Dustin Guy was recognized by City Council for his five years of service. He currently holds the position of Public Works Service Streets Supervisor.
Courtesy photos
Bridget Carey was recognized for five years of service with the city’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department as the city’s tourism and events manager.
Courtesy photos
From the utilities department, Daniel Shaw was recognized for his five years of service. Shaw currently leads the water and sewer teams.
Courtesy photos
Also from the utilities department, Dillon Amick was recognized for his five years of service. Amick leads the sewer collections system team, a position his supervisor said is well suited to his skills and commitment.
Courtesy photos
Jeff H. Wicker was recognized for his 35 years of service. Wicker currently holds the position of Level 3 Heavy Equipment Operator.
Courtesy photos
NEWBERRY – Newberry City Council recognized employees for various milestones Tuesday night.
In the public works department, Dustin Guy was recognized by council for his five years of service. Guy began working with the city on July 8, 2019 and currently holds the position of Public Works Service Streets Supervisor.
Also from public works, Jeff H. Wicker was recognized on the milestone of 35 years. Wicker started with the city on August 8, 1989 and currently holds the position of Level 3 Heavy Equipment Operator.
From the utilities department, Dillon Amick was recognized for his five years of service. Amick began his employment with the city in June 2019 and leads the sewer collections system team, a position his supervisor said is well suited to his skills and commitment.
“Dillon has consistently demonstrated exceptional work ethic and dedication, often going above and beyond in his role,” said Utility Director Tim Baker.
Daniel Shaw was also recognized from the city’s utilities department for his five years of service. Shaw joined the city in August 2019 and currently leads the water and sewer teams.
“Daniel is known for his strong work ethic and commitment to excellence,” Baker said.
Bridget Carey was recognized for her five years of service with the city’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. Carey began with PRT in July 2019 and is the city’s tourism and events manager.
“Bridget has been a true team player from her first day on the job, willing to assist any division of PRT to ensure the community is well-served,” said PRT Director Collin Shealy.
Announcements
As additional updates for council and the community, Mayor Foster Senn shared more good news items from the city to include Wayne Redfern as the most recent employee spotlight, the success of the National Night Out event, ribbon cutting at Southern Suds downtown, improvements to Memorial Park, and the upcoming Towns in Tune event.
Several proclamations were issues Tuesday, the first for Constitution Week, designated for September 17-23, followed by a proclamation for Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 – October 15.
A proclamation was also issued declaring October 6-12 as both Public Power Week and Fire Prevention Week in the City of Newberry.
Baker shared as part of Public Power Week that the utilities department has a celebration planned for Thursday, October 10 from 3-6 p.m. at Marion Davis Park. The celebration will include gifts for customers while supplies last.
Fire Chief Gene Shealy shared that during Fire Prevention Week they’d be visiting schools and sharing fire prevention materials.
As an update to council, Assistant City Manager Jeff Wicker provided an update on the US EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant sharing that to date, they’ve completed nine phase one assessments and three phase two assessments out of grant funding.
“We currently don’t have any active assessments going on so we do have capacity and we’re always looking for projects,” Wicker said.
City Manager Jason Taylor updated council during his report on Tuesday sharing that the city had received two grants – one to assist in making the city an even more attractive place to live and the other, an even safer place to live.
The City of Newberry has received $66,000 to create a city urban forestry master plan. The grant was received from the SC Forestry Commission via the US Forestry Commission and requires a $16,500 local match that would allow the city to come up with a plan to plant trees throughout the city.
“Trees make cities more attractive to live in, cooler to walk on the sidewalks,” said Taylor. “Trees are important to improving the quality of life for the city, but you do have to have a plan and that’s what this money is for, to create a plan.”
The second grant, in the amount of $240,000 to look at the city’s highways, streets, and pedestrian byways to make sure they’re safer. The grant, from USDOT will allow the city to assess areas where they can improve the safety of pedestrians and drivers through ways such as crosswalks. A $60,000 match is required of the city for this grant.
Old Business
A public hearing was held Tuesday on an ordinance to authorize the painting of a mural on the west facing wall on the corner of Lindsay and Main Streets. The mural is described as a welcoming floral mural with “Newberry” depicted in a vintage typeface, giving a nod to the historic roots of the city.
Following the public hearing with no one speaking in favor or opposition to the proposed ordinance, council held second and final reading. Motion to approve second reading was made by Councilperson Carlton Kinard and seconded by Councilperson Jackie Holmes.
New Business
Under new business, council approved the fiscal year 2025-26 budget calendar. Motion to approve the calendar was made by Councilperson Lemont Glasgow and seconded by Kinard.
Council will begin reviewing the fiscal year 2025-26 budget on April 22, 2025 and continue on the evenings of April 30 and May 1 if needed. The work sessions are suggested to start at 5 p.m. It is recommended that the regular council meeting remain at its normal time and date of May 13 at 7 p.m.
City Council will plan to conduct first reading and public hearing of the budget ordinance during the June 10, 2025 meeting and second reading and adoption of the budget ordinance would be held the following Tuesday at a special meeting of City Council on Tuesday, June 17.
Motion was then made by Holmes and seconded by Councilperson David Force to approve the 2025 regular city council meeting and work session dates. Regular council meetings will be held at 7 p.m. (apart from the aforementioned June 17 meeting) on the second Tuesday of each month.
Also under new business, council approved a resolution committing the city to a local match for a Municipal Association of South Carolina Hometown Economic Development Grant and following its procurement policy when securing services and products with grant funds.
Senn said the city intended to apply for MASC’s Hometown Economic Development Grant for planning funds for revitalization of the Newberry Historic District, to include the Back Streets. The application is due September 27 and includes a resolution committing the city to a 15% match of at least $3,750 towards a maximum of $21,250 award for a total of $25,000 as well as committing to following the city’s procurement policy adopted in accordance with the SC Code of Laws Section 11-35-50.
Motion to approve the resolution was made by Glasgow and seconded by Councilperson David DuBose.
Council then adopted a resolution to appoint voting delegates to the South Carolina Rural Water Association. The SCRWA requests that a voting delegate and alternate voting delegate be appointed to represent the City of Newberry. Senn said that city staff requests that Utility Director Tim Baker be appointed as voting delegate and Krystal Bates be appointed as alternate voting delegate.
Motion to approve the resolution was made by Force and seconded by DuBose.
Other updates
A request was approved by council Tuesday to authorize the city manager to enter into a design-build contract for the Newberry Arts Center. The city issued a request for proposals for firms interested in performing design-build work to renovate the old Newberry Observer building. Tyler Construction was selected to perform the work.
The guaranteed maximum price quoted by the selected firm was $487,000 over the previously approved project budget. After reviewing this, Taylor said as opposed to cutting the process, they were requesting council to look at the additional funds come from the following sources: $250,000 from the Community Housing and Development Fund, and $237,000 from the Hospitality tax funds.
Motion was made by Kinard and seconded by Force to authorize the city manager to enter into the design-build agreement with Tyler Construction for the work to be performed for the Newberry Arts Center renovation.
Redfern told council that there was an estimated start date of October 7 on construction to the building.
Council also approved two requests for allowing alcohol in designated event areas. The first for the upcoming Towns in Tune event for the evening of September 27.
PRT staff along with the Newberry Downtown Development Association request permission to allow beer and wine only, served and sold by approved vendors using plastic cups to be no larger than 16oz to be taken from the respective vendors into the event area, allowing patrons to travel with an alcoholic beverage in that area if they are carrying the allowed beverage in a plastic cup. Event patrons will be carded and over 21 wristbands will be provided by the approved event vendors.
The event area includes Main Street from Nance to Graham Streets, Boyce Street from Nance to Caldwell Streets, McKibben Street from Boyce to Main Streets, Caldwell Street from Boyce to Main Streets and Lindsay Street from Main to Martin Streets.
Motion to approve was made by Holmes and seconded by Councilperson Edwin Wicker.
The second request approved requested permission to allow alcoholic beverages within the event area on Saturday, October 5 for the city’s annual Oktoberfest event.
The same parameters of beer and wine in plastic cups apply. The event area includes Main Street from Nance to Holman Streets, Boyce Street from Nance to College Streets, McKibben Street from Harrington to Main Streets, Caldwell Street from Boyce to Main Streets, College Street from Boyce to Main Streets and Lindsay Street from Main to Martin Streets.
Motion to approve was made by Force and seconded by Holmes.
Kinard then made a motion to nominate Bill Davis to the Newberry Opera House Foundation Board. The motion was seconded by Holmes.
Presentations
Alanna Boozer, chair of the board of directors for CREATE Newberry spoke before council on Tuesday regarding their partnership with the arts center and the City of Newberry.
Boozer shared of the groups mission to work to provide sustainable support to ensure the growth and appreciation of the arts through programs and services of the Newberry Arts Center. CREATE Newberry provides scholarships for arts center programming, supports other free public art events for children and the annual South Carolina Clay Conference.
CREATE Newberry plans to raise funds to purchase equipment and furniture for the future home of the Newberry Arts Center through sponsorship opportunities, grants and fundraising appeals.
“This is an exciting time for the arts center, for CREATE Newberry, and for the Newberry community,” Boozer said. “I am excited to see what comes next.
As another presentation for council, Senn shared previous efforts of the city to preserve it’s history to include various historical markers, the creation of new city events such as Juneteenth, a remembrance ceremony of police officer Henry Bluford, the 150th birthday of the Newberry Fire Department, among others.
Senn shared new efforts such as looking into historical plaques for buildings within the Newberry Historic District and a way to document the history of the African American business district that primarily was located off of Friend Street.
City Council will hold their next regular meeting on Tuesday, October 8 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.