County approves Grocery Store Investment Incentive Policy

NEWBERRY COUNTY — Newberry County Council officially approved the Grocery Store Investment Incentive Policy (previously reported on Nov. 30) on Oct. 7.

This new policy, authored by councilmembers Harriett Rucker, Henry Livingston and Travis Reeder, offers credits against property tax liability to companies making investments that expand full-service grocery shopping in Newberry County, according to County Administrator Wayne Adams.

“There are three tiers of the credit, triggered respectively by expenditures of $1 million, $2.5 million, and $4 million. Each category qualifies for a 60 percent reduction of property taxes due (all levies) for 20 years; except that, the credit is 100 percent for each of the first three years for an expenditure of at least $2.5 million, and 100 percent for the first five years for an expenditures of at least $4 million,” Adams said.

This policy was approved unanimously by the Economic Development Committee at its meeting on September 28, prior to being sent to full Council.

“This is of great interest to our community that we attempt to get a new grocery store here,” Rucker said.

Livingston said, per this policy, Council will still have the ability to approve or reject (applicants) depending on the grocery store. He said the Council will be able to decide if the store will truly benefit the residents of Newberry County and the community.

The policy was approved after Rucker made a motion and Reeder gave a second.

Rucker added that this will be a combination effort with Newberry County and the City of Newberry, with the latter creating their own policy.

In other business, Council approved a new policy where members of the Planning Commission, along with members of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), receive a per-meeting attendance payment as a means of further encouraging regular participation.

“Despite Council’s recent action reducing the size of the Planning Commission, that entity has not been able to generate a quorum in four months. The inability of the Planning Commission to consider business items impacts private-sector and homeowner investment in Newberry County, making the commission members’ attendance worthy of Council’s further attention,” Adams said. “It should be noted that the BZA (which is separate from the Planning Commission) currently generates a monthly quorum on a regular basis.”

Adams said this is not without precedent and the county pays $60 per meeting to members of the Board of Assessment Appeals, and $75 per meeting to its chair.

“Staff feels that this same level of remuneration would be fair compensation for members of the Planning Commission and the BZA,” Adams said. “The cost of this expenditure for the remainder of the fiscal year, which would come from Council’s contingency line item, is $9,990.”

Other business:

• Council approved third reading of an ordinance to declare surplus and approve the sale and transfer a portion of certain real estate property owned by Newberry County. This ordinance, according to Adams, contemplates the sale of approximately five acres of county property to the owners of Wilson Tractor, a business located on Wilson Road in Newberry. The property involved is situated directly across Wilson Road from Wilson Tractor and is a portion of Tax Map Parcel Number 399-39. The negotiated selling price for the property is $20,000. The two parts of the property to be conveyed are intervened by a small roadside park (Morningside Park) believed to have been constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The county would retain this portion of the property. As part of the consideration for this transaction, the prospective buyers have optioned to the county for purchase 192.45 acres of property under their ownership. This property is comprised of Tax Map Parcel Numbers 345-14 and 345-3 and is located along the Highway 34 bypass. The county is marketing this property as an industrial site. We have already begun due diligence testing on this property, and it has been made part of a Duke Energy site readiness program. Duke Energy will pay for most of the due diligence testing – about $60,000. Council also held a public hearing for this ordinance, no one spoke for or against.

• Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to declare surplus and approve the transfer of a portion of certain real estate property owned by Newberry County. This ordinance, according to Adams, contemplates conveying to the Town of Prosperity at no cost or nominal cost a property that is approximately 0.03 acres (1,400 sq. ft.) in size and which lies partially within the railroad right-of-way. The location is near the intersection of McNeary and Dewalt streets in Prosperity and is marked by the presence of a very small building owned by a resident, who has a ground lease with Newberry County. The resident wants to give the building to the Town of Prosperity, according to Adams. Deeding the underlying property to the Town of Prosperity would unify ownership of the land and the building situated on it. This property is of no practical use to Newberry County, according to Adams.

• Council approved the first and second quarter invoices — in the amount of $36,000 — from the Central S.C. Alliance Fiscal Year 2020-21.

• During a Economic Development Committee Report, Economic Development Director Rick Farmer said that Packaging Corporation of America, in Newberry, will close. He said there are about 80 employees there and they have worked to promote job openings at 20 local companies. He said, “Ideally, none will be unemployed, the day they leave PCA is the day they walk into a new job.”