ST. MATTHEWS -- To accommodate growth in the Sandy Run community, Calhoun County Council has approved a preliminary architectural plan that will bring several government services to the area.

A contract with Summers and Gardner architects of Orangeburg, which is 8 percent of construction costs, was approved Monday.

Officials anticipate constructing two buildings on a 4.1-acre site at the intersection of Interstate 26 and U.S. Highway 176.

One will be a two-bay Emergency Medical Services building. Original plans called for it to be 8,000 square feet, but the size has been reduced by 20 percent.

The other, 3,000-square-foot building on the site will house a magistrate's office and water department. Also, the original plans have been changed to include a 690-square-foot sheriff's office annex.

Council Chairman David Summers asked whether the addition for the sheriff's office would be large enough. Told that the administrator would check with Sheriff Thomas Summers, the chairman joked that "if you ask him, he'll want the Taj Mahal."

But it's cheaper to put in changes when the project is being built, Summers said.

As for the rest of the property, County Administrator Lee Prickett said, "We'll reserve the middle for some future governmental building. One suggestion is a library, but there are no plans to build one right now."

In other business, council agreed to switch operators at the wastewater treatment system the county operates at the Interstate 26 rest area.

Council has ended its contract with operators EA Services and will change to Water Systems Inc. of West Columbia, which will operate the facility for a cost of $3,000 a month.

"That's slightly higher than what we pay now, but it's money every time we make corrections," Prickett said. "We will negotiate that they are responsible for bringing us into compliance."

In September, council received notice that, although corrective measures had been implemented to straighten out problems, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control had issued consent order that's a first for the county.

Despite the corrective measurers, Prickett reported that there have been two additional incidents with chemical levels above or below requirements.

"We'll look at another operator to get within compliance standards," Prickett said.

Also, the administrator had said that the $6,800 civil penalty imposed has been reduced to $3,400.

Previously, Prickett said the ammonia and phosphorus limit problems - which the county informed DHEC about - are a result of a "lack of load." The system is designed to treat 125,000 gallons per day, while only about 35,000 gallons are treated.

Calhoun County took over the operation of the problem-plagued wastewater treatment plant from South Carolina back in 1996.

In other business, council:

* After a public hearing, at which no one spoke, gave second reading to an ordinance to include two Lexington County properties -- the new state Farmers Market and the Saxe Gotha Industrial Park -- in the joint Lexington-Calhoun Multicounty Industrial Park.

Under the state economic development incentive, Calhoun will get 1 percent of fees generated by the investments, while Lexington County will get 99 percent.

* Gave second reading to an ordinance authorizing an exchange of property. The county, which had bought a one-acre tract off Fort Motte Road from Freeman Huffman, has been asked by the new owner of Huffman's estate to make an even exchange of one 25-foot strip of land with another 25-foot strip of land on the opposite side.

* Gave first reading, by title only, to an ordinance establishing policies and procedures for the red flag and identity theft model. New state law requires that safeguards be in place to protect private information included in the South Carolina Association of Counties set-off debt collection program.

* Approved an "intent to award" the low-bid contract for the new library. Of the 10 bids submitted, the apparent low bid was from the Calhoun County firm Custom Steel Fabricators Inc. for $2,796,000. The firm is the same one that did the courthouse annex renovations.

* Accepted the $5,550.94 low bid, submitted by Orangeburg Security Systems, to install additional security cameras for the courthouse annex and dispatch center.

* Received as information, a report that the county will get a $61,320 cut in state revenues.

Noting concerns about county revenues, Prickett said that the "economy definitely is starting to show up in our revenue stream."

* Approved a $1,055 change order for additional foundation engineering work needed on the Fort Motte Community Center. The new project total is $150,835. Council also approved a $4,000 change order to provide a commercial oven hood.

* Approved a $40,585 change order deduction in the $1 million industrial park roadway project.

* Agreed to sell surplus county property through an Internet site for a 7 percent commission. Bids do not have to be accepted. Also, proceeds from the previous public auctions have been low.

* Agreed to keep the county landfill open despite the longtime costs associated with monitoring.

"There is not enough money from tipping fees to cover the costs," Prickett said. "It's expensive to run a small landfill. ... It's purely a service."

* Passed a resolution supporting recycling incentives that the General Assembly is considering.

* Received as information, a report that bids for a courthouse chiller, ranging form $22,000 to $39,000, have been received. A recommendation will be made during the next session.

* In closed, executive session, discussed a personnel matter concerning the building department.

T&D Government Writer Tucker Lyon can be reached at tlyon@timesanddemocrat.com or by calling 803-533-5545.

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