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?

2019 Hometown Legislative Action Day targets Advocacy Initiatives, other bills

Hometown Legislative Action Day on February 5 and the Municipal Elected Officials Institute the next day brought together more than 530 people in Columbia. They came to push for solutions to hometown issues, and to learn from Municipal Association staff and a variety of guest speakers. 

At HLAD, Gov. Henry McMaster gave the keynote address, praising economic growth and development and calling for local officials to support his education reforms. He described his proposal for a $100 million Rural School District Economic Development Closing Fund to boost rural school districts with an eye toward improving local economies. 

“If we collaborate, if we communicate and cooperate, we can think big,” he said. “Remember, there’s no power in a small idea. Think big or go home.” 

Municipal Association Board of Directors President and Florence Councilmember Octavia Williams-Blake called attention to HLAD’s role of reminding legislators that “it is all of us, the municipal leaders, who are on the front lines of making government work for our residents. We are the ones who assume responsibility for everything from garbage pickup to wastewater treatment, parks and recreation and most important ensuring that our neighborhoods, community spaces and our citizens are safe.” 

Legislative Action 

Before attendees traveled to the State House to meet with their delegations, the Association’s legislative team gave an update on Advocacy Initiatives progress. 

As Melissa Carter, research and legislative liaison, described it, “in the last four weeks we have seen more progression and more energy [on the initiatives] than I have ever seen.”

The team emphasized that the individual efforts of cities and towns make a major difference in statewide pushes. The progress happening now is also the result of years of work, as Scott Slatton, legislative and public policy advocate, has said in a recent City Connect podcast. There are three Advocacy Initiatives: 

• Flexibility with hospitality and accommodations tax revenue: Both the House (H3132) and Senate (S217) may allow cities and towns to use this revenue for flooding and drainage at tourist destinations. S217 has received the most progress. 
• Local Government Fund predictability: H3137 would have the fund mimic the way the state budget is forecast, so that the fund will match the growth rate estimated for General Fund, up to 5 percent. 
• Reducing wait times for new hires at the Criminal Justice Academy: Senate and House subcommittees are hearing from law enforcement agencies on budget requests. Reducing wait times could help increase the number of Academy graduates, which is critical at a time when more South Carolina police are leaving the profession than the Academy could replace with new graduates. 

The team also made note of some other bills: 

• S227: This “zero millage bill” would allow municipalities without an operating millage to create one. 
• S401: This would require entities that initiate transportation improvement projects to bear the cost of relocating water and sewer lines. 
• S171 and H3833: The Municipal Tax Relief Act would give municipalities limited power to impose a sales tax through referendum. 
• S7 and S386: These bills would increase the dollar amount limits placed on lawsuits filed against municipalities. 

Other sessions 

• Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler, Conway Fire Chief and Emergency Manager Phillip Hendrick Jr. and Darlington Police Chief Kelvin Washington discussed the challenges of crisis communication and the importance of having a plan for the flow of information during a difficult situation. 
• Kim Stenson, director of the SC Emergency Management Division, reviewed state and local responses to recent natural disasters, including steps local leaders can take to prepare for future disasters. 
• SC Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel discussed the challenges of law enforcement recruitment and the need to incorporate more technology into recruitment and training. 

Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government's 2019 Honor Roll 

The Honor Roll recognizes the city and town councils that can count all members of their sitting council as graduates of the MEO Institute. Following graduations at this February’s sessions, the Honor Roll includes these municipalities: 

• Town of Blackville 
• Town of Gray Court 
• City of Greer 
• Town of Hollywood 
• City of Inman 
• City of Lake City 
• Town of Pendleton 
• Town of Santee 
• Town of Summerville 
• City of Union 
• City of Wellford

2019 Hometown Legislative Action Day is here

For the Municipal Association, the most remarkable thing about the start of the General Assembly session earlier this month is the action that legislators are taking on all three of the Association’s 2019 Advocacy Initiatives: 

• Flexibility with hospitality and accommodations tax revenue: The introduction of H3132 and S217 means that both chambers are looking at allowing cities and towns to use this revenue for flooding and drainage at tourist destinations. S217 has already passed the Senate and is in the House Ways and Means Committee for debate by House members. 
• Local Government Fund predictability: H3137 aims to create a more stable funding level. H3137 passed the full House Ways and Means Committee unanimously and is now on the House calendar for debate by the full House.
• Reducing wait times for new hires at the Criminal Justice Academy: Subcommittees have received testimonies on budget needs from law enforcement, and Gov. Henry McMaster has proposed $9.7 million in recurring general budget funds for the Academy. 

All of this activity makes Hometown Legislative Action Day next week on February 5 an excellent time for cities and towns to talk to their legislators at the State House. Beyond those meetings and the briefing from the Association’s legislative team, the HLAD agenda has a number of highlights: 

• A keynote address from Gov. McMaster. 
• A panel on crisis communication with several city public safety leaders.
• SC Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson’s discussion of emergency management for cities during the luncheon.
• SC Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel’s talk on law enforcement practices. 

Details for attending 

Those attending HLAD or the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government sessions can find all the information they will need on the meeting app and Association’s website. To get the app, visit l.masc.sc/2019HLADapp on your device and follow the instructions. You’ll be asked to install Yapp from the app store (if you don’t have it already). Open Yapp and tap the HLAD graphic. You can create personalized schedules from the agenda and connect with other attendees during the event. 

Limited parking for HLAD participants can be found in the parking garage behind the Marriott, with entrances on Hampton and Sumter streets. Parking in the garage costs $10 per day, payable by cash or credit card. Attendees and hotel guests may not park above level 4-A in this garage or they will be towed. 

There will be additional parking available in the nearby Cannon parking garage with shuttles available. See this Uptown article for more information.

Legislative pushes for 2019

The Municipal Association has three Advocacy Initiatives for 2019, developed with the input of hundreds of municipal officials during the 2018 Regional Advocacy Meetings:

• Update the Local Government Fund formula to guarantee a reliable funding level that is fair to cities and towns of all sizes. The LGF brought stable revenue to cities and towns four a couple of decades leading up to the Great Recession, but has provided reduced revenue and unpredictable changes since then. In this session, a bipartisan group of House members are sponsoring H3137 to tackle this issue. This bill would require the LGF to increase each fiscal year by the same percentage that the state general fund is projected to increase, not to exceed five percent compared to the amount in the current fiscal year.
• Expand flexibility for using accommodations and hospitality taxes to allow expenditures for infrastructure in tourist-related areas. Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate addressing this: H3132 and S217. These types of tax revenue can be used for tourism-related expenditures, including advertising, building and maintaining cultural facilities and providing necessary city services for tourists and tourist facilities. Both of these bills add tourism-related site preparation, as well as flooding control and drainage for tourism-related areas, to the list of acceptable expenditures.
• Reduce the wait time for local law enforcement hires to be admitted to the Criminal Justice Academy. Keeping police rosters filled is a key need for law enforcement agencies in South Carolina, and one which requires as much efficiency in graduating officers from the Academy as possible. By supporting the Criminal Justice Academy’s funding request, and supporting the effort to move the Academy off of unreliable fines and fee assessments to a more reliable, recurring source, the Association is also supporting an increase in Academy capacity that will result in much shorter wait times.

Cities and towns can’t push for legislative action unless they’ve cultivated relationships with their delegation. A recent Uptown article highlighted the ways local officials can get these relationships up and running, and what they should know about advocating for their needs effectively.

MEO Institute course offerings are still expanding

"As soon as we began the Advanced MEO Institute, people began asking, ‘What’s next?’”

This is how Eric Budds, deputy executive director of the Municipal Association, describes the desire participants have expressed for additional education after they complete the Advanced Municipal Officials Institute of Government. The Association is now offering the Advanced Continuing Education track to help meet this demand.

In the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government, there’s the initial MEO Institute, and graduates of that program can move on to the Advanced MEO Institute. Finally, and this is the new part — graduates of the Advanced MEO Institute can participate in Advanced Continuing Education, an optional, self-directed track.

The Association has offered the MEO Institute for more than three decades. This first level covers many key parts of city and town governance that mayors and councilmembers need to know, like municipal finance, governance and economic development, and the SC Freedom of Information Act. There are seven courses in total, and all of them are required to complete the program.

The Advanced MEO Institute, established in 2014, allows officials to dig deeper into these topics and offers more learning flexibility. It features six courses in all, and participants can complete any four of their choosing in order to graduate.

There’s even more flexibility with Advanced Continuing Education. Advanced MEO graduates can pursue individual courses as they desire to reinforce ideas or get a refresher on critical knowledge.

The February 6, 2019 Advanced Continuing Education courses happening in Columbia have a registration deadline of January 22. The courses offered in this round are “FOIA: Making Transparency a Priority,” and “SC Ethics Act: Avoiding Common Pitfalls.” Specifics on additional courses in October will be announced later.

Find out more about all levels of the MEO Institute in its 2019 brochure.

Association of SC Mayors meeting targets emergency preparedness

From hurricanes to dam failures to acts of terrorism, the list of disasters which could impact South Carolina includes nearly everything, with the possible exception of volcanoes. 

Some of the disasters in the state's history have earned significant places in South Carolina folklore. The impact of the earthquake that struck a severe blow to Charleston on August 31,1886, can still be seen in the earthquake bolts added to reinforce the stability of houses throughout the lower peninsula.

The ever-present possibility of disaster provided the subject for a meeting of a recent meeting of the Association of South Carolina Mayors at the headquarters of the SC Emergency Management Division, in which SCEMD staff gave an overview of key emergency planning issues for city and town officials. 

The role of municipalities in emergency management is not as regulated as the role of counties. SC Code of Regulations Section 58-1 calls for each county to maintain an emergency management agency. Those entities are the primary point of contact for SCEMD at a local level during an actively unfolding situation. 

That said, the Code of Regulations also encourages municipalities to voluntarily establish their own emergency management program, which must coordinate with the county to request federal or state assistance. Cities and towns can also participate in state emergency exercises alongside counties.

Coordination issues aside, municipal officials face the same need for communication in a crisis as any other authority, and the Municipal Association provides tips for this situation. During the mayors’ meeting, SCEMD Public Information Officer Derrec Becker covered social media, interacting with news media and the importance of a city public information officer in an emergency, even going so far as to conduct a mock media interview for a disaster situation using his cell phone camera.

SCEMD staff also highlighted its new SC Emergency Manager app, which allows users to build emergency plans, find shelters, report damage and even use the phone's speakers as a locator whistle.  

Farewell and thanks

By Reba Hull Campbell, Deputy Executive Director

As I’ve been cleaning out my office in happy anticipation of my Jan. 2 retirement date, many memories tucked in files, desk drawers and boxes have given me a chance to reflect on an exciting, fun-filled, lively, never-boring 35 years working in government, politics, communications and campaigns at the local, state and federal levels. 

Three 10-year-plus stints (U.S. Congress, SCETV and the Municipal Association) with a few shorter positions (campaigns, lobbying, nonprofit work) thrown in have given me the chance to see government at its best far more often than not. I’m grateful to have worked alongside so many people who truly believe in the power to do good and who are passionate about that. 

There’s one item on my desk that really drives home this feeling of gratitude. It’s a framed version of the well-known Theodore Roosevelt quote about the man in the arena. 

I’ve had this quote on my desk everywhere I’ve worked for the past 25 years. A former co-worker gave a copy to all of us who worked together on a hard fought, yet losing, campaign as we parted ways. 

This quote always reminds me not only to be in the arena myself, but also to be around people who want to be there too — to surround myself with people who count on each other to take risks, make the hard decisions and dare greatly. 

Shortly, I will wrap up this chapter of my life with huge gratitude to so many people who have encouraged me to be in the arena — to dare greatly in my own way. Countless mentors, friends, advisers, family, colleagues and bosses have paid it forward to me, believed in me, encouraged me to be my best and helped me up when I’ve fallen (a post on my personal blog shares some of my lessons learned from these people). 

However, more importantly, I’m grateful to have worked alongside so many committed public servants who live this “being in the arena” value every day. Over the past 13 years at the Municipal Association, it’s been mayors and councilmembers who have dreams for their cities and are willing to take time from their families, personal lives and the jobs to make their communities better. 

It’s been my colleagues at the Association who are always pushing each other to try new things while having each others’ backs. 

It’s been the city staff people I’ve come to know and respect who work tirelessly every day to make sure our cities are run efficiently. 

All of this is often behind the scenes work that the outside world isn’t aware of — but it’s important work, and I’m just grateful to have played a small part in it.

As I finish up packing boxes and doling out various parts of my job to my very capable colleagues, I shout out a huge thanks to everyone who has made these past 13 years pretty amazing. I’m looking forward to whatever’s next, and I hope to continue to cross paths with many of you! 

In general, the following people will be taking over various parts of my current role. Any of them will be able to capably get you anything you need going forward:

Tiger Wells – legislative

Meredith Houck – communications

Casey Fields – media

Patty Adams – she can direct you for anything else

Fall Managers Forum spotlights police training, SCDOT road transfer program

Guest speakers at the Municipal Association's Fall Managers Forum gave attendees some fresh perspectives on familiar issues: law enforcement hiring and training, as well as road ownership.

Jackie Swindler, director of the SC Criminal Justice Academy, drew attention to the challenges local governments face in keeping their police rosters full, stressing that cities and towns should always make sure their officers arrive at the Academy prepared for their tests.

In 2017, he said, the Academy graduated 856 people, but in the same year, 881 officers in South Carolina left the profession.

“There’s probably not an agency right now that does not have an opening. Everybody does, and some of them have a lot,” he said.

While agencies must be creative and dedicated in attracting and holding onto officers, he noted that aptitude tests and pre-academy training can help ensure that candidates will be able to pass when agencies send them to the Academy. In doing so, agencies can save time and money.

“Please, take the time on the front end, to hire well, to vet, to test them academically, to test them physically, and then send them there with a chance to do well,” Swindler said.

DOT update
State Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall came with an update on the SCDOT’s transfer program, which gave local governments a chance to apply to take ownership of roads while also receiving maintenance funds to go with their new acquisition.

“It’s not a devolution or a transfer of roads without money,” she said. “It’s not a unilateral mandate. It’s not the state shedding its responsibility to local governments.”
Hall said ownership by local governments can help roads receive attention faster, and governments can pursue specific desires for the roadways they take over, such as speed humps or landscaping.

The SC Department of Transportation reached out to cities and towns through the Municipal Association earlier this year with information on the pilot program. By the deadline, 21 local governments had applied, requesting to take over a total of 293 roads. The SCDOT is now evaluating the requests and comparing the costs involved with funding available, Hall said.

She expressed hope that the program’s first year will show policymakers that local governments are willing to take over some roads as long as funding comes with them, adding that SCDOT will continue to communicate in partnership with the Municipal Association as the process moves forward. 

Register today: Regional Advocacy Meetings start on August 14

By Casey Fields, Manager for Municipal Advocacy
 
Yes, we are serious. Attend a Regional Advocacy Meeting.

By now, you’ve hopefully read articles in Uptown encouraging you to attend one of the ten Regional Advocacy Meetings coming up in August and September. You’ve seen the announcement in the weekly Uptown Update. You heard our executive director and board president reiterate at the Annual Meeting why you should attend.
 
If you are still wondering if you should attend your local Regional Advocacy Meeting, let me help you. YES. YOU SHOULD.

Casey Fields and Scott Slatton leading the discussion with mayors and councilmembers at a Regional Advocacy Meeting last year

The Regional Advocacy Meetings start on Tuesday, August 14, in Greenwood at the Arts Center. If you haven’t already registered for one of the ten, do it now. You don’t want to miss your opportunity to have your voice heard.

These meetings are designed for municipal officials to offer their input on the Association's Advocacy Initiatives for 2019.

We will go over laws passed during the 2018 session and how they affect you at the local level. We will talk about issues we know will return for the 2019 session (like the plastic bag ban) and, most importantly, we will hear from you. Your concerns and ideas on local issues that can be solved at the state level.

We will also share a good meal, great fellowship and talk a little about politics.

We have invited all current legislators to attend the Regional Advocacy Meetings this year to listen to local officials and share ideas on how to work together to solve problems.

This meeting is a discussion among the Association staff, you, your colleagues and your legislators. It’s designed to be fast-paced but thorough enough to walk away with some good information and next steps for the months leading up to the new session in January.

I know you are busy. I know you have a lot of other responsibilities including running your city and protecting your residents. I promise the Regional Advocacy Meeting will be time well spent.

So once again … register now for a Regional Advocacy Meeting. Never too soon to start planning our strategy to advocate for #StrongSCCities in our General Assembly.

Countdown: One week until the Annual Meeting

We’re a week out from the 2018 Annual Meeting, and the Association’s office is buzzing with last minute details.

More than 1,100 will attend the Annual Meeting next week. The agenda is jam packed with an inspiring keynote address, more than two dozen individual sessions and tech demos, lots of emphasis on ways to increase engagement, and many opportunities for local officials to learn from their peers.
 
Registration is up 13 percent over last year’s meeting which was up 6 percent from the previous year. Get all the details about the meeting here in addition to finding information about how to download the meeting app before the meeting, so you can get your schedule set in advance. 

This year, the app will feature links to meeting presentations and handouts in addition to articles and resources related to the session topics – all right in the palm of your hand.

The week leading up to the Annual Meeting is always a busy one at the Association to make sure all the details are in place.
 

Just about everyone on our staff has some role in the preparations – from proofing and stuffing name badges to polishing the silver award trophies to packing up the truck that carries the 1000+ registration packets, computers, publications, exhibitor packets and candy for the registration desk.

This year’s keynote speaker is Jennifer Pinckney, who lost her husband Rev. Dr. Clementia Pinckney in the Emmanuel Nine shootings. Read about her message of inspiration and engagement. 

Sen. Kevin Johnson will join us during the opening general session to receive this year’s Distinguished Service Award for his support of cities and towns in the General Assembly. Sen. Johnson is the former mayor of Manning and past president of the Municipal Association.

Meeting attendees will hear a lot about engagement at the Annual Meeting – engaging with each other, their residents, legislators and the Association. 

There will be many opportunities to learn about new ways to engage – including an emphasis on social media best practices. The opening session will feature a new way to use social media to help local officials share their good news stories about what’s happening in their cities and towns.

Participants will be able to get advice about using social media from the Association staff at the Social Media Bar as well as learn from “guest gurus” – mayors and councilmembers who are successfully using their social media accounts to engage their residents. Look for the guest guru schedule through the app at the meeting.

Meeting attendees can also pick up their own social media toolkit at the Social Media Bar that will give tips on how to get started with social media, policies and best practices, and transparency.