. Our school district is a well-kept secret that shouldn't be. Woodruff High's AYP scores are more validation of the success of our school district and why our graduation rate far exceeds the national average.

Weekly Update 10-26-07

TO: Woodruff City Council

FROM: Scott Slatton

SUBJECT: Weekly update

DATE: 26 October 2007

Administration Department
1. Please see the attached regular city council meeting agenda.
2. The city received a subpoena for documents related to the complaint about the city’s building inspections SCLLR is investigating. The city submitted those documents to LLR officials and is awaiting further instructions.
3. Virginia Simpson will conduct community “visioning” workshop on Thursday, November 1 and Monday and Tuesday, November 5 and 6 at 6PM at city hall. Please make plans to attend one of these important workshops as Simpson & Partners continues its marketing and strategic planning for the city.
4. The Woodruff Community Center requests city council attend its holiday bazaar on Saturday, November 3 at 2PM to draw the winning numbers for a community quilt raffle.
5. Mayor Bell attended the grand opening for Curves.
6. Scott spoke to a group of 2nd graders at Park Hills Elementary about city government and what it does for the community.

Fire Department
1. Routine week.

Police Department
1. Department officers conducted tactical entry training at MEMC over the weekend in preparation for the deployment of its new rapid intervention team.
2. Chief Dawkins, in conjunction with city Codes Enforcement Official Jeannie Huey, conducted another code enforcement sweep throughout the city. Stats for the sweep will be reported next week.
3. Katrina Huggins attended the annual SCLEVA conference.
4. The department hosted an open house to introduce its new facility to the community.

Street Department
1. Routine week.

Sewer Department
1. Grit removal from the WWTP’s drying beds continued this week.
2. The city formally accepted ownership of new sewer infrastructure constructed on the Woodruff Crossing property.

Tough Questions

I spoke to a group of 2nd graders today at Park Hills Elementary School in Spartanburg today. The children are learning about government this week, so a friend of mine that teaches there invited me to talk to the kids about what government does for people.

When asked what government does for them, one of the kids answered "They take taxes!" Right! It seems there is no age limit for one's knowledge of taxes.

However, I went on to talk to them about the different services city government provides to them and their families. Police protection, fire protection, water treatment and street maintenance were the ones for which I had props, so we talked about those the most. Then we talked about all the different jobs cities need to fill to deliver those services.

At the end though, one of the teachers asked the kids what a city manager does. None of them really knew, so I answered that question with an analogy. I told the kids that a city manager is much like a school principal. The principal makes sure the teachers teach, the cafeteria workers prepare meals and the bus drivers pick up and drop off the children each day. Similarly, a city manager makes sure the police catch bad guys, firefighters put out fires and the water we flush gets cleaned. Fortunately, the kids got that.

I had to think of that on the fly because sometimes it can be difficult explaining what city managers really do, especially when talking to children. But, now I'm prepared for my next encounter with a kid with similar questions. And that encounter will take place in a few hours when I get home to my own second grader.

New Home for the Woodruff Police Department

This past April, the Woodruff Police Department moved from the basement of city hall (the dungeon as it was called) into the former B.J. Workman Memorial Hospital. The department's new home is a Taj Mahal compared to its former one. The story of how this came about is the second in a series of similar moves a city department has undertaken. Like the city's fire department, which was housed in an inadequate facility and moved to reuse another property, the police department has done the same.

When the BJW Hospital was closed by Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System several years ago, it left a building that was half built in the 1950's and half in the 1990's. After demolition of the 50's section of the structure, SRHS donated the property to Spartanburg School District 4. But District 4 didn't have a use for the entire building, so its officials and city officials sat down and talked about sharing use of the property. Knowing how desperately the city police department needed a new home, the parties agreed to lease a portion of the building to the city for use as a police station.

Now, some 6 months later, the department has been open for business for at least the last 4 months, and no one is more happy about the move than the officers themselves. Officers have adequate office space, they have interview rooms, they have a wonderful new courtroom. And just like what their firefighter colleagues did several years ago, the Woodruff police officers did much of the renovation and refit work on their own.

Thanks to that volunteer labor, and less than $20K in funding from city coffers, the Woodruff Police Department finally has a home it can be proud of. Today officers hosted members of the community at an open house to show off the building.

But of course, there are the detractors in the city who complain that the police department should not have been moved; that crime has increased in the city since the department moved; the department's new neighbors don't want criminals so close to their homes. (I spoke to a neighbor just yesterday who said she felt safer with the department so close.) That negativity didn't effect the city or its officers, for they knew what they were doing would ultimately pay dividends for the citizens they serve. Heck, the same complaints were offered when the fire department moved and the city won a Municipal Achievement Award from MASC. It may again with its latest reuse project.

Once again, Woodruff has partnered with another government agency to bring about significant change at minimal cost. In a community with as few resources as Woodruff, creativity and elbow grease can pay dividends. So, the next time you're in Woodruff, go by the new police department and check it out. You'll be pleased with what you see. Just don't give an officer an excuse to compel your visit!

Another City on the Mend

Congratulations to our colleagues in Andrews, SC. Just like Woodruff nearly 5 years ago, Andrews too appeared on the brink of a total government meltdown. Debt, managerial incompetence, a council's blind eye and resident apathy are all bad things for a city and its government. But resurgences can and do take place. Sounds like Andrews has put the right people in place and now the town is ready to move forward. Good job Andrews and keep it up! Woodruff saved itself and it appears you're on the way as well.

Weekly Update 10-19-07

TO: Woodruff City Council

FROM: Scott Slatton

SUBJECT: Weekly update

DATE: 19 October 2007

Administration Department
1. The Enoree RESCUE organization that is fighting development of a landfill in Spartanburg County, invites the city council to attend a meeting to discuss proposed legislation that will allow DHEC to authorize landfill construction independent of local governments. The meeting will be held at the Enoree Community Center (former Scout Hut) on Tuesday, October 23 at 7PM.
2. Mayor Bell and Council members Gist and Sloan attended the re-grand opening of Lisa Brandon Insurance.
3. HPC members Audrey Bettis, Teresa Foster and Scott attended the SCHPO workshop on restoration of historic buildings.
4. Representatives from HSMM visited the city to conduct fieldwork related to the municipal complex proposed for the property for which the city has an option.
5. Representatives from the Woodsdale Apartments met with city officials to discuss possible renovation and expansion of the complex and future annexation into the city.
6. Scott was the guest speaker at the Emma Gray UMC Joy Club meeting.
7. Please plan to attend the grand opening of Curves at Woodruff Crossing on Monday, Oct. 22 at 10AM.

Fire Department
1. Chief Godfrey was the featured speaker at a meeting of Unity Baptist Church this week.

Police Department
1. The department will host an open house on Wednesday, October 24 from 3-5PM at the department’s headquarters at 751 E. Georgia Street. Please make plans to attend.
2. Chief Dawkins took delivery of several new assault rifles this week as part of the development of a rapid response team within the department. The team will begin training drills next week. Seized drug money was used to purchase the weapons.

Street Department
1. Routine week.

Sewer Department
1. Crews continued removal of grit from the WWTP’s drying beds in preparation for grit removal from the system’s lift stations by WCRSA crews.

Closer to Reality?

Make your dream a reality. That was the title of the workshop I attended yesterday that was sponsored by the SC Historic Preservation Office. The attendees and I heard some inspiring stories about preservation projects throughout South Carolina and the nation. But none were as entertaining as that told by Sylvia Hiers.

Sylvia was, and still is, the driving force behind the preservation of the former Springfield (SC) High School Building. Nearly a carbon copy of Woodruff’s former high school building and current city hall, the Springfield school restoration project has been underway since 2000. Using a variety of funding sources, none of which came from the Town of Springfield, Sylvia and her fellow committee members have toiled to first save their school from demolition and then restore it. Though they still have much work left to do, their project serves as an inspiration to others, including Woodruff’s Historic Preservation Committee.
Despite the naysayers Sylvia encountered during her quest, she remained optimistic, passing along a word of inspiration to others who might meet resistance. She said, “Some people will be for you. Some people will be against you. Most people will be apathetic. But once it’s done, ALL of them will want to use it.”

Another speaker at the workshop was Tripp Muldrow (pictured above) of Arnett Muldrow & Associates. Tripp works with local governments on planning issues around the nation, but he focused on historic properties yesterday. Tripp’s talk centered on the fact that a historic property must be put back to work with a sustainable use. Simply restoring a property and plopping a museum in it is not adequate to ensure its long-term use. First and foremost, a restored building must contain something useful to local residents. In studies he conducted he has found that at least 50% or more of the visitors to a city’s downtown are locals. Therefore, a restored property must cater to those locals if it is to survive. A museum that only seeks to attract visitors probably won’t survive.

These lessons and many more will be useful if the Woodruff City Council decides to move forward with restoration of our former high school. In fact, many of the elements Woodruff needs to sustain its restoration project are already in place. The building has a sustainable use as a city hall. And the building’s auditorium has the demand to once again cater to locals and their events like high school concerts, dance recitals and church gospel singings. A restored auditorium could also attract acts and shows that visitors would want to see.

So, Woodruff has a project, it has a potential funding source and it has demand for use. The city council will take all of this information and more into consideration in the coming weeks and meet next month to begin its deliberations. Until then, community residents should contact the council members and let them know their opinion of the project.

Sparse Posts This Week

Posting this week will be sparse as I will be out of the office three days this week. I will post tomorrow with information I gleaned from the SC Historic Preservation Office's workshop entitled "Making your Dreams a Reality." This workshop will provide preservationists with information on how to best preserve historic properties. Members of the city's Historic Preservation Committee will attend the workshop tomorrow with preservation of the current city hall building, which was listed on the National Register last year. More tomorrow evening.

Weekly Update 10-12-07

TO: Woodruff City Council

FROM: Scott Slatton

SUBJECT: Weekly update

DATE: 12 October 2007

Administration Department
1. Mayor Bell and Council members Gist and Smith attended the grand openings for Angell’s II Beauty Supply, Hughes Barber Shop and Clothes to Home.
2. Mayor Bell met with Mary Black CEO Phillip Wright who was the guest speaker at the Woodruff Rotary Club meeting.
3. Please plan to attend the grand opening of Lisa Brandon Insurance at 310 S. Main Street next to Flower Patch Florist, on Monday, October 15 at 2:30PM.

Fire Department
1. Three of the department’s first and second-out apparatuses were equipped with GPS devices to assist with location of fire hydrants and addresses.
2. The department assisted the Youngs Community Fire Department in Laurens County with a multi-department water shuttle training exercise.
3. The department conducted several fire prevention week activities at the Woodruff schools.

Police Department
1. A suspect arrested for criminal domestic violence, who escaped police custody last week, was recaptured Wednesday at the home of his girlfriend, the one he was originally accused of assaulting. In addition to the original CDV charges, he now faces escape charges.
2. The suspect in the Eckerd Pharmacy robbery from a few weeks ago has been arrested and charged. See attached information from Chief Dawkins.
3. The department will hold an open house on October 23 at its new facility. See attached information from Chief Dawkins.

Street Department
1. Routine week.

Sewer Department
1. Representatives from WCRSA visited the city to survey pump station and trunk line cleaning for which the city has asked their assistance. WCRSA will work up a cost estimate and an intergovernmental agreement for the city to sign that will allow the work to be performed.
2. A representative from a sewer equipment supply company visited the WWTP to propose a mechanical bar screen solution for grit removal from the effluent grit chamber.
3. Set-off debt letters were sent to 243 debtors of the city seeking payment for delinquent sewer fees of over $43K. Many of the debtors have been on previous set-off debt lists for as long as 5 years.

Interagency Cooperation

There we go again. . . . working closely with another local government to provide economical service to city residents. I'm talking about enlisting the help of Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority (WCRSA) to clean the city's sewer pump station wet wells.

Yesterday, representatives from WCRSA's TV & Clean Section visited with Woodruff's Public Works Department to evaluate and provide cost estimates for solving several problems the city cannot solve by itself.

First, the city's six sewer pump stations have large deposits of accummulated sediment at the bottom of their wet wells. A wet well is a large underground, concrete well where wastewater is collected amounts sufficient to be pumped efficiently along to the wastewater treatment plant. At the bottom of a well, sand and grit carried by the flowing water builds up on the floor of the wet well. This build up of material creates excessive wear on pumps that pull the grit through their metal parts. And grit buildup robs the wet well of storage capacity by decreasing the size of the well itself.

Second, grit buildup within one of the city's heavily-used trunk lines is a target for WCRSA. In addition to the loss of flow capacity created by this grit buildup, it also raises the chances the line will overflow during a rain event. Less capacity in the line means less water can be carried.

So, removal of the grit from the city's pump stations and trunk line is the solution to the problem. But since the city doesn't have the equipment needed to perform the work, it has turned to WCRSA for help. WCRSA owns and maintains more than 300 miles of trunk sewer lines and 63 pump stations. It encounters problems like Woodruff's every day. WCRSA has the equipment, the manpower and the know how to tackle our problem. And I imagine WCRSA will make quick work of our pump stations at a very reasonable cost. Cost?

You might think that one government helping another government is a no-cost solution to a problem. Not so. Governments are businesses. And businesses, be they private or public, do not and cannot work for free. So, WCRSA will bill the city for the service it provides. As it should. But it will provide the city something at no cost. The exchange of information, techniques and knowledge that will occur between WCRSA and city staff won't require any payment. But the experience will no doubt be valuable to city residents.

Are Rental Inspections Coming To Woodruff?

The city council hosted City of Clemson Zoning Administrator Bob Vecchio this past Monday night to hear about that city's rental property inspection program. Interested in developing a similar system, the Woodruff City Council has begun its due diligence toward gathering all of the information it needs to decide whether or not such a program is necessary, and more importantly, whether or not it might solve the problems it sees with rental properties here in town.

Bob presented Clemson's program to the council and about 25 meeting attendees, several of whom own rental property here in the city. The council asked questions, I asked questions and the members of the audience asked questions. Though some folks wanted to challenge Bob on the philosophical reasons for implementing such a program in Woodruff, I had to ask them to direct those question to the city council. Bob was there to tell Clemson's story, not defend the Woodruff City Council's decision to explore this idea.

I heard only a smattering of grumbling from some of the property owners, but those that attended the meeting don't own the nuisance properties in Woodruff. The folks who have preciptiated the city council's consideration of a rental inspection program weren't there. And that's the problem: since the city can't get them to respond to its requests to improve, perhaps they will be more cooperative under threat of the loss of rental income, which has been effective in Clemson.

The city council will hold more meetings about this issue. But if Monday's meeting is any indication, it is clearly intent on the continued improvement of our town, even if that means by way of mandates.

The Debunker: 10-08-07

Bunk: Spartanburg County is going to give to the City of Woodruff the park behind city hall called McKinney Park. Once in possession of McKinney Park, the city intends to trade the park and city hall building for 26 acres of property located near the city hall.

Debunked: The city already owns McKinney Park. It has a 20-year contract with Spartanburg County to provide maintenance of the park and control activities at the park. That contract expires in 2 years at which point, it is expected the county will not seek to renew. The county parks and recreation department is getting out of the neighborhood parks business in order to concentrate on the development of its regional parks system. In two years, it is expected the city will have to take on park maintenance for both McKinney Park and Ox Taylor Park on the city's west side.

As for the 26 acres in question. The city currently has an option on that property that it struck with the owner this past spring. Currently, there are no plans for the city's use of that property save for Mayor Bell's desire to provide more parks and walking trails for the city.

There you have it. The city will "get back" that which it already owns and it's not going to trade it for 26 acres. The bunk has been DEbunked for this week.

Weekly Update 10-5-07

TO: Woodruff City Council

FROM: Scott Slatton

SUBJECT: Weekly update

DATE: 5 October 2007

Administration Department
1. Please see the attached special meeting agenda for Monday night and the hard copy of Bob Vecchio’s slide show.
2. Three grand openings are scheduled for next week. Please see below for details.
3. Mayor Bell invites each member of council to the Woodruff Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday, October 9 at 12:30PM to hear Mary Black CEO Phillip Wright speak. If you plan to attend, please contact the mayor.
4. Virginia Simpson met with Planning Commission Chairman Suni McMath as part of Simpson’s field work for the city’s marketing study.
5. Scott attended MASC’s city/county managers quarterly meeting in Columbia.

Fire Department
1. Spartanburg County began renovation work on the old fire department building this week.

Police Department
1. Routine week.

Street Department
1. Crews cleared overgrown areas along streets in the Pine Ridge area.

Sewer Department
1. The department’s two new employees, Jamison Hyatt and Shane Taylor began work this week. Please welcome them to the city when you see them.
2. The WWTP temporarily lost power this week due to a recurring power supply problem. Duke Energy was contacted and asked to evaluate its transmission infrastructure to ensure future power losses do not occur.

A New Weekly Blog Feature: "The Debunker"

T.C. and Cindy were talking on WDRF 1510AM this morning with Woodruff Police Chief Darrell Dawkins, as they often do, when Cindy mentioned to him someone told her that crime in Woodruff had doubled since the department moved in April from the city hall basement to its new home at the BJ Workman Center.

Now as ludicrous as that sounds, unfortunately, people may actually believe that to be true. Later in the morning, a business owner called to get the facts on an unrelated rumor he'd heard. I love hearing some of the rumors that move around town. It adds to a town's character. But as much as I enjoy hearing them, I love debunking them even more!

So, above is a compilation of the monthly crime statistics the police department reports to the city council that includes the percent change from the previous month. Clikc on the image and it will enlarge. Enjoy!

Public Finance Resource

My wife recently started working on her PhD and one of her first courses involves public finance. My wife is a very smart woman who generally pays attention to current events. But like many, she doesn't pay a whole lot of attention to her local government news. So, when she began to ask me questions about public finance, budgets, audits and the like, I gave her some good information published by the Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson University. I also recently pointed a local resident to the same brochure in support of a public finance class he is taking at USC Upstate. Not saying this is the end-all-be-all of public finance eductional resources, but it's pretty good. Check it out for yourself:

Paying for Government in South Carolina: A Citizen's Guide

What's It Going To Take?

Most of you already know that I am a volunteer with the Woodruff Fire Department. And as such I, along with my fellow volunteers, answer calls for service anytime the fire department is dispatched be that at 2 in the afternoon or 2 in the morning. So, it was routine that the department received dispatches Saturday morning at 1:30, 4:45 and 5:30 for separate vehicle accidents. But what made these calls even more routine, was the fact that two out of the three were the result of drunk drivers or someone driving without a license.

Last week, I responded with the department's on-duty personnel to a vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer and an SUV. As you can see above, the SUV lost the battle. Troubling enough that the driver was severly injured, but he compounded his bad day by driving without a license. Saturday morning's second and third wrecks involved people who had been drinking. The guy who wrecked at 4:45AM had to be flown by helicopter to the hospital. The woman driving the car involved in the third wreck had driven through the scene at the second wreck before she barreled off the highway. You'd think that after she had seen all of the state troopers and other emergency personnel, she would have attempted to be a bit more careful. But alas, drunk people don't often make the best choices.

I can reel off a long list of other vehicle accidents here in our fire district where people have been killed or severely injured while driving drunk. I could list a larger number of innocent drivers and passengers who have been killed or injured by drunk drivers. And this problem isn't unique to Woodruff's fire district. When I mentioned to one of the troopers the other morning that I believe that 7 out of 10 wrecks I work involve drunk driving or suspended licenses, he mentioned another part of Spartanburg County where he figures its 10 out of 10. Why is that?

Well, there's lots of reasons not the least of which is our state's pitiful DUI laws. Another is the fact there aren't enough troopers or other law enforcement personnel on the roads. The chances a drunk driver gets caught in the act are pretty low in our state. But as I can attest from my work as a firefighter, the costs of drinking and driving are extremely high both in terms of lives and property.

So what's the answer? First, lawmakers need to listen to prosecutors. Second, more law enforcement personnel must be put on the streets. Third, folks who drink and drive and our lawmakers need to run some calls with their local public safety agency. If some of the stuff we see at 3AM doesn't convince you our state has a DUI problem, then probably nothing will.