Darlington City Council Discussed A Variety Of Options To Use $2.9 Million

Darlington City Council discussed a variety of options to use $2.9 million in American Rescue Plan funds during a special meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 19. The City will receive $2,957,193.12 in ARP funding with the first half already in City coffers.

“The needs are greater than the funds we are receiving,” City Manager John Payne said. “With all the projects listed, it would be well over $10 million. These funds are just a drop in the bucket.”

In the last several months, staff gathered preliminary cost estimates for several projects, and that list was presented to Council. Members of the public spoke and made suggestions on how the funds should be used.

According to Mr. Payne, based on the final ARP ruling, there are six categories where funds could be spent.

1. Public health response

2. Replace public sector revenue loss (but not to pay debt, bonds, or match federal funds when prohibited)

3. Invest in water, sewer, or storm water infrastructure

4. Address negative economic impacts of the pandemic

5. Premium pay for employees working through the pandemic

6. Broadband infrastructure

Plans to use the ARP Funds

- Premium Pay for Employees: $500,000

- Infrastructure: $2.4 million

- Projects, including additions made during the Jan. 19 meeting, total more than $10 million.

- Gravity Sewer – Country Club Pump Station Elimination: $207,600. DHEC fines of up to $10,000 per day possible if no plan for a remedy is in place. This project eliminates future expenses such as electricity and maintenance of this pump station, which will save money in the long run.

- Replace Filter Media Water Treatments Plants: $258,400. Ensures the potability of the City’s drinking water all over town.

- Wastewater Treatment Plan Basins 1A and 1B Rehab: $362,800 per year for four years for a total of $1,451,200. DHEC fines of up to $10,000 per day possible if no plan for a remedy is in place.

- Cashua Ferry Road Pump Station at McLeod Hospital: $413,900. DHEC fines of up to $10,000 per day possible if no plan for a remedy is in place. This project removes the leaking sewer line running beside Cashua Ferry Road that crosses Black Creek, removing the hazard to the environment and serving the City’s hospital.

- Fire Hydrant Upgrades Citywide: $660,200. DHEC fines of up to $10,000 per day possible if no plan for a remedy is in place. This project would fund the replacement of 30 of the City’s 300+ hydrants.

- Renovate Sewer Pumping Stations: $1,296,400. DHEC fines of up to $10,000 per day possible if no plan for a remedy is in place. Currently, a $1.8 million grant is renovating four pump stations on the south side of Darlington and will be complete by summer. This project would address issues at the remaining pump stations in the City to make them uniform for maintenance, parts, etc.

- Gravity Sewer Install at Nez Perce, Wyandot, and Iroquois Streets: $1,501,300. This project would grow the City’s system and eliminate septic tanks in that neighborhood. The revenue generated from the project would be more than $50,000 per year at full capacity.

- East Broad and South Main Street Sewer Lining: $1,813,300. This project was developed based on investigations done following the East Broad Street sewer collapse that diverted traffic for more than a year. An emergency S.C. Rural Infrastructure Grant helped make those repairs, but the collapse uncovered more problems with the sewer line going down East Broad to South Main Street. This project would line the sewer pipes along 4,300 linear feet to prevent a major collapse at a cost much lower than replacing the pipes (half the cost).

- East Broad and South Main Street Storm Water Project: $1,610,350. This project would reduce or eliminate the flooding at that intersection.

- Carraway Park Outdoor Stage: $15,000.

- Hampton Street and Bowen Manor Parks: $31,115.

- Tractor for camera system: $42,000. This equipment purchase would allow the City to investigate obstructions in storm drains, water lines, and sewer lines to identify the problem without tearing up the roads.

- Paving various streets in South Darlington: The list provided by a citizen will be reduced to those the City owns while the City will request SCDOT put the others on the list to be paved. Roads include Farm, Lee, Edwards, Chestnut, Jessamine, Ross, Cross, Reid, Joe Louis, Hunter, Abe Lincoln, Jordan, Hickory, Pine, Broad, and Tallulah Streets.

- Storm Water Repairs on Jessamine, Chestnut, and Reid Streets. This project may include Virgil Wells Circle.

- Ditch Maintenance Citywide. Especially Jordan, Sparks, Henry, Gandy, and Milling Streets.

- Storm Water Repairs on Pearl Street from Washington to Sycamore Streets. The project would address flooding in front of businesses along Pearl Street. This includes the sinkhole behind St. James United Methodist Church.

- Storm Water Repairs at Harkless Property. This project would address the hole on the Harkless property caused by a patchwork of storm water systems connecting at that point.

The next Darlington City Council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

Due to COVID restrictions, there is limited seating in the courtroom with preference given to staff, council, and members of the media. Watch the meeting live at https://www.facebook.com/DarlingtonCityMeetingsLIVE. You can find the agenda posted online by noon Monday prior to the meeting at https://www.cityofdarlington.com/city-council-agendas-meeting-minutes/.