January 2020 Council Highlights

This month we wanted to share some highlights from 2019 year end report:

  • 14 homeowners were given house rehab assistance.
  • 59 dilapidated structures were demolished through our codes enforcement, these are always performed at the owners request and/or permission.
  • Sumter Fire Department installed over 568 smoke detectors in residential homes.
  • Project Checkmate, our senior citizen assistance program, had 1630 participants last year.
  • Over 500 youth, ages 13-19, participated in our Teen Sumter program, one that features life-skills and soft-skills necessary for success now and in the future and where students gain knowledge of the options and opportunities available to them in the Sumter Community. City staff work with and through several existing youth programs around the community as well as directly with the schools.
  • Downtown Sumter began their new art program with the Main Street Society, consisting of fiberglass butterflies painted by local artists.  The final project will be installed in spring 2020.
  • For the first time, our Business License Inspectors were able to reconcile and collect all delinquent city and county business license accounts by fiscal year end.
  • We opened our new 9,200 sq. ft. Utility Billing facility, located at 130 S. Harvin Street. This is the facility that over 27,214 residents and customers visit annually. Combined with new digital equipment and our data meters, this facility also provides greater public safety and security of our customers’ personal data.
  • All federal and state water quality standards were met throughout the year, even with a major increase in water production due to higher demand, at our newest plant #6 south of the City.
  • Our wastewater treatment facility produced 1,129 tons of Poconite, which is marketed and sold as a soil enhancer.
  • New SCADA digital equipment has been installed at seven critical lift stations around the City. This upgrade allows for 24 hour monitoring of the operation at each station.
  • Several thousand feet of drain pipe and ditches were repaired to help alleviate flooding in some sustaining areas around the city, not including 14 miles of stream channel along the Pocotaligo River.
  • Customers can opt in to round-up their bills each month to the nearest dollar. That extra change is put into our Neighbor Helping Neighbor program that assists qualified residents to receive assistance in paying their water bill. Last year’s contributions to the program were just over $3,215.
  • We renovated the family home of General Thomas Sumter and built a new Meeting House at Memorial Park.
  • Swan Lake nursery produced over 50,000 flowers last year, which are used at our parks, entrances and other locations throughout the city.
  • New Swan Sanctuary was constructed in order to protect vulnerable high value swans, while allowing public access.
  • Swan Lake Visitation for the year was over 430,000 people, which included 6 months where the main gate was closed.
  • A new park/green space was developed, call Artillery Park, located in the triangle area between Guignard Drive, N. Artillery Drive and Liberty Street.
  • The Palmetto Tennis Center was the only facility in the state to host a National Junior Team event. This is seven (7) consecutive years for this tournament. Including all tournaments, players, coaches and officials that visit the Center each year, that’s a $23.6 million dollar impact on the local economy – based on average spending of players during their visit with Sumter businesses.
  • The Sumter Opera House had over 25,000 visitors last year at 104 events, that’s 20% growth from the previous year. They are celebrating there 125th anniversary this year, with lots of different activities.
  • Our tourism team participated in briefings and tours to 4,553 newcomers to Shaw AFB.
  • We completed the Sumter 2040 Comprehensive Plan, Housing Study, Vacant Property Study and the Downtown Master Plan.
  • The city received nine (9) awards throughout the year, significant awards were:
    • All-America City Finalist
    • Main Street South Carolina Inspiration Award
    • American Association of Retirement Communities Seal of Approval
    • Our Warehouse processed 88 lots of materials for sale through GovWorld Auctions, an online site that assists us with liquidation of our equipment and assets.
  • Regular City Council meetings are held in the Council Chambers on the 4th floor of the Opera House. City residents are encouraged to attend. Next month we have one planned meeting, due to all of Council attending a state-wide meeting in Columbia. The next City Council meeting will be February 18th at 5:30 PM.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MEETINGS, EVENTS AND MORE, VISIT WWW.SUMTERSC.GOV.