Santee Mayor Silas Seabrooks wants the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation’s support in obtaining local improvement funds to pave turning lanes around the new Santee Conference Center.

“Santee needs some type of help,” Seabrooks said during the delegation’s Monday meeting.

Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, who chairs the delegation, asked Seabrooks to draft a letter which he would forward to the Orangeburg County Transportation Committee for consideration.

That committee will decide how to spend the construction funds it receives from the state during a meeting Thursday.

Under the state local improvement funds program, the county can pave about three miles of road each year.

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter said those construction funds should go to other requests first.

“We need to honor these long-standing requests,” she said.

Ground was broken for the Santee Conference Center in January. The center will accommodate conferences and other civic functions. In addition, it will serve as an evacuation center during emergencies.

Matthews, Cobb-Hunter and Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, were the only members of the Orangeburg County Delegation in attendance at Monday’s meeting.

In other business:

* Matthews and Govan agreed to support Cobb-Hunter’s choice of Carolyn Brown of Orangeburg to represent the 6th Congressional District on a study committee that will assess the feasibility of exploring natural gas deposits off the coast of South Carolina.

Brown is a retired marine biologist.

“It’s the kind of perspective I believe ought to be at the table,” Cobb-Hunter said of Brown.

* The delegation voted to continue holding quarterly meetings every year.

* The three members attending decided to postpone a vote on the application of Dr. Michael C. Watson of Bamberg, who is seeking to be reappointed to the Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Matthews said since Sen. Brad Hutto and Rep. Bakari Sellers represent portions of Bamberg County, Watson’s application should be forwarded to them.

* Dr. Oscar Butler asked the delegation not to publicly discuss any proposals for a scaled-back school week, which has become a topic of discussion recently as a result of rising energy costs. He also requested that the delegation keep local interests first and foremost in talking with Jafza officials.

In addition, Butler encouraged the three lawmakers to look into any complaints they might receive from constituents regarding the Regional Medical Center. Butler is a member of the RMC board.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060.

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