The Greenwood County Community Center (GC3) was again discussed during the weekly Greenwood County Commissioner’s meeting on Monday, Feb. 10. Representing the GC3 was Jamie Nelson, as spokesperson Jamie Lindamood was unavailable at the time of the meeting. In prior meetings, the commission had noted they were in favor of paying the city for rental fees for the use of the facility during the annual Greenwood County Fair. Nelson referenced the agreement previously signed by the Greenwood County Fair Association (GCFA), commission, City of Eureka and the Greenwood County 4-H Foundation. Those four entities and one at large position are represented on the GC3 Board. The agreement stated that 4-H would be able to utilize the facility free of charge for the fair, as well as noting that expenses would be split between the City and the County.
Commissioner Preston Evenson stated that in 2023, the county paid $8,000 and in 2024 they paid approximately $8,900. He would like to pledge $10,000 for 2025 and $11,000 for 2026 for the facility for the next two years to get through the current agreement.
Commissioners Approved To Pay $12,000 In Rental Fees At Eureka Downs . . . . . . .
“Instead of paying for utilities, we are paying for rent,” stated Commissioner Roy Ballard. Discussion was held regarding previous requests for roof maintenance and utility costs. Nelson stated the GC3 is working with the GCFA to create a community building at the Eureka Downs building. They are working to make the facility more efficient. See GCFA article elsewhere in this week’s edition for more details. Commission Chair Mac Obourn referenced a line item for the fair. It was later clarified that this line item was for county appropriations for the annual fair, outside of the GC3 agreement.
It was noted that the county has a line item placed in the annual budget to assist with GC3 that is allowed, however it hasn’t been utilized and funds are being pulled from the general fund. Confusion was also shared regarding the grant the GCFA received from the state. Nelson provided an update noting that those grant dollars are for specific uses and must be approved by the state. See GCFA article elsewhere in this week’s edition for more details. Commissioner Ballard noted his problem with the project is the “bowl of spaghetti” this project has, referencing the many entities involved.
Greenwood County Clerk Deann McCaffree noted that confusion is being caused as the lease agreement notes that the 4-H isn’t required to pay rent for the facility. Although a discussion was held in regards to calling the donation a pledge, the commission ultimately approved paying $12,000 for rental use of the facility for 2025. The commission will re-evaluate on an annual basis moving forward. The four-year agreement with the other entities will be up for renewal in 2027.
Greenwood County Emergency Management Director Levi Vinson also stated that after the last meeting, he had been in contact with Nelson. Vinson shared that per that conversation, the Eureka Downs facility will be available for county use in the event of tragic events. Discussion was also held regarding generators. Vinson noted concerns regarding having a generated space for residents during power outages. The county currently has one traveling generator; however, to his knowledge, only one building has been equipped with a transfer switch to utilize the generator. In previous years, Vinson has spoken with various cities and churches throughout Greenwood County regarding this possibility. The county would provide the generator; however, that specific entity would need to cover the transfer switch expense. To his knowledge, the only entity to move forward with the transfer switch was a local civic group in Madison, who covered the expense for the Sauder Community Building.
Road And Bridge/ County Landfill During the road and bridge report, Supervisor Allen Greenwood shared that he had met the corps of engineers and they are waiting for a deconstruction permit for the “Hazel Russell bridge.” The bridge, located at U Road and 100th Street, will be removed and will take a minimum of 120 days to reconstruct, following the removal.
The commission also approved to close the bridge on 27th Street, below the dam in Fall River, in Section 35-25-12, indefinitely.
Greenwood also presented the commission with an updated list of what items are accepted at the Greenwood County Landfill. The commission approved increasing the dumping fee to $30/ton. The landfill is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the second Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. It was also shared that household trash is accepted at the county shop with a minimum charge of $15. They are open Monday – Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact the Greenwood County Road and Bridge department at 620-5838111.
Prior to opening the sealed bids for the township dinner, Janet Turner with TNT Catering expressed concerns regarding the bidding process. She noted that the county should ensure that all submitting bids have the proper licenses for requested bids. She also asked that payment be made on the day of service. Turner noted that the payment for the end-of-year dinner took approximately two weeks for the payment to be received. Clerk McCaffree shared the various processes for payment but noted a check could be acquired from the Greenwood County Treasurer’s Office. The commission approved a motion that would allow for a check in full to be issued prior to or the day of the service, as the per-plate cost has already been app roved and the quantity would be acquired during the RSVP process. A single bid was received for the Township Dinner, which will be held on Wednesday, March 19 at Memorial Hall, for approximately 75-80 people. The bid, from TNT Catering, at $12.50 per plate was approved.
Other Business
The commission approved increasing the mileage reimbursement from $0.67 to $0.70; however, it was noted that county employees are highly discouraged from using their own vehicle for county business.
In new business, the county heard from Joy Jensen Howell who asked the county for their support of the field trials which will be held in October. She noted that the public is welcome to attend the braces and join for the opening dinners. In recent years, the county has provided $2,000 of economic budget funds for the field trials. This year, the commission approved giving $1,200 for the annual event. Howell also shared that additional donations will come from local businesses. She also noted that another field trial event could be in the works for this spring. Additional details will be shared if the event moves forward.
Howell and Marilyn Brink addressed the commission regarding recent tipping fees for the Red Owl Building. The commission approved waiving the fees in 2023. Since then, the commission noted they would no longer be waiving fees. In November 2024, the final demolition load from the Red Owl Building was taken to the landfill. Brink asked the commission to honor the prior agreement. Commissioner Ballard noted that the agreement wasn’t date-specific and the commission agreed to waive the fees for the Red Owl Building project as previously noted. In questioning what the building would be used for, Brink shared that the upstairs would serve as an apartment while the main floor would be office, community or school space.
The commission approved a bid from Advantage Computer, totaling $14,058, for three computers and one server for the Register of Deeds office.
County resident Mike Pitko inquired about the upcoming county tax sale. Dean noted that he was still trying to serve property owners where the owner was deceased. It was shared that the sale could potentially be held in late April-June.
The commission held a 15-minute executive session with Greenwood and County Counselor Paul Dean for legal matters to discuss a contract. No action was taken.
The Feb. 3 meeting minutes and special payables totaling $211,508.08 were approved as presented.
The next Greenwood County Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 9 a.m.
