Driving Dangers Create Liabilities for Cities and Towns

Vehicle crashes remain the most likely way a person can die on the job. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics found that in 2017, 40 percent of employees who died in the workplace died in transportation-related incidents. 

South Carolina, unfortunately, ranks high among the states with the deadliest highways. In 2017, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that at 1.8 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, South Carolina led the nation in this category. The national average was 1.16 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. The state also recorded 19.7 motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 of its population, ranking it third in that category. 

Also during 2017, the South Carolina Municipal Insurance and Risk Financing Fund received auto liability claims that resulted in more than $3.5 million in total costs. The average cost per claim was $8,800. Auto liability claims are claims filed as a result of damages and injuries from another party, so these numbers do not include the damages incurred to the city’s and town’s vehicles. 

Automobile accidents continue to be the leading cause and cost of employee injuries in the South Carolina Municipal Insurance Trust. These accidents account for 10 percent of the employee injuries in the SCMIT pool, but accounted for approximately 25 percent of the claims cost in 2017. 

The liabilities of driving for cities and towns are the reason why SCMIT and SCMIRF are offering a joint summer training on defensive driving, taking place July 11 in West Columbia. Session topics address issues that can turn up in claims, like speeding, aggressive driving, following too closely, distracted driving and lane management. The course has no cost to attend for members, but registration is first-come, first-served, and closes July 5.

Get Ready for the Annual Meeting

In a little over a month — July 18 to 21, to be exact — the Municipal Association’s Annual Meeting will arrive in Greenville. 

For those who want to take an early look at some of the sessions planned for city and town officials to learn and find inspiration for their hometowns, several previews are now available: 

• This May Uptown article takes a look at preconference opportunities and breakout sessions. 
• Eric Budds, the Association’s interim executive director, joined the City Quick Connect podcast to talk about the schedule, including sessions on community partnership building for law enforcement as well as opportunity zone investments. 
• Bridge building between police and their communities is going to be a theme at several sessions. Kassy Alia Ray of the nonprofit organization Serve & Connect will explain that group’s role in outreach efforts around the state. Read more in this Uptown article. 

Attendees can also take advantage of the Annual Meeting app. Download the app from either the App Store or Google Play by searching for MuniAssnSC. Event information will continue to be added to the app as the meeting approaches, including details on the agenda, speakers and fellow attendees.

Main Street SC, SC Community Development Association spotlight Aiken and North Augusta

Last week brought together two programs of the Municipal Association — the SC Community Development Association and Main Street South Carolina — for a joint meeting in two cities — Aiken and North Augusta. Attendees heard from many local officials, like Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon, North Augusta Mayor Robert Pettit as well as city managers and Main Street SC directors, among others, and toured projects and downtowns in both communities.
Here are some highlights of the session:

• A walking tour of Aiken with Aiken Downtown Development Association Executive Director Haley Knight and City of Aiken’s Tourism Supervisor Mary Rosbach. 
• A spotlight of the Riverside Village developments in North Augusta with City Administrator Todd Glover, and the North Augusta Forward Main Street program with its Executive Director Avery Spears-Mahoney. The City of North Augusta won a 2019 Achievement Award from the Municipal Association in the Economic Development category for the project. 
• Greenville Mayor Knox White delivered the keynote address, sharing the story of Greenville’s impressive growth and development and touching on many of the things that have made downtown Greenville so successful — an intense focus on mixed use to bring residential space downtown as well as focuses on walkability, public art and other elements that make people genuinely want to be downtown. White will also speak at the Municipal Association’s Annual Meeting, taking place in Greenville July 18 – 21. 
• SCCDA toured Aiken’s brand-new J. Carrol Busbee Public Safety Headquarters, rebuilt out of a vacant grocery store building, which houses space for police, fire, a courtroom, offices, emergency operations and a dispatch center. 
• An “Unwrapping the Big Box” panel discussion for SCCDA included not only an explanation of Aiken’s public safety project from Assistant City Manager Kim Abney and Planning Director Ryan Bland, but also a discussion of the redevelopment of the Aiken Mall and the former Aiken County Hospital. Moncks Corner Community Development Director Doug Polen discussed the revitalization of a visible corner that had been home to a shuttered drugstore. 
• Main Street directors from across the state shared recent successes and challenges confronting their downtowns.
• National Main Street Conference scholarship recipients from Aiken, Camden, Laurens and Summerville highlighted their experiences at the 2019 conference: best practices in building resiliency, cultural tourism districts, downtown housing in addition to networking with other economic development professionals nationwide.
  
  
  

Municipal Clerks Keep Cities and Towns Running Smoothly

The spotlight does not often shine on city clerks, but the role they play in well-functioning local government is so important that their position is the only staff role that South Carolina law requires of every municipality in the state. All cities and towns, no matter how large or small, and no matter what form of government they have, must have a clerk.

In recognition of their significance, the International Institute of Municipal Clerks marks Municipal Clerks Week every year, and this week, May 5 – 11, is the 50th anniversary of the week. 

Clerks provide notice of council meetings to councilmembers and to the public as well, a critical component of open government. The clerk also keeps the minutes of council meetings. 

The job has evolved substantially with the digital revolution, since the many records that clerks manage have mostly migrated away from paper. Last year, the Municipal Association penned a column for Greenville Business Magazine that brought together past presidents of the SC Municipal Finance Officers, Clerks and Treasurers Association to discuss the ways the profession had changed over the years. 

Because of the need for training for municipal clerks, MFOCTA is a cosponsor of the Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute. It’s a three-year program which counts toward the International Institute of Municipal Clerks' Certified Municipal Clerks designation.

Bringing Order to Council Meetings

Robert’s Rules of Order, the standard book of parliamentary procedure across the United States, has in its origins a connection to South Carolina. Its creator, Henry Martyn Robert, was born in 1837 in Robertville, an unincorporated community in Jasper County. 

By profession, Robert was a military engineer, serving the United States Army before, during and after the Civil War, eventually rising to the rank of brigadier general. The incident that led to Robert’s Rules occurred during the Civil War, at a time when he was 25 years old and chairing a church meeting — and he lost control of the meeting. 

Embarrassed and determined to improve his abilities, Robert sought existing manuals of parliamentary procedure. Concluding that they were of no use, he crafted his own, and published the original Pocket Manual for Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies in 1876. Its popularity spread quickly, and he continued to revise it for most of his life. 

The undeniable value of Robert’s Rules for making city and town council meetings productive and professional have put it on the curriculum of the Municipal Association’s Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute, presented at the most recent session by Field Services Manager Jeff Shacker. 

That training covers the underlying principles of the rules — discuss only one pertinent thing at a time, only one person speaks at a time — as well as best practices in agenda management and the process of making, debating and adopting a motion. The training also discusses common pitfalls in running a meeting — the chair dominating the body; forgetting to manage the pace of the meeting, also known as letting the meeting drag on unbearably; councilmembers trying to discuss multiple issues at the time or a chair allowing discussion to unfold without a pending motion. 

There are also local rules of procedure designed to address processes specific to city and town council meetings, as required by local or state law, as well as issues unique to the municipality’s form of government. To deal with specific applications such as motions, debate, votes or appeals, councils often adopt by reference Robert’s Rules of Order to supplement local rules. The order of application should always be state law, then local rules followed by Robert’s Rules. 

Learn more about the Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute at www.masc.sc. (keyword: MCTI).

Applying Ethical Standards to Local Government

Local governments have numerous powers — regulating businesses or the ways property owners can use their land, contracting for services using taxpayer money, or handling sensitive information about business transactions. Anytime that a city councilmember or employee “does the wrong thing,” it can cause far-reaching damage for the people and business owners who call that city home. 

One of the most visible ways that the state of South Carolina pushes for ethical behavior is the Statement of Economic Interests that is submitted to the SC Ethics Commission. There are several types of municipal officials required to submit this document, such as elected officials, candidates for office, chief administrative officers by whatever title, such as city/town manager or city/town administrator. Chief financial officers by any title, including finance directors and treasurers, are required to submit the statement as well, as are procurement officers. 

While the Statement of Economic Interest is due every year by March 30, officials are expected to be mindful of their actions the rest of the year, too. This is where the Rules of Conduct of the SC Ethics Reform Act come in. The Municipal Association has a summary of these rules. Here are some basics:

• A public official/employee cannot “knowingly use his official office, membership, or employment to influence a government decision to obtain an economic interest for himself, a member of his immediate family, an individual with whom he is associated, or a business with which he is associated.” 
• Items of value cannot be given or promised to a public official or employee with the intent of influencing that person’s official duties, nor can public officials or employees seek anything of value in exchange for official activity. 
• Public officials/employees cannot receive anything of value for speaking before a public or private group in their official capacity, but they can accept meals that are provided to all participants in the group, and they can accept reimbursement of actual expenses incurred.
• Public officials/employees cannot hire or otherwise advance family members to positions the officials/employees supervise.
• Public officials/employees who participate directly in procurement may not resign and accept employment with a government contractor in cases where the contract between the contractor and government would have fallen under their official responsibility. 

The Municipal Association’s Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government offers courses that explain ethical compliance in South Carolina. 

Main Street South Carolina Has New Ways to Participate

At the beginning of this year, Main Street South Carolina, the Municipal Association’s downtown revitalization technical assistance program, opened up multiple membership options for the first time. Here are the levels, which can allow the program to better meet communities’ specific needs. 

Friends of Main Street level

Friends of Main Street is a startup level, designed for communities working to build up the resources they’ll need for a sustained downtown improvement push, and it has a budget-friendly fee. Friends of Main Street can use phone consultations, come to quarterly trainings and pay for technical assistance on an as-needed basis. 

The City of Dillon joined at this level, and Bridget Thornton, Dillon's downtown coordinator, is using Main Street SC to learn how to align the local program for success. 

Main Street SC, she said, “has helped us establish specific goals within a set timeframe and establish transparency through public input. As a member, I now feel confident that I have the tools and resources needed as we build our best Dillon.”

Aspiring Main Street level

A formal three-year training and support program, Aspiring Main Street has an application process and fees based on population. After completion, the participant community is designated a Classic Main Street. 

Accelerated Entry

This is an option for well-developed revitalization programs to become a Classic Main Street. These communities must show they meet the standards of the Main Street Four-Point Approach and must maintain an annual membership with the National Main Street Center. 

Main Street SC recently welcomed Greenwood at this level. 

Lara Hudson, Uptown Greenwood manager, said “the revitalization Uptown Greenwood underwent over the past 10 years provided many opportunities for growth and development of our Uptown district. We are now at a pivotal place. By joining Main Street SC, using the Four-Point Approach and networking with other Main Street SC communities, we can successfully take our Uptown to the next level and see continued economic success for years to come.”

Accredited Main Street level

This is the highest level of participation, requiring membership in the National Main Street Center, meeting national accreditation standards and submitting an annual application demonstrating excellence with the Four-Point Approach. Also, these members are required to mentor newer programs in South Carolina. 

Learn more about Main Street SC membership by contacting Jenny Boulware at jboulware@masc.sc or 803.354.4792.

Getting Cities a Starting Point

Students of arithmetic know what happens when any number is multiplied by zero: the product is still zero. 

That fact, combined with South Carolina’s Act 388 of 2006, creates a serious problem for the state’s 60 cities and towns in the state that have not imposed a tax millage — one that a new legislative push aims to solve. 

Act 388, among other changes, laid out a formula by which local governments could increase taxes in a new fiscal year: take the existing tax millage and multiply it by an amount equaling the Consumer Price Index plus growth. 

For the 60 municipalities in question, the existing millage is zero, leaving them with zero opportunity for increasing millage from year to year. When a city finds that its existing revenue can no longer meet the needs its residents and businesses have for critical governmental services, the city has no way to begin funding those services. For any newly incorporated city, Act 388 creates the same lack of options — that city cannot levy a millage. 

Advocacy in the General Assembly tends to unfold with steady efforts over time, and this has been the case with the zero millage bill. Last year, the Town of Edgefield pushed for a change, and Sen. Shane Massey (R-Edgefield) introduced a bill. 

This year, the Town of Pelzer, which previously annexed properties that drastically increased its population and is seeking police services to go with its new population base, took its needs to Sen. Mike Gambrell (R-Anderson). Gambrell introduced a zero millage bill, S227, while Massey introduced a similar bill, S113. There are House bill versions as well: H3168 and H3457. Among others who have advocated on this issue, the entire Pelzer Town Council came to Columbia to show their support. S227 moved through the Senate and is now in the House Ways and Means committee. 

Thx Sen Mike Gambrell & @shanemassey for S113 & S227 that allow cities/towns w/o millage 2 set one 2 meet their residents’ needs & remain #StrongSCCities

Thx @SenPaulCampbell Sen Williams @senatortomdavis @senshanemartin Sen Matthews Sen Grooms 4 supporting S227

@MuniAssnSC

— Scott Slatton (@ScottMuniSC) January 15, 2019

S227, the full text of which can be found here, would allow municipalities to create an operating millage equal to one-third of its general fund expenses from the previous fiscal year. 

In cases where the municipality had previously had a millage but repealed it, the bill would allow the municipality to re-establish the millage, plus the increases it could have included since 2007 or since it repealed the millage, whichever is more recent. 

Learn more about this bill by contacting Scott Slatton at sslatton@masc.sc or 803.933.1203, and keep up with legislative action by subscribing to the Municipal Association’s weekly report, From the Dome to Your Home.

A Day in the Life of the Municipal Association’s Legislative Team

Every Monday before the legislative session begins on Tuesday, the Municipal Association’s Manager for Municipal Advocacy Casey Fields provides members of the Association’s legislative team — Melissa Carter, Scott Slatton and Tiger Wells — with their schedules.

The Association tracks every bill in the House and the Senate which touches the operations of South Carolina’s cities and towns, an amount currently totaling 260 proposals. Any of these bills may be on a subcommittee or committee agenda, and the legislative team may need to testify on them. As Fields puts it, “anytime one of the bills is before a committee or subcommittee, we are there.” Planning the schedules becomes all the more challenging when multiple hearings are happening at the same time. 

After their strategy meeting on Monday, the team hosts its 4 p.m. phone call to discuss strategy with municipal managers, administrators and city lobbyists. Then, from Tuesday to Thursday, they’re off to meetings, which can be anything from an early-morning subcommittee hearing at the State House to an evening reception. At the end of the day Thursday, they all take a look at the Association’s legislative report, From the Dome to Your Home, which goes live Friday, around the same time that one or more of them may be recording information to send out through the City Quick Connect podcast. 

The session ends in the midst of Annual Meeting planning, after which they’re planning the fall’s Regional Advocacy Meetings around the state, which guide the Association’s Advocacy Initiatives in the next year. In other words, the full preparations for the 2020 session will begin as soon as the 2019 session ends. 

Each member of the team has advocated on behalf of municipalities for many years now, and they can point to many high points over time — the growing engagement of city leaders in advocating for legislative initiatives, the 2010 compromise that enabled local governments to put property on tax rolls at full market value when the property is sold, the 2012 law which preserved cities’ ability to collect a brokers tax, and the successful extension of the SC Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act.

The legislative team routinely stresses that achievements require patiently planting seeds. At the 2019 Hometown Legislative Action Day, Melissa Carter noted that “our work here is a marathon. Unfortunately, we never get to sprint in this business,” while Tiger Wells likened the process to planting bamboo, which can require watering for years before it shoots up. 

In a recent podcast, Scott Slatton had this to say about the usually quick progress seen with legislative initiatives at the beginning of the session: 

“The action that we’ve seen so far and the wins we’ve accumulated so far have been the result of work not just since prefiles took place in December. They’re the result of several years’ worth of work that our legislative team and our cities and towns — municipal officials and mayors and councils — have been laying over the last couple of years, not the last couple of months.” 

Even so, the team says their efforts are made easier by the steadfast development of a reputation of being “honest brokers of accurate information” and the growing involvement of local elected officials in the advocacy process. 

Follow Melissa Carter (@MelissaMuniSC), Scott Slatton (@ScottMuniSC) and Tiger Wells (@TigerMuniSC) on Twitter for updates.

Main Street South Carolina Training Looks at “Pilates of Place”

By Jenny Boulware, Main Street SC Manager

What do Pilates and downtown commercial districts have in common? 

Pilates is a form of physical fitness that emphasizes strength, flexibility and core conditioning. Downtowns are similar because they are the physical hearts of our communities — they are iconic and symbolic cores that require continual, purposeful care. 

Recognizing the importance of downtown cores, cities of all sizes are implementing plans to revitalize and continually strengthen them. This is what Irene Dumas Tyson, BOUDREAUX Associate and Director of Planning, calls “Pilates of Place.” One such “Pilates of Place” can be found in downtown Columbia along Sumter and Taylor streets. 

Photo credit: BOUDREAUX

At Main Street South Carolina’s recent First Quarter training session, participants visited BOUDREAUX and Hotel Trundle. BOUDREAUX, a local design firm, cobbled together three historic buildings totaling 35,000 square feet to create mixed-use space that includes a 41-room boutique hotel and offices. This lofty undertaking took advantage of every available financial incentive, including the Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act, the Bailey Bill, tax credits and façade easements. This successful tax credit project exemplifies a unique approach to downtown development partnerships. 

To add strength upon strength, Hotel Trundle’s owners, Rita Patel and Marcus Munse, showcased the products of 50 local businesses in the hotel. The hotel highlights local artists, historic pressed tin ceilings and original wallpaper remnants in its eclectic design. 

Developing and implementing a shared vision for downtowns is critical to stimulating economic growth, creativity and activity. How are you strengthening your core?