SANTEE – Mayor Silas Seabrooks was a no-show at Santee Town Council’s two-day retreat Nov. 16-17, but it didn’t stop the town’s other elected officials from discussing current issues facing the town and mapping out plans for its future.

Seabrooks told The Times and Democrat Tuesday he “chose not to attend” the retreat. Asked why, he said he didn’t want to talk about it.

Santee’s four council members did participate in all sessions of the retreat, which was held at the Santee Cultural Arts & Visitors Center.

Monday’s discussion began with a closed-door meeting that lasted more than two hours between town officials and Orangeburg County leaders concerning potential economic development projects. Among those in the meeting were Mike Burkhold of Burkhold Smith Planning & Management; Santee Administrator Jason Purvis; John McLauchlin, county engineer and economic development commissioner; County Administrator Bill Clark; Bob West of the Orangeburg-based engineering firm ERC; Johnnie Wright, county council chairman and Lake Marion Regional Water Agency board chairman; and Herman Keller, Santee water department supervisor.

William E. “Bill” Clark, a Santee businessman, also met with Santee officials privately after Keller and representatives from the county and ERC left the meeting.

Burkhold told The Times and Democrat three issues were discussed in the closed meeting: Jafza, the Dubai-based company that plans to build a distribution and manufacturing plant near Santee; water allocation to the John Matthews Industrial Park on U.S. 301; and water service to areas in Vance along Old Number Six Highway.

Purvis said Santee has not made any official commitments to the proposed projects that were discussed privately.

Purvis and Burkhold guided Santee Town Council in Monday’s discussions, and Rep. Garry Smith, a partner in the Burkhold Smith firm, led in Tuesday’s retreat topics.

No formal decisions were made during the retreat, but Santee Town Council is expected to take up some of the issues in future meetings.

One of the topics discussed was the possibility of increasing water and sewer tap fees. Currently, the town charges $180 (not including impact fees) for each in-town or out-of-town water and sewer tap.

“This makes y’all probably close to the cheapest water and sewer tap fees in the state of South Carolina,” Purvis told council. “The bottom line is, your water and sewer tap fees are exceptionally cheap.”

Purvis and Burkhold provided council members with a spreadsheet of area water and sewer tap fees, including St. Matthews, Elloree, Estill, Holly Hill and Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities.

The average residential water tap fees range between $530 and $730 for in-town use and $710 and $1,070 for out-of-town use.

“You need to understand that water and sewer – sewer in particular – is a valued commodity. It goes back to the economic development we discussed earlier … you’re losing a lot of potential revenue” by having low tap fees, Purvis said.

Purvis said Jafza’s anticipated construction of a container port and light manufacturing facility at the intersection of Interstate 95 and U.S. 301 will first include the development of a prime piece of property located along a frontage road with visibility from I-95.

The site, listed as “Phase 1A” on the most recent project map, is west of the Santee Town Hall Complex and includes railroad access and a road.

Council discussed the possibilities of annexing the railroad and properties involved in the Jafza project as well as the town’s potential role in providing services such as law enforcement, water and sewer.

Also during the retreat, council members indicated they would like to see a recreational facility available to residents and visitors and expressed hopes that Santee could partner with the county on such a project.

Councilwoman Sheryl Patrick suggested a YMCA-like concept and multi-use playing fields with a central concession area.

Mayor Pro Tem John Mark Gilmore said a lighted walking trail around the facility would be an asset.

Burkhold suggested the town’s development commission lay out a plan and present it to council.

Another topic was the possible annexation of Santee Cooper Resort on Old Number Six Highway, where some of the residents are already Santee water and sewer customers.

Smith said annexing the resort would be beneficial to the town and the resort’s residents. He said town officials can assist the Santee Cooper Resort residents with annexation questions and the overall process. However, Smith said they cannot force anyone into annexation.

“They are your neighbors. The town of Santee is your local government. This is not a government in Orangeburg, Columbia, or Washington,” he said.

T&D Correspondent Martha Rose Brown can be reached by e-mail at marfawose@aol.com.

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