The City of Orangeburg will contact the South Carolina Department of Transportation with the request to improve pedestrian and child safety at city playgrounds and recreation parks by the addition of signage or measures to slow traffic.
The action will be taken after concerns were raised by Orangeburg resident William Green, specifically about the safety of the Adden Street playground and other similar areas throughout the city and county.
“I think it is needed for a painted crosswalk from the (Adden Street) apartment complex over to the park and the entrance also from Green Street to the park,” Green said. “There are a lot of kids that are going back and forth to the park and cars just flying through there.”
“Maybe a speed bump could be put there or if not a speed bump maybe signs with an adult and child on it walking telling people they need to slow down because of children running across the street to the playground ” Green said.
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Green requested all city and county parks have crosswalks and signage informing motorists to slow down.
Council agreed to give City Administrator Sidney Evering the authority to contact the South Carolina Department of Transportation to pursue Green’s request to enhance road safety near city parks and playgrounds.
Evering noted the roads are state owned and the SCDOT would have to address the issue.
“They have some liabilities issues when it comes to speed bumps, but they can have like raised pavement that can notify drivers that they need to slow down and, of course, signage,” Evering said.
“I think that is a legitimate concern with the kids crossing the street. There are a lot of children down on Adden street and they do come across there to that park,” Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said.
In other matters, council unanimously approved a resolution adopting the five-year update of the Orangeburg County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The resolution calls for the city to undertake annual recordings of hazard events, their impact, duration and cost. The resolution also authorizes the city administrator to execute the plan.
The city’s adoption of the hazard-mitigation plan is required as a condition to receive future federal emergency management agency grant funding for mitigation projects.
City officials thanked the county’s emergency services director, Billy Staley, and the county’s planner, Amanda Sievers, for helping to put the plan together for each of the county’s 17 municipalities.
“It is a guidebook for us,” Assistant City Administrator John Singh said.
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Council was informed for the month of October (the first of the city’s new fiscal year) that its general fund had revenues of about $880,000 and expenses were about $1.6 million.
They were informed revenues are about 4% of the city’s budget and expenses are about 8% of the budget.
Marc Wood of Sheheen, Hancock and Godwin noted the city’s expenditures will outpace revenues because its biggest source of revenue will come in January through property taxes.
“Don’t get too concerned that your expenditures are outpacing your revenues,” he said. “That is to be expected.”
Wood said the city has adequate reserves to pay for expenses until those property taxes start to come in.
In addition to road and playground safety, Green also requested the historic State Theater at the Railroad Corner (that will be preserved as part of a revitalization effort of the area) be more than a civil rights museum.
“We are more besides civil rights,” Green said. “We have a our first Black mayor here. That should be a part of the museum. We have Miss (Liz Zimmerman) Keitt, the first woman to be mayor pro tem. There are a lot of other things that need to be put in that museum besides civil rights.”
“In order for the museum to grow and really take on another aspect, we need to recognize all our of contributions,” he said. “Civil rights just limits us to one phase of life in the ’50s and the ’60s.”
Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association plans downtown murals
- Council recognized Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities employee Franklin Kimpson for his 20 years of service to the department. Kimpson retired in June 2013 but then went on to work as a contract employee for an additional 7-1/2 years.
Kimpson’s wife said now that her husband has retired, he can start to “fill out the honey-do list.”
Kimpson gave thanks to God for helping him work with DPU.
“I had pleasure working with DPU because I am a working man,” Kimpson said. “I like to take care of my family and do what I am supposed to do.”
- Council gave unanimous third and final reading to changes in natural gas rates for new Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities industrial customers effective Dec. 1. The changes will only impact new industrial customers and will not increase current industrial rates.
- The Council meeting was held in City Council Chambers on Middleton Street. It was the first time a meeting has been held in chambers since prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is good to be back home again in our spaces,” Butler said.
- Council went into closed session to discuss an employment matter related to the DPU manager; to discuss contractual matters related to Railroad Corner and Stevenson Auditorium roof replacement; and to receive legal advice regarding annexation.
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