Latest / Saluda County Unplugged / June 8, 2026 County Council Meeting Recap
Transcript
- Josh Morton: Overall, this was a relatively straightforward meeting, but several important initiatives continue moving forward. The Capital Project Sales Tax Referendum and Comprehensive Plan both advanced another step. Council approved efforts to pursue additional funding for fire protection and emergency medical services, and a new flight training operation could eventually bring additional activity to the county airport. And while there wasn't a lot of debate during the meeting itself, Council also approved a lease agreement for two motor graders used by the Roads and Bridges Department. The county has leased equipment through a state contract for a number of years. The county's current motor grader lease expires in January, and the new agreement will allow replacement units to be secured at that time. The monthly lease payments will be just over fifty five hundred dollars per motor grader, and equity from the current equipment will be applied towards the new lease arrangement. This One of the most interesting topics of the evening involved a grant opportunity through the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The county is applying for approximately $223,000 through the Rural Health Transformation Program. The funding would support what's known as a mobile integrated health care or community paramedicine program. Council also handled two board appointments during the meeting. Gregory Sanders was appointed to the Planning Commission, and Milliken Matthews was reappointed to the Gleams Board as the representative of the low income sector. Both appointments were approved unanimously. Another item approved Monday night was the adoption of the county's updated hazard mitigation plan. This plan is extremely important from an emergency management perspective. Absolutely. Hazard mitigation planning is one of those activities that rarely receives attention until a disaster happens. The final item of the evening was executive session. Council entered executive session to discuss personnel matters related to the 2026-2027 County budget. After a little more than an hour, Council returned into open session. Once back in open session, Council approved administration's recommendations regarding budget related personnel matters. The meeting included public hearings for both the school district budget and the county government budget. In both cases, no one signed up to speak, and when council opened the floor for comments, there were no additional speakers. While there wasn't any discussion, these hearings are still an important part of the budget process because they give residents an opportunity to provide feedback before final adoption. Before getting into the agenda itself, councilmembers shared several announcements and community updates. Councilman Jack Atkinson reminded everyone that Tuesday was election day and encouraged residents to get out and vote. Councilman Justin Anderson congratulated King Academy's varsity baseball team and Saluda High School softball team on their state championships. He also recognized local students participating in Palmetto Boys State and Palmetto Girls State. Have questions or an idea for an upcoming episode? Email us at publicinfo at salutacounty.sc.gov. And remember, the early bird may get the worm, but the early worm gets eaten. So don't be afraid to sleep in sometimes. We'll see you next week. Coming up this week, we have our county council recap. The Capital Project Sales Tax moves another step closer to the ballot. A new flight training operation could be coming to the Saluda County Airport, and grant applications that could help fund both a new fire tanker and an innovative EMS program. We'll also talk about updates to the comprehensive plan, a lengthy executive session involving budget personnel matters, and why one healthcare related grant. After approving the grant application, Councilman Beatonbow asked Jacob Starnes for an update on the county's new EMS headquarters. Jacob spoke about the additional space available in the new facility, including a dedicated training room that provides opportunities for ongoing education and professional development. Welcome back to Saluda County Unplugged, the podcast that helps you stay informed about Saluda County government without having to sit through every meeting yourself. I'm Josh. And I'm Rachel. The June meeting was fairly straightforward, but there were several important items on the agenda. Some of them we've been following for months, including the Capital Project Sales Tax Referendum and the Comprehensive Plan Update. Others involve grant opportunities, infrastructure investments, and a potential new aviation business at the county airport. Another item we've been following closely is the proposed capital project sales tax referendum. One of the unique discussions the evening involved a proposed lease agreement with Aiken pilot training. Airport manager Jill Warren introduced the company and explained that over the years there have been several inquiries from people who were interested in receiving flight training at the Saluta County Airport. Council considered approval of a required local match for a federal assistance to firefighters grant application. The grant would be used to purchase a new tanker truck for the Saluda Fire Department. The estimated cost is approximately $600,000 and the county's required match would be about $30,000. ⁓ Last week we had EMS director Jacob Starnes on the podcast to talk about this program, which is aimed at improving health care outcomes while reducing unnecessary emergency room visits. Instead of only responding when someone calls nine one one, Community Paramedicine allows EMS providers to work proactively with patients who may have chronic conditions, medication management issues, or other health care needs. Council approved second reading of the ordinance that would place the question before the voters. As a reminder, Saluda County already has a one percent capital project sales tax in place. These taxes are authorized for periods of up to eight years and the current tax is nearing the end of its term. Aiken Pilot Training currently operates out of the Aiken Airport and is hoping to establish a satellite training facility here in Saluda. This is the kind of development opportunity that often flies under the radar, no pun intended. The county explained that training would be conducted under Part 61 regulations, which generally provide more flexibility than the more structured Part 141 programs commonly associated with larger flight schools. Many of these items represent decisions that have been in development for months and will continue to shape county services and infrastructure for years to come. As always, thank you for listening to Saluda County Unplugged. These plans identify potential hazards, evaluate vulnerabilities, and outline strategies to reduce future risk. They also help ensure that Saluda County remains eligible for various federal mitigation grants and disaster-related funding opportunities. For residents, it may not be the most visible action Council takes, but maintaining an approved mitigation plan has a significant impact on the county's ability to secure funding before and after disasters and to reduce risk before disasters occur. As is typically the case with personnel discussions, specific details were not discussed publicly. Councilman Beatenbow also announced that the public hearing for the county's comprehensive plan will take place during the July council meeting, with the third and final reading of that ordinance expected at the August County Council meeting. The comprehensive plan serves as the county's long term roadmap for growth, development, infrastructure, housing, transportation, and land use. Later in the meeting, Council approved second reading of the comprehensive plan. Could have a direct impact on residents who struggle to access medical care. He also highlighted something that's harder to quantify, but incredibly important: employee morale. And that's something that we don't always talk about when discussing county facilities. When employees have adequate space, modern equipment, and a work environment designed around their needs, it can improve morale, retention, and overall effectiveness. Based on Jacob's comments, it sounds like the new facility is already having a positive impact on Saluda County's EMS team. it's one of those things that directly affects the county's ability to maintain roads. Motor graders are among the most important pieces of equipment roads and bridges uses. Council approved the lease unanimously. There wasn't much public participation this month. No one signed up for public comments, and nobody spoke during either of the budget public hearings. As a result, Council moved through the agenda fairly quickly, but there were still several items worth discussing because they'll continue to move through the approval process over the next few months. I also want to mention that this month's meeting was facilitated by Councilman Carrie Biedenbow as Council Chairman Jim Moore was absent due to illness. Fire service coordinator Mark Librand spoke about the challenges associated with maintaining an aging fleet. As vehicles get older, repair costs increase, downtime becomes more frequent, and the county spends more money simply keeping equipment operational. This is a great example of why grants are so important for smaller counties. Replacing a six hundred thousand dollar piece of equipment using only local tax dollars is extremely difficult. These appointments don't always receive much attention, boards and commissions play an important role in county government. Many recommendations and decisions begin with these groups before they eventually reach county council. If you're interested in serving in one of these roles, you can reach out to the council administration office to find out when positions come available and how to apply. The proposal being considered would reauthorize the tax for another eight years if approved by the voters. For local residents interested in becoming pilots, it could mean having access to training much closer to home. It also represents another way to increase activity and utilization at the county airport. Council approved the first reading of the lease unanimously, so we'll likely hear more about this project in future meetings. Councilman Frank Daniel offered condolences to County Administrator Regina Turner on the loss of her grandson Gavin. The goal is to help people stay healthier and avoid medical emergencies whenever And asked residents to keep Council Chairman Jim Moore in their prayers as he was unable to attend the meeting due to illness. Councilman Carrie Beatonbow thanked county employees for their hard work, promoted upcoming Hollywood Ruartan Steak Supper, and echoed the congratulations and election reminders from the other council members. These comment periods are always interesting because they provide a snapshot of what's happening around the county. Council in Beatenbow noted that updates had been made to the land use section since the previous reading. So while there wasn't a lengthy discussion Monday night, the plan continues moving forward towards final adoption later this summer, with the public hearing scheduled for July 13th and the third reading scheduled for the August County Council meeting. If the county is successful in obtaining this grant, a relatively small local investment could result in a major upgrade to the fire services capabilities. Council unanimously approved the match requirement, allowing the application process to move forward. Councilman Frank Daniel made a point that probably resonated with a lot of residents. He talked about how difficult it can be to reach healthcare facilities, particularly with increasing traffic and travel times when residents need to go out of county to a hospital. Programs like this can help bridge some of those gaps. Council also approved a correction to the agenda to address an incorrect date associated with the previous meeting minutes, approved those corrected minutes, then adjourned. One thing that's important to remember is that council is not voting to impose the tax at this stage. Their role is to determine whether the proposal should move forward through the legal process. Ultimately, voters will make the final decision at the ballot box. The projects included in the proposal were prioritized by a committee made up of community members. For more details on the projects included, you can listen to the episode recapping last month's council meeting. This month it was a reminder of just how much local government is connected to the broader community. Whether it's celebrating student achievements, supporting local organizations, or recognizing difficult moments in people's lives, these comments often tell a story about Saluda County beyond the items listed on the agenda. EMS Director Jacob Starnes explained that if the program proved successful, future insurance reimbursement could potentially support the program long term. The grant funding would cover things like personnel costs, equipment, and a vehicle needed to launch this initiative. Following the discussion, Council unanimously approved moving forward with the application.