Hometown News: » Council makes plans for moving City Hall, Upgrading Fire Department


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Council makes plans for moving City Hall, Upgrading Fire Department

By CHRIS SHIPMAN
Hometown News

Two issues which could have major implications for the city of Woodruff and the surrounding area were brought up in Monday night’s city council meeting: the possibility of moving the city’s administrative and police offices downtown to the soon-to-be-vacated WK&B building on Main Street and that of a county general obligation bond for the Woodruff Fire Service Area, in order to make improvements to the main station as well as to buy new fire trucks and equipment.

City Hall and Police Station
The building on Main Street has about 5,000 square feet downstairs and about 3,000 upstairs, City Manager Stephen Steese said. It would be ample room for the city’s small administrative staff and give the police force about 4,000 square feet for its offices, he said. The police are currently headquartered in Spartanburg County School District Four’s B.J. Workman Center, at the former hospital. The city leases the space from the school district.
Before any further moves can be taken, Steese said, the city will need an engineer to prepare a feasibility study. The study should determine how many offices, restrooms, and the like the building can hold and how much work it will take to make the building into a city office. The study should cost around $12,000, to be pulled from the city’s TIF budget.
The building is currently owned by the Gibert Company. The city would mostly likely have to purchase the building if it were going to use it and make upgrades, Steese said. Having the city offices downtown would be a good addition to Main Street, he said, and it would also be advantageous for the police to have a central location.

Fire Bond
Fire Chief Steve Quinn addressed city council concerning facility and equipment needs in the fire department and asking them to move forward with the county bond issue by allowing Steese to make a proposal to county council in conjunction with Teresa Cawley of Southern Municipal Advisors, a private company specializing in bond issues and other municipal finance options. Cawley’s fee to the city will be about $17,000, which will be reimbursed to the city should the bond be approved.
If the city does not go forward with the issue, he said, it would only delay the inevitable. The main station needs repairs to the roof and other upgrades, Quinn said, and many of the firefighters are using aging turn - out gear. As a chief, he added, he has to look out for his firefighters and their families, and he believes these upgrades will make them safer as well as improve fire service in the unincorporated areas of the fire district.
Quinn said the bond would be an opportunity, “at little or no cost to the city taxpayers,” to make upgrades to the fire department and improve the fire district’s ISO rating from a 4-9 split to a 4-across-the-board. Areas within 1,000 feet of a hydrant have been rated a four by the ISO. Areas further out in the fire district have been rated a nine. Quinn believes adding a new station to the south end and buying two new fire trucks with the bond money, and buying a new truck for the main station from the city budget, will bring the whole district up to a four.
The county has a fire service agreement with the city to provide fire protection outside the city limits. Of the fire district’s 65 square miles, about 60 are in the unincorporated areas of the county. The county bond would raise taxes on the unincorporated areas to pay for the improvement. Taxes would go up about $84 a year on a $100,000 home, Quinn said. However, with lowered insurance premiums based on the better ISO rating, most homeowners would probably end up saving about $15 a year, Quinn said.

Manager’s Report
Steese said city revenues are on target for the year. Tax defaults are higher from last year, but the city is actually $1,000 ahead on collections thanks to reassessment. Expenditures are ahead, he added, and he has met with department heads to cut overtime and tighten belts. He is looking to schedule a budget retreat around the middle of April, and is working on a draft three-year comprehensive plan to include issues raised at the council’s planning retreat.
Steese also asked council’s approval for Woodruff to use the county’s on-call engineering list. It is a group of six engineering firms that meet all the county’s licensing requirements. By using the list, Steese said the city could cut out one phase of the procurement cycle, saving time and money. Council approved.

Other Business
At the next meeting, a budget amendment to allow Parks, Recreation and Tourism to roll proceeds from festivals back into its budget to upgrade equipment will be considered as well as a budget amendment to contract services with Cawley on the fire bond issue.
April 17 through 25 was proclaimed Community Pride Week. It will be a chance to “get out with our neighbors and do a little spring cleaning,” Building Inspector Mike Doles said. The city received a $2,000 grant through Palmetto Pride and Keep America Beautiful to place four waste containers around town. Vests, pick - up sticks, and all the trash bags you need will be handed out to volunteers, Doles said. This is the first year the city has received the grant money, and Doles said he hopes it will be a springboard to better things.
The second reading of the Laurens Electric Franchise Agreement was approved and went into effect. Karyn Page-Davies was appointed to the Historic Preservation Committee. Lauren Ponder of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau distributed the visitors guide which was paid for in part by a portion of the Woodruff hospitality tax.
shipman.news@gmail.com

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