It was a typical hot, muggy August day but it felt more like Christmas in Johnston when a shiny new red fire truck pulled into the Town’s administrative building parking lot.

The truck was funded by a Community Development Block Grant. The Town of Johnston received $454,545 in CDBG funding in November 2019 for purchase of the new fire truck to replace a 1973 model.

The new truck that arrived Aug. 5 will help provide the Town with better fire protection.

Upper Savannah’s Community Development staff prepared and submitted the grant application on behalf of the Town. Community Development Project Manager Brittany Hallman and Community Development Director Keith Smith spearheaded the application efforts.

The first time Johnston Mayor Thomas Holmes saw the truck, “it was being driven around Johnston looking for a place to get some diesel fuel,” he said, with a laugh. “Then it pulled into our parking lot.”

He added, “It’s a good-looking vehicle, we are certainly proud of it and are looking forward to putting the truck into full service.”

Holmes is impressed by the features of the new truck including air brakes and LED lighting.

“It’s got an automatic transmission and the other one (1973 truck) was a straight drive. We have some younger firemen who have never driven a straight-drive transmission,” Holmes said.

“I am amazed by the workmanship with the diamond-plated areas that we work off of are nice looking. The extendable ladders fit inside a compartment and don’t hang off the outside of the truck.”

The Johnston Fire Department has “approximately 23-25 volunteers,” Holmes said, including Fire Chief John Clark.

“Those younger firemen are real excited about getting the new truck,” Holmes said.

The 1973 truck will be decommissioned though the mayor does not know what the Town will do with it yet.

“The 1973 truck has been around for a long time,” he said. “The (name) plate on the side of the truck has the fire chiefs and council members on it (from 1973). There is only one living member left in the town whose name is on the side of that truck and that’s the former fire chief.”

Holmes said the Town is appreciative of the grant.

“The Town didn’t have to fork out a lot of money for it. Being a smaller town like we are, it would take us years to save that kind of money to afford that. We’d have to borrow the money and extend it over years. The grant money was a wonderful thing for us.

“We appreciate everyone who worked at putting together the grant. We started this before the pandemic. We’ve anticipated this (the truck’s arrival) for a couple years now and it’s finally here and we are excited about it.”

Former Town Councilman Holmes was elected mayor in the spring to replace Terrance Culbreath, who did not run for re-election.

“I invited him (Culbreath) up the other day because he started the (application) process,” Holmes said. “He was pleased to see it. He was a vital cog in putting this together.”

USCOG’s Hallman and Smith were present for the truck’s arrival also.

“It’s very rewarding for Keith and I,” Hallman said. “We know this truck will have many positive impacts from a fire protection standpoint as well as the Town’s ISO (insurance) rating.

“The new truck will give the department the tank and pump capacity needed to comply with their ISO. The 1973 truck is a classic, but it’s no longer feasible to the department from a fire protection standpoint.”

For all who are involved, the truck was worth the wait.

“We have been anxiously anticipating delivery for the past few months,” Hallman said. “The pandemic set us back on completion of the truck and delivery date. It was exciting to finally see it arrive.”

Laurens County School District 55 is among several entities which are benefiting from Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funding with Upper Savannah COG staff’s assistance.

The CDBG-CV funding is used to help prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

USCOG applied for and was awarded CDBG-CV funds for five projects, including air purifiers for the 10 schools in Laurens County School District 55. Upper Savannah Economic Recovery Specialist Cason Wright assisted the recipients and submitted the applications.

The air purifiers are cleansing the air in the school buildings, helping to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses, allowing for students to stay healthy and continue learning by face-to-face instruction.

District 55 was delivered a check for $161,236.65 from the CDBG-CV program on April 26 to fund the project. Pictured are Wright (left) and District 55 Director of Federal Programs, Accountability, and Professional Development Dr. Anna Brink.

“Laurens 55 is committed to providing the safest environment possible for students. The decision to focus on air quality is one that is grounded in research and the nature of most viruses that travel airborne,” Brink said.

The funding was utilized to purchase stand-alone, or portable, systems that clean larger spaces and areas that share a common conditioning system, Brink said. These systems were placed in each of the schools. The research on the devices was proven to reduce up to 99.9 percent of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in the air within three minutes and shown to reduce over 99.9 percent of many common contaminants in the air and on surfaces, she added.

“We have seen a drastic reduction in the number of cases across the district which cannot solely be based on the implementation of these devices. However, we do believe that they have helped prevent the spread from being greater,” Brink said.

With fewer virus cases, there is more in-school instruction which benefits students and teachers.

“Face-to-face instruction is the method that is most impactful for the majority of learners,” Brink said. “As a district, we are also very cognizant that face-to-face instruction is the method that is most feasible for the majority of families.

“We realize that our campuses provide safe places for students to spend their days, master critical skills, and grow as well-rounded individuals. We recognize that there are countless benefits to students participating in on-campus learning,” Brink added.

Other CDBG-CV projects that have been awarded with USCOG’s assistance include home-delivered meals for seniors ($390,000) who attend group dining facilities in the Upper Savannah Region, a public transit contract for Saluda County ($50,000) that focuses on medical, pharmacy and other essential transportation, HVAC upgrade and UVC air filtration installation at the City of Abbeville Civic Center ($65,400), and UVC air filtration installation at the Abbeville Opera House in the City of Abbeville ($21,500).

Those who attended the Upper Savannah Regional Transportation Workshop learned about the many programs within the S.C. Department of Transportation while receiving updates on current and upcoming road and bridge projects in the Region.

The workshop was organized by Upper Savannah COG and hosted by Piedmont Technical College. More than 40 attended the workshop held on April 20.

Eight speakers from SCDOT talked about their programs or gave updates on road and bridge projects.

SCDOT Deputy Secretary for Intermodal Planning Brent Rewis opened the workshop, pointing out that South Carolina has the fourth largest state-maintained system of highways in the country and that South Carolina has the 10th fastest population growth rate.

Ten-Year Plan Update

The Roads Bill passed by the S.C. General Assembly in 2017 included a gradual yearly gas tax increase that initiated and is helping fund SCDOT’s 10-Year Plan to improve the state’s roads and bridges.

The updated goals of the Plan include doubling the previous pace of resurfacing roads, replacing 500 bridges, improving 140 miles of interstate highways, and adding 1,250 miles of safety features on rural roads.

Rewis told the group that 5,500 miles of roads have been resurfaced, 224 bridges have been completed or are being worked on, 80 miles of interstate highways have been widened, and 713 miles of rural roads have been improved so far. Approximately $3.7 billion in projects are currently under contract, he said.

Now, an additional $250-$300 million in federal funding has been added to help South Carolina incorporate more projects to deal with growth and economic development needs. These funds represent a 30 percent increase over last year and are still subject to the same federal spending rules and regulations.

SCDOT Director of Planning Machael Peterson discussed the planning process for improving roads and bridges that include a Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) prepared by each COG region, including Upper Savannah’s 2021-2027 TIP, and the overall State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP).

“We are selecting projects based on needs,” Peterson said. “Why are we doing this project? What is the purpose of this project? What are we trying to solve with this project?”

SCDOT Statewide Planning Chief Christina Lewis reviewed the Complete Streets program which involves shared mobility including vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and transit riders.

Highway Safety

SCDOT Highway Safety and Data Research Manager Emily Thomas gave statistics including that South Carolina had 1,200 traffic deaths in 2021, the highest traffic death rate in the nation. She said there were more than 147,000 collisions in 2021, with over 3,000 resulting in serious injuries.

Thomas said the Upper Savannah Region of Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick and Saluda counties had 4,383 collisions in 2021 with 50 fatalities and 81 serious injuries.

Thomas said 54 percent of accidents in the Upper Savannah Region were the result of roadway departures. She said the state is adding rumble strips, cable barriers, guardrails and wider/paved shoulders while cutting down trees to make rural travel safer.

She said the state is adding 35 roundabouts and planning 15 more to make rural intersections safer. Roundabouts are circular intersections in which traffic flows counterclockwise around a center island with no traffic signals or stop signs.

“We have a lot to do in South Carolina to make our roads safer,” she said.

Project Timelines

SCDOT Program Manager Tyke Redfearn discussed the timeline of a road project from planning to start-up phase to construction and completion, answering the popular question, “why does it take so long?”

Once a project is selected such as a highway widening or adding turn lanes, preliminary work must be completed. That can include testing soils, locating utilities, identifying wetlands, determining if endangered species are threatened, etc.

Then comes the preliminary design of the project which must include alternatives and variations if not all goes as planned. Stakeholders and the public must be involved, with public information meetings and public hearings scheduled.

Then come right of way acquisitions and sometimes relocating utilities or railroads. Before construction ever begins, there is an engineering phase, advertising the project, receiving bids, analyzing bids and rewarding the project. Costs are astronomical, sometimes exceeding $8 million to widen just one mile of road.

During this entire process, a schedule is made to try to complete each phase in a timely manner. As Peterson said earlier in the day, “the public is usually floored by how much time it takes to deliver (complete) a project.”

Current Project Updates

SCDOT Program Manager Clint Scoville and SCDOT District Engineer Kevin McLaughlin both discussed ongoing and future projects across each of the Region’s six counties.

A lengthy, detailed list of completed and upcoming road resurfacing and reconstruction projects as well as intersection and bridge projects for each county was provided.

Abbeville County has had 13 resurfacing/reconstruction projects completed since 2021 with 15 more upcoming, two bridge replacements completed in 2022 (Bulls Horne Road and Vandiver Road) and one more under way (Erwin Mill Road).

Edgefield County has had five resurfacing/reconstruction projects completed since 2021 with 24 more upcoming, and one bridge replaced (Key Road over Turkey Creek).

Greenwood County has had 12 resurfacing/reconstruction projects completed since 2021 with 28 more upcoming, one intersection project completed in 2021 (SC 702 and 246), and one bridge replaced (Ridge Road).

Laurens County has had seven resurfacing/reconstruction projects completed since 2021 with 23 more upcoming, one intersection project completed (W. Main Street and Trinity Church Road) in 2021, one bridge recently replaced (Hellams Circle), and three more bridges under way (Sawmill Road, Missallie Drive and Golden Acres Road).

McCormick County has had 11 resurfacing/reconstruction projects completed since 2021 with 18 more upcoming, one bridge recently replaced (Key Road over Turkey Creek), and two more under way (Bell Field Road and Rocky Creek Road).

Saluda County has had 11 resurfacing/reconstruction projects completed since 2021 with 17 more upcoming, and four bridges are scheduled to be replaced from August 2022 to April 2023 (Richland Creek Road, Matthews Road, Rocky Creek Road and Shiloh Road).

A complete list of projects can be found on the www.scdot.org website by clicking on “Programs & Projects” and then “Project Viewer.”

TAP Program

SCDOT Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Manager Amy Blinson provided details about grants available for local governments and school districts to fund non-motorized transportation projects.

The projects can include foot and bicycle trails, bicycle lanes, sidewalks, multi-use paths, signage, etc., and some landscaping or streetscaping in non-motorized areas. The grants of up to $1 million must include a 20 percent match and the projects must be well-defined.

Future Projects

Meanwhile, plans are to put the following intersection projects into the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP): Short Cut Road and Highway 25 in Edgefield County, Highways 101 and 14 in downtown Gray Court in Laurens County, and Sweetwater Road and Bypass 25 SE in Greenwood County.

Upper Savannah COG staff sponsored a Community Development Workshop where close to 50 attendees learned details about Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Economic Development Administration (EDA) and Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) funding.

Forty-two attended the workshop in person at Ninety Six First Baptist Church on Jan. 12 while five participated virtually.

The counties of Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick and Saluda; the cities of Abbeville, Clinton and Greenwood; the towns of Calhoun Falls, Due West, Edgefield, Gray Court, McCormick, Ridge Spring, Troy and Ware Shoals; the Greenwood, Laurens, Ninety Six and McCormick commissioners of public works (CPWs); and the Greenwood Metropolitan District, Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission, and Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority were represented.

Many of those represented have successfully applied for CDBG grants and have completed projects. But USCOG Community Development Project Manager Brittany Hallman wanted those in attendance to have an overview of all available funding opportunities.

“It was something Keith and I felt was a need for our region,” said Hallman, referring to Upper Savannah Community Development Director Keith Smith.

“Keith and I discussed with our CDBG Grants Manager (Nate Foutch) and decided we would incorporate other funding sources to encourage participation and provide exposure to other Community Development programs,” she said.

“With the overwhelming help and support of Shannon Hill and Cason Wright (from the USCOG staff) we were able to make this workshop successful,” she said.

Foutch, CDBG Grants Manager from the S.C. Department of Commerce, was one of three presenters at the workshop. Also presenting were Robin Cooley, South Carolina’s EDA Representative; and Liz Rosinski, Senior Program Manager/Marketing and Outreach, S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority.

“The purpose of the Community Development Workshop was to provide information regarding available funding resources to our Upper Savannah Region,” Hallman said. “It was important for us to provide our region an opportunity to network with other counties, municipalities and organizations that utilize the programs.

“The workshop allowed organizations to see the impacts of these programs, not just in our region but throughout the state. We hope the exposure to these programs and networking will promote innovative thinking, further utilizing these programs and encouraging community development. This opportunity also allowed us to familiarize them with our role here at Upper Savannah, and our involvement with these funding sources.”

Hallman said the guest speakers did a “great job” presenting their funding source information. “Many of the state and federally funded programs can be overwhelming to those who are not familiar. Our guest speakers did a great job condensing the information and presenting it comprehensively,” she said.

Attendees received handouts containing printed versions of the presentation and contact information associated with each funding source.

“I believe the attendees were encouraged by the opportunities available to them,” she added.

For more information about community development, contact USCOG at 864.941.8050.