Florence County Council aims to spur economic development

COWARD — Florence County Council is one step away from giving final approval to financial agreements for economic development projects that could bring more than $20 million in investment and about 300 jobs to the county.

Council on Thursday approved second readings of ordinances including an infrastructure financing agreement with Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises Inc., which filed in January for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The agreement with Smurfit-Stone would give the company special-source revenue credits, which apply against property taxes it would have otherwise paid. The credits will be worth 40 percent of the company’s payment in lieu of taxes resulting from an $18 million investment over the past year in Florence County, according to county documents.

Smurfit-Stone’s investment would have qualified for a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement, but such an arrangement is required to be made in advance of the investment, Florence County Administrator Richard Starks said.

Council also approved second readings of fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements with Wellman Plastics Recycling and JP Morgan Chase.

Wellman has announced its plans to resume three-shift operations seven days a week in Johnsonville, which would result in a taxable investment of at least $3 million and create at least 100 full-time jobs, county documents state.

JP Morgan Chase, meanwhile, is planning to overhaul its Enterprise Drive location near Florence, Starks said. The project will be a taxable investment of at least $2.5 million and create at least 250 full-time jobs within five years, county documents state.

The fees would be determined by applying a 6-percent assessment ratio to the economic development property’s fair market value and using a fixed millage rate for 20 years.

All the ordinances must pass a third and final reading.

Also during Thursday’s meeting, Florence County Emergency Medical Services Director Ryon Watkins told council about technology that will allow paramedics to send electrocardiograms of heart patients from an ambulance to local hospitals.

McLeod Health and Carolinas Hospital System are splitting the $41,000 cost of software upgrades and interface devices necessary to provide the service, Watkins said.

The technology will be important for heart-attack patients in rural areas of the county, where transport time to the major hospitals can be 30 to 45 minutes, he said.

The upgrades will allow paramedics to send the readings via e-mail to cardiologists, Watkins said. The county’s 800 megahertz radio system would transmit the information to a receiving station in the hospitals’ emergency departments, he said.

The county over the past few years has bought heart monitors for $180,000 and paramedics have been trained to read the electrocardiographs, or EKGs, Watkins said.

Thursday’s meeting was at the community building in Lynches River County Park, between Coward and Effingham.

Following the meeting, the county had its annual employee recognition ceremony for nearly 160 employees who have five to 35 years of service with the county as of Dec. 31.

Council members also unanimously approved council Vice Chairman Waymon Mumford’s motion to give a holiday employee “appreciation” of $200, which is double the bonus that county employees received last year.

Council also voted to accept the second-lowest bid of $42,000 by Hatchell Landscaping Inc. of Florence for landscaping and maintenance at the new Olanta and Timmonsville libraries after the lowest bidder was unable to fulfill its contractual obligation, Starks said. The lowest bid was $29,626.

In addition, council approved final reading of the updated administrative procedures for the county’s comprehensive plan, which is undergoing an update after 10 years. The elements of the plan can be viewed online at www.florenceco.org/planning.

Early in the meeting, council approved a motion by councilman Russell Culberson to acknowledge that Florence County, based upon the best available scientific data, doesn’t fit the definition of a hurricane-prone area under the 2006 International Residential Code.

A precise interpretation of the 2006 code puts the county in a higher wind zone, Starks said. Four other South Carolina counties, however, have also made the interpretation that they don’t fit in such a zone, he said. The 2006 code’s redefined zones also are expected to be repealed, he added.

Florence County’s interpretation should help keep construction costs down somewhat, Starks said. Many people were waiting on council’s decision before obtaining building permits, he said.

In other business, council approved infrastructure and Road System Maintenance Fee funds to resurface several Florence roads with asphalt. The allocations include $72,610 for Roughfork Street, $21,384 for Jefferson Street, $12,584 for South Flanders Road, and $8,700 for completion of paving to alleviate drainage issues at North Vista Elementary School.

Council members also approved infrastructure funds for Johnsonville’s and Pamplico’s Christmas celebrations in the amount of $500 for each parade and an additional $1,000 for Timmonsville’s Christmas parade.