ST. MATTHEWS – After hearing from the chairman of the local Transportation Committee, Calhoun County Council agreed Monday to handle the administration of local road improvement funds on a trial basis.

Charles Crook, chairman of the five-member committee, made the proposal to “stretch the dollar.”

Of the approximately $600,000 the county receives from the gasoline tax, Crook said, some 25 percent goes back to the state highway department to resurface existing roads. Of the remaining $400,000 or so, he said, the highway department charges a percentage to administer the program and an additional percentage for engineering work.

Also, Crook said the state’s requirements are beyond what is needed. The result, he said, is a sandy, one-mile road like Myers Lane had an estimated cost of $400,000 to pave, but an actual bid of $800,000.

If the county handled the administrative work, Crook said the $600,000-per-mile cost under the state could be reduced to around $250,000 or $300,000 a mile.

“We could take two or three good roads laid out in an existing subdivision ... and put down some asphalt,” he said. “And do some good for the people of Calhoun County.”

In other business, council held a public hearing on a proposed ordinance to establish flood damage prevention for the county.

However, due to modifications to the state model, final third reading of the ordinance was scrapped and first reading, by title only, was given to a new ordinance instead.

“We took out language that dealt with coastal areas,” said County Administrator Lee Prickett. “Since it’s basically a re-write, we’ll start off with first reading. ... It’s a substantial modification to the prior ordinance. Basically, it’s been re-written.”

The ordinance applies to new construction or improvements of more than 50 percent of the value of property. Others in the designated flood plain would be grandfathered in.

“Most of our flood plain is along the river and some creeks,” Prickett said. “The maps are due April 16.”

George Taylor, the county’s building official, noted that the insurance “is not mandatory, unless you’ve got a mortgage. This just makes it available.”

Maria Cox of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources explained that passage of the ordinance would allow county residents to purchase federally subsidized flood insurance. That’s especially important, she said, when statistics show that a homeowner has a 26 percent chance of flood, compared with 9 percent chance of a fire, over a 30-year mortgage, regardless of whether the house is in a flood plain. Also, the county will be able to apply for federal grants and aid.

Local conservationist Dick Watkins addressed several discrepancies in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood insurance study, such as including two state highways that are not in Calhoun County; Cabin Branch Creek is not in Calhoun County; Norfolk-Southern Railroad was not mentioned and SCE&G was referred to as South Carolina Energy and Gas instead of Electric and Gas.

Mainly, he questioned a one-foot discrepancy in elevation figures, although both figures were said to be based on Clarendon County’s statistics.

In other business, council:

n Received as information, notification from Public Works Director Woody Rucker that the county recently won the top award from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control for its recycling program in the small county category.

Rucker also presented Donald Stines with an award as the county’s collection attendant of the year.

n Gave second reading to an ordinance to repeal an old, inactive ordinance establishing an Arts Commission. According to the administrator, the Historical Commission of the Museum has taken over the arts grants.

n Gave first reading to an ordinance to add a Lexington County property to the multi-county industrial park.

Under the state multi-county industrial park incentive, Lexington County will receive job credits, while Calhoun County will get 1 percent of fees.

n Gave first reading to an ordinance to add a Calhoun County property, the Calhoun County Industrial Park, to the multi-county park with Lexington County.

Here, Calhoun County will receive the job credits, while Lexington County will get 1 percent of fees.

n In closed, executive session, discussed an economic development matter concerning “Project Willie.”

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