A $9 Million investment that could employ 70 people could be coming to Clinton, off Hwy 72 near I-26, based on action Monday by the Laurens County Council.
The inducement for the unnamed company passed by resolution, and the fee-in-lieu-of-taxes ordinance and multi-county industrial park ordinance were approved by title only. Those agreements should be ready for review by the council’s January meeting.
This is Project Diamond. Projects at this stage are code-named for competitive reasons, and the names of companies making investments are disclosed on 3rd and final reading of their ordinances, when a public hearing is legally required.
Jon Coleman, executive director of the Laurens County Development Corporation, said the new company will be located “behind” Nordson, on property already designated for industrial development. Announcements of new industries in South Carolina are done by the Department of Commerce.
Council also was invited to a Thursday morning ceremony at the county’s potters field, where indigent people’s remains are buried. It will be at 11 a.m. at the field on Belleview Church Road. Coroner Patti Canupp said the county public works and parks and recreation have spent several hours cleaning the property and new crosses have been installed.
“It is a very special service,” Canupp said.
Over 100 graves have been found, she said, and 7-8 names of the dead have been found with markers on order. Nine indigent people, including a veteran and a baby, will be buried here after Christmas, she said.
Directional signs from the Laurens County Airport terminal on Torrington Road will show people coming from Laurens how to get to the potters field. Access from Clinton is available along the other end of Torrington Road, also.
In a different matter, electronic signs will be stationed at the Laurens Electric Co-op this coming weekend to advise motorists on Hwy 14 about the temporary closure of Welcome Church Road. Public Works Director Billy Wilson said a 33-ft pipe on this cut-through road has failed and will be replaced during the weekend.
The road should re-open by Sunday, he said, and should be repaved on Monday.
There were no public comments on agenda items.
Coleman said Laurens County will be busy with industrial announcements in January and February. In addition to the $9M investment in Clinton, council moved along approvals for a $93 Million investment creating 126 jobs at the former Michelin distribution center on Hwy 221 North and I-385 (Project IPE) and a $63 Million investment creating 50 jobs in a large building/warehouse located in the Hunter Industrial Park, Laurens. These were 2nd readings of these ordinances; the companies’ names likely will be disclosed on 3rd and final reading.
Responding to a request from Council Member Arthur Philson Jr., Coleman said new and existing industries will be contacted about providing support for community enhancement agencies like soup kitchens and the Empowerment Center.
Council gave 1st reading to an ordinance authorizing the purchase of 1 & 3 Gallon Street in the Wattsville area of Laurens. The County has received a $3,753,630 resilience grant to improve wastewater disposal in this area and has to provide a $251,348 match. The $75,000 cost of the property will be part of that matching funds requirement. Second reading will be given at a called meeting on Dec. 22 - at that time, council also will offer a public forum for residents to comment on any matter of interest to them.
Council approved a schedule of council meetings and holidays. On a recommendation from Philson, council approved a change - from Dec. 24, 25 & 28 for Christmas to Dec. 31 being a holiday in place of Dec. 28. That’s so that when the Christmas holiday goes over a weekend, 3 days doesn’t turn into 5 days with the courthouse and county offices closed and citizens unable to transact business.
“That’s a good catch,” Council Chairman Jeff Carroll said.
Under council members comments, Justin Lane thanked Wilson and County Administrator Jerre Threatt for fast action in getting the Joanna trash site back open on Sunday recently.
“Some people were fired up about the trash center,” Lane said.
Council Member Shirley Clark thanked everyone for their good thoughts and prayers related to her granddaughter, who is doing better, and said she would be traveling during the holidays for her daughter’s wedding.
Philson thanked the IT (information technology) department for getting him a new suit, which he wore to the meeting. “We still have CPST* projects, the work has still got to go on, but we come at it as a team. Thank you all for what you do for Laurens County,” he said.
Council Vice-Chairman Matthew Brownlee said the council still has discussions pending, possibly with the county planning commission, on open-space development. County Attorney Wes Meetze said he has asked Canebrake Civil, an engineering firm in Clinton, to draw some examples of what good open-space development could look like, but he said he couldn’t be sure those would be ready by January. He suggested a workshop-style meeting after the first of the year.
“We’ve had an interesting year,” Carroll said. “We will complete tasks in the next months and we have some we will work on for a while. We have to decide if we want another CPST (referendum). Mr. Threatt, you have hit the ground running. Our leadership and employees are amazing, you can be proud of the work you are doing. We do things on front end of the state. We usually don’t lag behind. We certainly are blessed in this county.”
