Weekly Update 3-28-08

TO: Woodruff City Council

FROM: Scott Slatton

SUBJECT: Weekly update

DATE: 28 March 2008

Administration Department
1. A new ad for the Timrod restoration was run this week in the Herald-Journal in an effort to garner more bids for the work.
2. Scott met with Economic Futures Group Executive Director Carter Smith to further discuss economic development in the Woodruff area.
3. Scott attended an MASC SCORBIT training seminar to learn more about the OPEB trust created to assist cities manage future retiree benefits payments.
4. A residential housing developer visited Woodruff this week to meet with city staff and scout for potential development locations.

Fire Department
1. A new brush truck skid unit was ordered and a SC Forestry loaner brush truck was taken out of service due to repeated mechanical failures.

Police Department
1. Three members of the department attended a Victims’ Rights training seminar hosted by SCVAN.
2. Officers assisted ATF and SLED agents with the capture and search of a suspected drug offender in Laurens County.

Street Department
1. Crews assisted a county crew install a culvert under a driveway on Cedar Lane.
2. Crews worked on a drainage problem at the intersection of Branch and Church Streets.

Sewer Department
1. Security gates were installed at the entrances to the Cavins Road and Edwards Street pump station access roads in an effort to thwart future trespassers.

He Might Want to Revise That First Sentence

Can't say I agree too much with this guy and especially the VERY first sentence in his opinion article. Talk about a sweeping generalization! As I've discussed before (and told a citizen yesterday), Woodruff government business is an open book. All one need do to receive information from Woodruff government is ask. All one need do is review past city council agendas to see that executive sessions are entered in to with explanation and within the law. All one need do is talk to our local beat reporters at The Woodruff News and the Herald-Journal to find out how open we are with the press.

Some folks think asking for Woodruff city government information is too hard. Though I don't know what is difficult about making a phone call or writing an email. Still, it's a convenient excuse. But, just like the guy who wrote the opinion piece above, for some folks it's a lot easier to criticize based on half-truths, speculation and generalizations than it is to argue the merits of their point of view based on facts provided to them by their government.

There's no doubt some governments abuse the public trust when their officials don't easily provide public information. But that's not the case here. And I would challenge Mr. Policinski or anyone else for that matter, to test their theories by first asking for information from their local governments before they make a sweeping generalization.

Endless, Wireless Possibilites

I've blogged before about our community's lack of internet access. No DSL service and no cable service to large areas of the community outside the Woodruff city limits are a hindrance to our economic development efforts. And I've mentioned before about Sen. Jim Ritchie's efforts to provide state-wide wireless internet access. Well, South Carolina has a great opportunity to move toward addressing its lack of internet infrastructure by providing a wireless internet "cloud" via SCETV's excess bandwidth post Feb. 9, 2009. I hope the state legislature takes advantage of this opportunity so South Carolina might actually lead the nation in something positive and folks outside of Woodruff will have a chance to leap into the 21st Century.

Weekly Update 3-20-08

TO: Woodruff City Council

FROM: Scott Slatton

SUBJECT: Weekly update

DATE: 20 March 2008

Administration Department
1. Please see the attached March meeting agenda.
2. Council member Kennedy attended the Municipal Elected Officials Institute “Basic Budgeting” workshop and broadcast at ACOG.
3. An appraiser from the city’s property/liability insurance carrier toured the city’s facilities in order to get updated appraisals on city buildings.
4. Beverley attended the SCLGAG’s regional meeting in Clinton.
5. Scott was a presenter at the “Basic Budgeting” broadcast mentioned above.
6. One proposal for the Timrod Library Restoration was received. The HPC is working to determine its course of action.

Fire Department
1. Firefighters fought a residential structure fire Monday night at 359 W. Peachtree Street. Volunteers Britt Simmons, Charles Hunter, Officers Kevin Felts, Brian Knighton and a neighbor William Gary all worked to rescue an occupant from the burning house. The victim suffered severe burns and was flown directly to the Augusta Burn Center. Simmons was transported to Regional and treated for smoke inhalation afterward. The rescuers are to be commended for their quick action and courage.
2. The department evaluated a portable foam spraying system to determine whether or not to add such a system to its capabilities.

Police Department
1. Officers conducted multiple undercover drug interdiction activities in conjunction with ATF and Laurens County officials.

Street Department
1. Tree limbs were removed from around a utility pole at Eastbrook and E. Georgia Street in preparation for installation of a new street light.

Sewer Department
1. Water service was disrupted for 112 sewer customers this week due to non-payment of sewer service bills.

Woodruff Emergency Responders Do Their Job

I didn't blog about this event earlier in the week, but it's high time for it. This past Monday, the Woodruff Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire on West Peachtree Street. Before fire engines arrived on scene, several city emergency responders and neighbors pulled a woman from the fire after she was trapped inside.

Firefighter Britt Simmons and Police Officers Brian Knighton and Kevin Felts, along with a neighbor William Gary all worked to pull Terri Johnson from the burning home. Assistant Fire Chief Charles Hunter was also among the first to respond to the fire and assisted with Ms. Johnson's care after she was pulled from the fire.

Shortly after these guys performed this heroic act, other fire units arrived and set about putting out the fire in the burning home.

I am extremely proud of each of these men and the courage they showed during the course of performing their duty. Below are some links to the local coverage this story received earlier this week.

"Rescuers Talk About Saving Woman From Fire"

"Woodruff Woman Burned in House Fire"

"No Cause Yet In Woodruff House Fire"

Business Expansion in Woodruff

More good business news for our little burg that was officially announced today.

Meeting Agenda 3-24-08

**TENTATIVE**

WOODRUFF CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008
6:30 P.M.

CALL TO ORDER – MAYOR BELL

PRAYER – Rev. Randall Runion ¾ Switzer Baptist Church

MAYOR’S REPORT
A. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES: 2-25-08, 3-13-08
B. REQUEST TO APPEAR ¾ Rusty Clevenger, Candidate for Coroner
C. APPOINTMENTS TO PRT COMMITTEE ¾ Dr. Jane Davisson, Harold Ashe
D. QUESTION/ANSWER SESSION ABOUT PROPOSED SIGN ORDINANCE ¾ Brad Burnett
E. RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OR HISTORIC WOODRUFF HIGH SCHOOL RESTORATION ¾ Historic Preservation Committee
F. RESOLUTION TO DECLARE APRIL 6-12 AS NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATOR’S WEEK

OLD BUSINESS
None scheduled

NEW BUSINESS
A. DISCUSS DEMOLITION OF OLD STREET DEPT. BLDG. ON TEAGUE STREET

MANAGER’S REPORT
A. SET DATES FOR FY 08-09 BUDGET WORK
B. FINANCIAL REPORT
C. DEPARTMENT REPORTS ¾ Police, Fire, Sewer
D. ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Regular city council meeting, Monday, April 28, 2008, 6:30PM, city hall


ADJOURN

Thanks to Act 388, Ne'er the Tween Shall Meet

This article pretty much sums up the funding problems any number of cities across South Carolina will face in the coming months as they prepare their new fiscal year budgets. In fact, you could almost substitute "Woodruff" for each occurence of "Spartanburg" in the story and you'd have basically the same story. . . . except with smaller projects. . . .and a lot less in cash reserves.

Bottom line is that FY 08-09 will be the toughest budget the Woodruff City Council will have to put together. From funding for sewer system improvements to building inspections to keeping up with the rise in costs of operations, the expenses will be long and the revenues will be short. The little chart above is a demonstration of how I've explained the revenue problems city will face over the years if Act 388 isn't revised or better yet, outright killed. As expenses rise sharply (gasoline), Act 388 prevents cities from raising revenues proportionally. Therefore, the gap between expenses and revenues widens every year.

Politicians say "cut, cut cut!" My reply is "We did, we did, we did!" and "We will again, we will again, we will again!" How far should the city cut its budget? Well, that's up to city taxpayers to decide over the next few months.

Weekly Update 3-14-08

TO: Woodruff City Council

FROM: Scott Slatton

SUBJECT: Weekly update

DATE: 14 March 2008

Administration Department
1. Mayor Bell toured the city with Economic Futures Group Executive Vice President Carter Smith and discussed economic development efforts for the city.
2. An official with CSX contacted the city regarding the parking lot rehab project and stated he would research the delays. He is expected to contact the city again next week.
3. Scott attended a WCRSA Regulatory and Legislative Policy Committee meeting.
4. Please see the attached email and contact Scott with questions.

Fire Department
1. Firefighters trained with the newly-arrived extrication equipment purchased with AFG funds. The equipment was placed in to service and is ready for use.

Police Department
1. Chief Dawkins and Officer Montjoy attended a hand-to-hand combat training course in Laurens.

Street Department
1. At citizens’ requests, several new street lights were requested to be installed around the city.

Sewer Department
1. Crews worked to install a sealed manhole cover and back-flow preventers at two residences on Edwards Street. A SSO took place on Edwards Street last week during the heavy rains which necessitates measures to ensure no back flows occur in the residences.

Woodruff Fire Chief To Retire

(Photo Courtesy of Phil Buchheit/Hometown News)

City of Woodruff Fire Chief Ron Godfrey announced today that he will retire effective June 30, 2008. Chief Godfrey has worked for the Woodruff Fire Department since March 2003.

After retiring from his duties as an arson investigator with the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Chief Godfrey was tapped to lead the Woodruff Fire Department during a tumultuous period in the city’s recent history. Facing low volunteer numbers, an aging fleet and budgetary problems, Chief Godfrey reshaped the Woodruff Fire Department back into a respected department around the area by improving its capabilities and professionalism.

Chief Godfrey’s accomplishments over the last five years are numerous. He led and oversaw the effort to move the fire department out of its cramped former building into the spacious former Armory property, a feat for which the city was awarded a Municipal Association of South Carolina Municipal Achievement Award in 2005. He doubled the fire department’s fleet from six apparatuses to today’s total of twelve, which includes the only two aerial apparatuses in southern Spartanburg County. And since 2004, Chief Godfrey has secured over $300,000 in grant funds to supply the department with new apparatus and equipment.

“Chief Godfrey is simply a professional,” stated Mayor Paul Bell. “He has made the Woodruff Fire Department something we can all be proud of.”

The search for a new fire chief will begin in the coming weeks. The city manager intends to have a new chief hired and in place by July 1.

The Debunker Returns to Fight a Fiery Battle!

On Tuesday, February 26 at about 11:30PM, the Woodruff Fire Department responded to a large structure fire at 329 North Main Street. The building most recently housed The Chinaberry Tree and The Broken Teapot restaurant. However, the structure had been abandoned for the last several years. The fire, which destroyed the building, and how the investigation of its cause and the demolition of what was left of the structure have been the subject of many conspiracy theories over the last few weeks. Please allow me to debunk some of the outrageous rumors and conspiracy theories with the facts about the fire since I helped fight it and manage the aftermath.

First, a few facts about the fire. When the first-due engine crew arrived (I was driving the first-due engine), firefighters found heavy fire in the basement and a large room at the back of the building. When the first-due crew attempted to enter the building, they encountered heavy fire, arcing electricity and a large hole in the floor of the main fire room. Given these conditions they wisely and immediately backed out of the doorway and assumed a defensive position. They notified the commanding officer of the dangers, asked that Duke Energy be contacted to cut off the power and instructed that no one enter the structure. Not long after their report, fire broke through the roof over the large room at the back and the roof began to collapse.

Fire then raced through the attic of the building causing the roof to collapse onto ceiling joists, which allowed the roofing materials to burn and smolder. Normally, firefighters enter a structure and pull those burning materials down and extinguish them. However, given the instability of the flooring system in this structure, firefighters were not allowed to enter the building and perform this work.

So, in order to fully extinguish the fire, it was necessary for the city to bring in a contractor with a track hoe to pull the building down. I contacted the owner of the property and told him of our situation and he gave the city permission to have a contractor come in and pull down the building. At that point the owner and the contractor made arrangements for the building to be completely demolished and removed. The contractor that was called did not own the building, which debunks one rumor.

When firefighters first arrived, they were told by responding Woodruff Police officers that the officers had had trouble with an individual earlier in the evening who had made non-specific threats about burning something. However, after questioning and reviewing the officers' reports, Chief Dawkins concluded that the individual did not set fire to the building. There are no leads on how the fire started or whether or not someone started it. However, if anyone has information about the fire they should contact the Woodruff Police Department at 864-476-8131 and ask for Chief Dawkins.

The fire certainly appeared suspicious, but Fire Chief Godfrey was unable to determine a cause of the fire because he could not gain access to the structure due to how hazardous it was after its collapse. Vagrancy at the building had been prevalent since the last business vacated and the police had responded numerous times to the building because of vandalism. Contrary to the rumors, the chief did investigate as much as possible without endangering himself or others.

The great guys from the Poplar Springs and Hobbysville Fire Departments assisted the WFD with this large fire. Thanks goes to the Enoree Fire Department for responding to a fire alarm in the WFD district during the fire. Everyone worked hard and did all they could to stop the fire from spreading.

Some folks around town have posited some wild theories. From cover ups to turning a blind eye on the investigation, we've heard them all. It's terribly sad that the integrity of our emergency responders is questioned by people who have no regard for the truth.

But that's why the debunker is here! Sorry to disappoint them again with the facts. Of course, facts rarely stand in the way of a good conspiracy theory!

Eagles Win! Eagles Win!

The Winthrop Eagles made it four Big South Championships in a row Saturday when the men's basketball team beat UNC-Asheville for the first time this season. And now, Winthrop will travel to the NCAA tournament for the 8th time since 1999.

For any of you who attended Winthrop from the late 80's to the late 90's, you know what a big deal this is. When I attended Winthrop, it was common for a crowd of 500 to show up for games in the 6,000 seat Winthrop Coliseum. That's how bad the teams were. My wife, a friend and I attended a game this past January where 5,800 showed up to watch. Graduation was the only time we saw crowds that big at the Coliseum when we were in school.

So congratulations to Coach Peele, his staff and the team for moving on to the Tournament and perhaps stepping out of former coach Gregg Marshall's shadow. They proved once again that Winthrop is a team to watch out for in the "bracket-buster" category.

Weekly Update 3-7-08

TO: Woodruff City Council

FROM: Scott Slatton

SUBJECT: Weekly update

DATE: 7 March 2008

Administration Department
1. Please see the attached email from Brad Burnett regarding his thoughts on possible implementation of the proposed rental property inspection ordinance.
2. The building inspection intergovernmental agreement with Spartanburg County was executed this week. Those seeking permits will be required to obtain them from the county starting March 17 through at least June 30.
3. ACOG conducted the closeout public hearing for the CDBG Housing Rehabilitation program.

Fire Department
1. Chief Godfrey announced he intends to retire June 30. An official announcement will be made Monday.
2. The new extrication equipment, purchased with AFG funds, was received this week. It will be placed in service after training is completed by firefighters.

Police Department
1. Woodruff officers assisted Spartanburg, Greenville, Anderson County deputies and the SCHP in their pursuit and confrontation with an armed robber last Saturday. Chief Dawkins reported SLED is using Woodruff officers’ in-car camera video recorded at the scene as part of the investigation.
2. Chief Dawkins taught a Fingerprinting Merit Badge class at the Middle Tyger Scout District’s Merit Badge College.

Street Department
1. Crews worked to remove debris that fell during the severe storms earlier this week.
2. SCDHEC was given permission to install monitoring wells at the former Street Department property as part of monitoring for contamination from the former Pantry store on Main Street.

Sewer Department
1. A new pump for the Cavins Road pump station was ordered this week. Delivery is expected within the next few weeks.
2. The online bill payment system is now in a test phase on the state vendor’s website. Staff will vet the system over the next week or so and roll it out to the public as soon as possible.

Severe Weather Week

This is Severe Weather Week here in South Carolina. And as we saw Tuesday night, the weather in the spring and summer can get pretty rough. Therefore, each year Spartanburg County participates in the statewide tornado siren test. This morning at approximately 9:30, the city's tornado siren atop city hall sounded. Actually there are two sirens. One is the tornado siren that sounds one monotone horn. The other siren is for other emergencies and it sounds a horn with an up and down sound. Both are tested the first Saturday of each month at 1PM by the county 911 system. And though they may not look real pretty, you can hear both sirens from just about anywhere in Woodruff.

In some towns the sirens are activated anytime the fire department has a call. However, here in Woodruff, the sirens are used only in a true emergency. Otherwise, they would go off all the time!

If you have an emergency siren in your town and it wasn't activated this week, call your local government office and find out why not. It may be the only warning you have in an emergency.

Hang In There

It has been a hectic couple of days, so the blogging has suffered. Fear not however! I'll have a riveting post tomorrow for your blog reading pleasure. In the meantime, check out this report about the severe storms that caused some damage around the area and here in Woodruff.

Woodruff Schools At It Again!

Once again Spartanburg School District 4 is showing how Woodruff schools are among the best in South Carolina. Coverage of events like this continue to help uncover our area's best kept secret.