County Council recognizes Silverstreet FD

NEWBERRY COUNTY — Newberry County Council kept up with its new tradition of recognizing various emergency service departments by recognizing the Silverstreet Fire Department during last week’s Council Meeting.

Emergency Services Director Tommy Long said the department was established in 1963 and currently has 17 members. Long highlighted the department and their various accomplishments and training completed. Last year, he said, the department responded to 116 calls of service.

Council expressed their appreciation for the department, saying they are “the backbone of the community.”

Council unanimously voted to remove the public hearing and second reading of an ordinance that would rezone one real estate parcel totaling 3.025 acres from GC-General Commercial to R2-Rural after the applicant withdrew their request for rezoning. County Administrator Jeff Shacker said if the applicant wished to re-apply they will have to start the process over.

Other business:

• Council unanimously approved the consideration and approval of the award of a contract for landfill monitoring and reporting services. Council voted to accept a bid from the highest ranked firm, Alliance Consulting Engineers. Newberry County formerly operated a landfill located on Cockrell Drive near SC Highway 219 and Interstate 26. That landfill was closed a number of years ago. Newberry County is required to monitor the landfill and report the results of the monitoring activities to the SC Dept of Environmental Services – formerly SCDHEC. The county has for a number of years engaged consulting engineers to perform the monitoring and to prepare the required reports to SCDES. The current contract is set to expire. County staff solicited proposals from qualified consultants to provide landfill monitoring and reporting services to the county. County staff reviewed those proposals and ranked them using the scoring criteria set forth in the request for proposals.

• Council unanimously passed the consideration and approval of a bid for Little Mountain Reunion Park Improvements, a 2022 CPST Project. Council voted to accept the lowest bidder from Sossamon Construction Company in the amount of $1,533,000. The approved bid is not under the revised budget, but also the balloted amount for the project, this amount also includes the alternates for the project, which includes replacing asphalt with concrete and relocating the flagpole(s).

• Council passed the consideration and approval of bids for Newberry Museum HVAC Replacements, a 2022 CPST Project. Council accepted the lowest bid from Walker White in the amount of $300,003. This bid was for part of the museum project, specifically HVAC replacement. Another bid will be forthcoming that will address the roof at the Newberry Museum. Newberry County, at this time, projects the total will be under budget.

Council also made the following appointments during the meeting:

• Airport Commission – District 1. Tommy Amick

• Board of Zoning Appeals – District 1 Hugh Lister

• Library Board – District 1. Susan Lawson

• Newberry Hospital Board (Seat One) – District 1. Beth Bozard

• Newberry Hospital Board (Seat Two) – District 1. George Oxner

• Disabilities and Special Needs Board – District 1. Bill Braswell

• Joint Planning Commission – District 1. Alan Jenkins

• Westview Behavioral Health Board – District 1. Rev. Edward Jeter

• Board of Rescue Squads – Whitmire. David Andrews, Sr.

• Board of Rural Fire Control – Whitmire. Ray Elison

• Board of Rural Fire Control – Station 8 (Bush River). Keith Minick

• Library Board – District 2. Melanie Hawkins

• Board of Rescue Squads – Lake Murray. Corey Bishop

• Board of Rural Fire Control – Fairview. Paul Cromer

• Board of Rescue Squads – Little Mountain. Nathaniel Birochak

• Board of Rural Fire Control – Little Mountain. Jason Fulmer

• Board of Rescue Squads – Prosperity. Justin Cassada

• Board of Rural Fire Control – Prosperity. Bert Lucas

• Board of Rural Fire Control – St. Philips. Andrew Branham

• Library Board – District 5. Jeremy King

• Board of Rescue Squads – Newberry Rescue. Chris Johnson

• Board of Rural Fire Control – Chappells. Terry Russell

•Newberry County Disabilities and Special Needs – District 7. Yonnie Reeder