Marion County officials look to expand industrial park

During an update to council members during this past week, Marion County administrator Tim Harper informed council that plans to increase the size of the Marion County Industrial Park could get some much needed assistance.

Harper said he had received word that the county will be awarded a $1 million grant from the S.C. Department of Commerce’s rural infrastructure fund to purchase land and put infrastructure in place at the site, adding that the process has been in the works for several months.

In other business, council approved second reading of an ordinance to lease tower space on the Marion County communications tower at the old landfill site on Old Stage Road. 
Council introduced and ordinance to create a multi-county industrial park for SOPAKCO, inc.

Will Harrelson of Kenneth Cobb & Company presented the 2008 audit report for the Marion County library. Harrelson said the library had no instances of noncompliance, but ran a deficit of $16,000.
The general balance for the library was $86,000, he said. The revenue for library was $648,000 with expenditures of $664,000.

Marion County library director Salley Davidson said carry over funds have been used to make up the difference and that the library is operating although the local funding has been flat for three years and suffered through budget cuts handed down from the state.

“It’s a pretty big swing from 2007 to 2008,” Harrelson said.

Council appointed Paul Crandall and John Nichols to the Pee Dee Workforce Investment board and approved bids to purchase one new ambulance and agreed to have another remounted.

The bids were awarded to Southeastern Specialty Vehicles (Road Rescue, Marion). The cost of the new ambulance is $103,042 and $74,364 for the remount.