Upper West SC News

The City of Newberry was recently named a recipient of an SCDOT Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant. Mayor Foster Senn made mention of the grant during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

The $800,000 award will go to installing a sidewalk on Johnstone Street from Wise Street to Wilson Road. The grant requires a $200,000 match which will be provided by the Newberry County Transportation Committee.

City Manager Matt DeWitt said that those traveling from Wilson Road towards downtown on Johnstone Street would see these new sidewalks on the left-hand side of the road.

The project, he said should kick off in the new year.

Jim Headley, executive director of the South Carolina Recreation and Parks Association presented Gretchen Haskett, deputy director of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism department with their Park Excellence Award. The department was awarded at their annual conference in November for the Newberry Recreation Complex. The category was for an agency with a population under 30,000.

Also recognized by council was Jana Boice, human resources manager for the city. The City of Newberry was selected as the South Carolina Municipal Insurance and Risk Management Award winner for 2022 for their ability to reduce the frequency and severity of losses. The award was presented to the city at the risk management services annual members meeting.

For the 29th year in a row, the city has received a “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting,” presented annually by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States. It’s presented to governments that have achieved the highest standards of perfection in their accounting procedures.

Accepting the award on behalf of the city’s finance department was Shannon Smith, finance director.

“Shannon has done a great job making sure that we continue to get this award,” DeWitt said. “She runs a fantastic finance department.”

Also recognized by council was Graham Sligh, for his internship with the City of Newberry Utility Department as a Fiber Optic/AMI Technician intern.

A video on Sligh’s internship was shown to council and he was presented with a certificate of completion for the program.

Senn shared many pieces of good news from around Newberry as part of the meeting, mentioning Main Street Lights, Arbor Day tree plantings at both Boundary Street Elementary and the Newberry Fire Department. He also mentioned the ribbon cutting of renovations at Wells Japanese Garden, the Newberry Christmas parade hosted by the Newberry Jaycees and the Newberry Police Department’s holiday duck find.

New Business

Under new business, council passed a resolution to adopt the City of Newberry’s strategic priorities. While the city is required to have a comprehensive plan every 10 years, Senn said that council had recently met with Jeff Shacker, with the Municipal Association of South Carolina to identify strategic priorities on things the city wanted to work on within the next few years.

Council created a list of items for 2024-2025 that Senn said were classified as “must do,” “should do,” and “could do” items.

“Must Do” items were as follows:

• Evaluate the nuisance and property maintenance codes, develop recommended changes with feasibility and enforce goals and strategies, ensuring consistency in enforcement.
• Develop plan for infill housing in established neighborhoods to revitalize them physically, socially and economically and to promote home ownership.
• Develop a concept for City Business Incubator by evaluating examples in SC particularly those that are municipal wholly are in partnership.

“Should Do” items were as follows:

• Develop a plan to strengthen relationship with key local entities such as the college, the school district and collaborate in meetings and work sessions.
• Sidewalks on Smith, Evans and Johnstone Streets.
• Develop a plan for deployment of public security cameras in parks, city facilities and possibly other public spaces.

“Could Do” items were as follows:

• Complete Newberry Arts Center – provide council with updates, scope of work that is fundable with remaining work and recommended strategies.
• Plant at least 25 trees at the recreation complex to begin Arboretum
• Renovations and upgrades to the police/fire public safety complex and incorporate that into the budget.

Motion to adopt the resolution was made by Councilperson Lemont Glasgow and seconded by Councilperson Edwin Wicker.

Senn made mention of another goal he would like to consider is a history marker of the Black business district in Newberry.

Also under new business, council approved the fiscal year 2023-2024 budget calendar. Motion was made by Councilperson Jackie Holmes and seconded by Councilperson Carlton Kinard.

Council will begin review of the budget on May 2, 2023 and continue on evenings of May 3 and May 4 if needed. First reading and public hearing of the fiscal year 2023-24 budget ordinance will be completed during the June 13 meeting, with second reading and adoption of the budget planned for a special meeting on Tuesday, June 20.

Also approved by council were the 2023 regular meetings and work session dates. Council will plan to meet on the second Tuesday of each month in 2023, apart from February which will take place on the third Tuesday, February 21. Motion to approve the dates was made by Kinard and seconded by Councilperson David DuBose.

Council also approved the 2023 jury list on Tuesday. South Carolina State law requires city council to annually approve the jury list for the City of Newberry Municipal Court. Motion was made by Senn and seconded by Kinard.

Public Comment

Stephen Corsini addressed council on Ritz Fest, an event focused on suicide prevention that will take place on February 4 at the Ritz Theater. Corsini spoke with council on the event and invited council and staff to volunteer if they’d like to participate.

Following executive session, council returned to open session. With a motion made by Glasgow and second by Kinard, Patricia Caldwell was given an additional five-year term on the Newberry Housing Authority Board.

City Council will meet again on Wednesday, December 21 for a special presentation of the city’s audit. Their next regular meeting will be on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

For the 29th year in a row, the City of Newberry received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. From left to right: Mayor Foster Senn, Finance Director Shannon Smith and City Manager Matt DeWitt.

 Also recognized by council was Graham Sligh, for his internship with the City of Newberry Utility Department as a Fiber Optic/AMI Technician intern. From left to right: Mayor Foster Senn, Graham Sligh and Utility Director Tim Baker.

 Jim Headley, executive director of the South Carolina Recreation and Parks Association presented Gretchen Haskett, deputy director of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism department with their Park Excellence Award.

 The City of Newberry was selected as the South Carolina Municipal Insurance and Risk Management Award winner for 2022 for their ability to reduce the frequency and severity of losses. From left to right: Mayor Foster Senn, Human Resources Manager Jana Boice and City Manager Matt DeWitt.

Original source can be found here.