The opening session of theMunicipal Association’s Annual

Meeting laid out the landscape for South Carolina in the new economy and focused on several elements specificto the role of cities.

The session spotlighted how citiesmust take a leadership role in the neweconomy South Carolina must developto compete nationally and international-ly. While the term “new economy” hasbeen batted around for a number ofyears, its definition can vary from source to source.

Simply put, the new economy isbased on the exchange of knowledge andideas and not just the creation and sale ofa product. Job creation and higher indi-vidual income will result from innovativeideas and technology advances that areembedded into existing (and new) ser-vices and manufactured products.

This definition might initially leadsome to think new economy jobs areonly those involving high-tech businessor hydrogen development. In reality,success in the new economy resultsfrom new and traditional types of busi-ness creating new ways of usingtechnology and working together tocompete globally, not just locally.Traditional businesses don’t go away,they reinvent themselves to thrive inthis new economy.

Keynote speaker Ed Sellers drovehome the role of strong cities in this neweconomy. Sellers is the chairman andCEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of SCand chairman of New Carolina – SCCouncil on Competitiveness.

He opened his remarks by notingthe importance of the idea of a funda-mental city-centric society. “I stand inamazement as I watch folks wax

eloquently about how building ourstate is like building a bridge. They canproduce the vision of the bridge butrefuse to invest in the pilings that holdup the bridge.” Those pilings, he said,are our state’s cities and towns.

He said, “I’m on your side as youtry to hold your place in this strangeworld we live in. The structure of politics of the state can allow one voiceinside a state legislature to pursue a sin-gle agenda that can undermine thebuilding of the bridge to get us to abetter future.”

Sellers said New Carolina was established to make South Carolina’seconomy stronger and more competitivein a new global environment. One key measurement in gauging SouthCarolina’s success is individual, or percapita, income.

UPTOWNMunicipal Association of South Carolina

Advocacy. Service. Innovation.

Investment in cities is a must for a successful state

ROAD SHOW continued on page 3

MASC Road Shows revving up

MASC is hitting the road again this fall with a series of regional Road Showsmaking eight stops around the state. The Road Shows will bring local

municipal officials together with MASC staff to learn more about incorporating ourmessage of “strong cities” into communications with other community leaders.

Included in the agenda will be an insider’s look at the upcoming legislative ses-sion and tips on incorporating our strong cities message when contacting legislatorsduring the “off season.”

Municipal officials will be treated to a meal and will leave the sessions with atoolkit chock full of tangible ideas to increase the visibility of the value of their cityor town — regardless of size. From engaging local key influencers to building betterrelationships with the news media, the Road Show will provide a fast-paced agen-da and plenty of time for questions and feedback.

Inside This IssueHometown enthusiasm and part-nerships hit home run in Greenvillepage 4

Hurricane preparedness surveyreveals troubling statisticspage 6

Municipal leaders capture threeMain Street SC Inspiration Awardspage 11

September 2007

INVESTMENT IN CITIES continued on page 2

2 Uptown September 2007

Investment in cities continued from cover

In a vacuum, South Carolina’s percapita income of about $26,000 ismerely a number on a page. “The abso-lute number becomes interesting whenyou compare yourself to someoneelse,” noted Sellers.

Compared to the rest of the coun-try, South Carolina lags behind at only82 percent of the national average.“Then compare us to Georgia andNorth Carolina,” he said, which are at 92 percent of the national average. “We are at a distinct disadvantage toour closest neighbors.”

Sellers said it’s easy to blame ourstate’s challenges on issues like race, abad mix of industry or a rural econo-my. But none of these issues fullyexplains why we continue to lagbehind in average individual income.New Carolina has done considerableresearch to determine the reasons behindthese challenges.

First, Sellers said, our state’s pro-ductivity lags behind the rest of thecountry. He noted this has nothing todo with the work ethic or even theproducts we turn out. Rather, this lag is due to other states embracing anincreased use of technology in traditionalindustries like textile manufacturing andagriculture.

Second, South Carolina has a small-er percentage of available workers whoare actually working. These two indica-tors can be changed with focus andhard work, Sellers said.

To combat these challenges, NewCarolina is pursuing a three-prongedapproach.

First, Sellers said, “We must embracethe idea of developing clusters for busi-ness development.” Clusters, heexplained, are businesses that tradition-ally might be competing with oneanother but now work together tobuild on their common interests. Citiesare a critical element in developing suc-cessful clusters.

An example of asuccessful cluster is theCalifornia wine busi-ness. Wine growersrealized to competewith France andAustralia, they had tofind ways to worktogether to markettheir products. Theyfocused on the idea ofCalifornia wine firstand their individualproducts second.Profits increased for all involved. SouthCarolina must take asimilar approach, andNew Carolina hasidentified nine clusterareas that include businesses like agricul-ture, tourism, manufacturing andautomotive.

Second, we must create an environ-ment where new ideas can “live andbreathe,” Sellers said. This includesproviding funding for businesses withnew ideas to thrive. This also meansensuring we have an educated work-force to work in these new jobs. Also,we must provide the quality of lifethese workers will want.

Finally, we must connect the dots.Sellers noted, “South Carolina is a statewhere everyone likes to be in charge.We’re working hard to get folks towork with each other within our state.Cheraw is not competing with Mullinsfor projects. We’re competing againstNorth Dakota, North Carolina andSouth Korea.” Local leaders must worktogether and not against each other inthis competitive environment.

Referring back to his initial bridgeanalogy, Sellers said, investment in ourcities is a must for a successful state. Bysupporting the development of clustersand regional collaborations, citiesbecome the conduits to connect the

dots and make ourselves stronger tocompete nationally and internationallyrather than competing with our next-door neighbors.

Sellers’ speech got good feedbackfrom members attending the AnnualMeeting, said Howard Duvall, MASC’sexecutive director. “Our goal in havingEd as our keynote speaker was to getour hometown leaders thinking abouthow cities of all sizes have a role toplay in this new economy. Based onthe good questions his talk generatedand the feedback from members, Ibelieve he did a good job to begin con-necting the dots.”

MASC will continue to work withNew Carolina and other business orga-nizations to ensure leaders in the state’scities and towns have the resources andinformation they need to ensure allhometowns are successful in the neweconomy.

For more information about what NewCarolina is doing, visit www.newcarolina.org.

Listen to Sellers’ speech at www.masc.sc.

Annual Meeting keynote speaker Ed Sellers, Chairman New Carolina

September 2007 Uptown 3

MASC mailed invitations to all mayors, councilmembers, managers, clerks and public information staff in late August. Whilethe meetings are scheduled around council of government regions, municipal officials can attend any of the eight sessions. Visit theMASC Web site to sign up and for details about locations and the agenda.

Road show continued from cover

Date Time Location/Directions City

September 25 11:30 a.m. MASC Office, 1411 Gervais St. Columbia

September 27 11:30 a.m. Municipal Conference Center, 214 Park Ave. SW Aiken

October 3 11:30 a.m. Marriott Charleston, 170 Lockwood Blvd. Charleston

October 11 11:30 a.m. Simpsonville Activity and Senior Center, 310 West Curtis Street Simpsonville

October 17 11:30 a.m. Technical College of the Lowcountry, 921 Ribaut Rd. Beaufort

October 25 5:30 p.m. Hilton Garden Inn, 2671 Hospitality Blvd. Florence

October 26 11:30 a.m. Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes, 8400 Costa Verde Dr. Myrtle Beach

November 1 11:30 a.m. Bridges/Rockwell Room, Baxter Hood Center, Rock HillYork Technical College, 252 S. Anderson Rd.

The Bridge Builder

Merl Code, luncheon speaker at the Annual Meeting, said municipal leaders must understand “you are building bridges forpeople who will never know you, have never seen you, never known you’ve existed 100 years from now…. [I hope in the

future] someone will say you’ve built some bridges for others to cross.” To emphasize his point, Code shared “The Bridge Builder.”

An old man, going a lone highway,Came, at the evening, cold and gray,To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim;The sullen stream had no fears for him;But he turned, when safe on the other side,And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim, near,"You are wasting strength with building here;Your journey will end with the ending day;You never again must pass this way;You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide-

Why build you a bridge at the eventide?" The builder lifted his old gray head:"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,"There followeth after me today,A youth, whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm, that has been naught to me,To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;Good friend, I am building the bridge for him."

Author: Will Allen Dromgoole

4 Uptown September 2007

Greenville city leaders hit a home runwhen they scored partnerships

with minor league baseball owner CraigBrown and developer Bob Hughes.

“The ability to partner is defined bythree principles,” said Brown, co-ownerand president of the Greenville Drivebaseball team. “It takes a shared vision,strong enthusiastic leaders and a collaborative spirit.”

According to Brown and Hughes,Greenville’s city council and city managerfollowed these three key principles whenthey built the West End Field, a replica ofFenway Park, and RiverPlace, a mixed-use development. “The partnershipbenefited both parties,” said Brown during the “Hometown Enthusiasm andPartnerships” session at MASC’s AnnualMeeting. “The city committed to overcome obstacles which served tostrengthen the partnership.”

Brown encouraged other city leadersattending the session to engage in public-private partnerships and follow theGreenville example to the letter. He illustrated how Greenville’s city councilorganized public dialogue with neigh-borhood associations opposed to thestadium development. “Opponentsbacked away because councilmemberscommunicated the importance of theDrive’s positive impact on the city,”Brown said. “Their leadership didn’t stopthere. They immersed economic agen-cies, the chamber, civic leaders and thebusiness community in their vision tobuild the stadium.”

The City of Greenville also workedcollaboratively with Greenville County toprovide 500 free parking spaces for theDrive at nearby County Square. Trolleysare owned by the baseball team but aremaintained and driven by city employees.

In return, the city has access to the trol-leys during the Drive’s off-season.

Additionally, Brown emphasizedhow city leaders kept their commitmentsto the partnership. Streets leading up tothe stadium were paved on time by thecity. Water and sewer were installed onschedule.

Meeting commitments was a key element in Hughes’ partnership with thecity when they built RiverPlace together.He described his partnership withGreenville to the elected officials attendingthe session as a ‘marriage.’ “It goes onforever,” he joked.

Using the marriage comparison, heexplained the ‘pre-nup’ between the cityand his company. “The city needed agreat public space on the river, parkingand money. The developer needed loveand affection and some money,” he said.Therefore, the city agreed to spend $11.5million on the garage and public plazaand keep a high level profile on the pro-ject. Hughes agreed to invest a minimumof $25 million, manage all the construc-tion and handle cost overruns on thepublic improvements.

With the agreement in place, Hughesand the city kept its promises and devel-oped the $75 million mixed-usedevelopment in 2005. It includes theHampton Inn, restaurants, retail stores,artist studios, condominiums and a parking garage which is wrapped aroundan iconic fountain and water feature.

Hughes highlighted the need for allcities to have good ordinances in placewhen tackling mixed-use developmentswith contractors. “You have to be readyfor the partnership,” he said.

He also stressed innovation. The firstlevel of one of the mixed-use buildings isreserved for artist studios. The 30-day

Hometown enthusiasm and partnerships hit home run in Greenville

West End Field

leases provide enough time for individualartists to showcase their work. If they arenot successful, they can be asked to leavein 30 days to make room for anotherartist to display their wares, Hughes said.

Hughes and Brown agreed: successfulcities are defined by their private-publicpartnerships. Having a shared vision bystrong leaders who have a collaborativespirit and meet commitments are keyprinciples for all cities to follow.

However, the city has to be the lead-er of the partnership in order to make ita home run, according to Brown. “Myfirst endeavor to build this stadium inanother city lasted two years,” he said.“In Greenville, we built the stadium in 13 months. Now, that’s commitment!”

September 2007 Uptown 5

RiverPlace

• Fire Prevention Week – The National Fire Protection Association declared

October 7 – 13 as National Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme —

“Practice Your Escape Plan” — encourages everyone to designate an escape

plan in your home to help protect you and your family. Ask your fire depart-

ment to host meetings on fire prevention and safety. Offer tours of your

local fire stations and take time to say thank you to all firefighters in your

hometown.

• National Crime Prevention Month – The National Crime Prevention

Council designates every October as National Crime Prevention Month and

encourages everyone, especially hometown residents, to be safe and vigilant.

Provide tips to residents on how to protect their families and property. Host

informational meetings on crime prevention and distribute crime prevention

brochures in water or electricity bills. Join the National Crime Prevention

Council and its crime prevention dog, McGruff, to take a bite out of crime in

your hometown.

• Women’s Small Business Month – It is important to recognize all business

owners in your municipality. October offers you the opportunity to recognize

women who are small business owners and enjoy your hometown as their

place to work and live. Spotlight a female business owner in your newsletter,

host a city hall reception or interview a female business owner and feature

her on your local access channel. Show your thanks to women who are small

business owners who enjoy everything your downtown has to offer.

Visit the MASC Web site to download Hometown Happenings materials in early September.

Hometown Happenings

October

Each month, municipal officialshave the opportunity to down-

load materials that will help themshare the value of cities and townswith the community and morespecifically their key influencers.Through each suggested activity andcorresponding materials, municipalleadership can form partnershipswith the local business community,the media, local non-profit organiza-tions and policy makers.

October Hometown Happeningsinformation as noted below will beposted to the MASC Web site in ear-ly September. Let MASC know ifyou participate in a HometownHappening. Call Casey Fields at803.933.1256.

6 Uptown September 2007

A ccording to a new survey of peoplein high-risk hurricane areas con-

ducted by the Harvard School of PublicHealth Project on the Public andBiological Security, one-third of residentssaid that if government officials insistedthey evacuate due to a major hurricanethis season, they would not leave. This isan increase from 2006 when 23 percentsaid they would not evacuate.

The survey was conducted in eightstates -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia,Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina,South Carolina and Texas -- and onlyincluded residents of counties within 20miles of the coast. The poll included aspecial sample of the New Orleansmetropolitan area.

The top reasons people give for notevacuating involve issues of safety andsecurity. Three-quarters say their homeis well-built and they would be safethere. Fifty-six percent feel roads wouldbe too crowded while 36 percent ofthose responding believe evacuatingwould be dangerous. One-third worrytheir possessions would be stolen ordamaged; one in four say they wouldnot evacuate because they don’t want to leave their pets.

“Public officials need to be concernedthat the further we get from the severehurricanes of 2005, the less willing peo-ple are to evacuate,” said RobertBlendon, professor of Health Policy andPolitical Analysis at the Harvard Schoolof Public Health.

“Officials need to remind people thatmany homes are vulnerable to majorstorms. They also need to ensure safeevacuation routes are available and thepublic is aware of them.”

Evacuation and shelterconditions

If residents of high-risk hurricaneareas have to evacuate because of a major hurricane, most would be concerned about the conditions of evacuation shelters if they had to go toone. The biggest worries people have:that shelters would be unsanitary (68percent), there wouldn’t be enough cleanwater to drink (66 percent), the shelterwould be too crowded (65 percent), theywould be exposed to sick people (62 per-cent), and medical care would be lacking(58 percent).

Hurricane preparationsMany residents of hurricane-prone

areas have not made critical preparationsfor a major storm. If running water werecut off due to a hurricane, 23 percentwould run out of clean water after twodays, and 54 percent would run out aftersix days. If power were shut off, one in10 would be without food after twodays, and nearly half after six days.

Hurricane Katrina showed that fami-lies can be separated and communicationcan break down in the aftermath of amajor storm, but most residents have notprepared for that possibility. Two out ofthree have not agreed on a meeting placeif their family is separated; half have notagreed on a phone number outside theregion that family members could call.Of the 13 percent who intend to evacu-ate and need help, half do not have thathelp lined up.

Key preparedness information

Past experience with hurricanes hasidentified some critical information peo-ple should know to prepare for a storm.Many residents in high-risk areas wereunaware of some key information.

About 34 percent don’t know if theirhome is located in an evacuation zone.Thirty-nine percent do not know thelocation of an evacuation center in theircommunity where they could go if theyhad to.

A large majority of people would beat risk of eating food that has spoiled dueto a loss of refrigeration in a power out-age. The USDA recommends thatperishable food should not be eaten ifrefrigeration has been turned off for fourhours. Only one in five knew perishablefood would be safe for just a few hours.One in three believes food is safe for upto one day, one in four said two days,and 16 percent said three or more days.In addition, one in five did not knowthat each household member requires atleast one gallon of clean water per day,the amount recommended by the CDC.

Problems during past hurricanes

Nearly half of surveyed respondentslive in communities damaged by a hurri-cane during the past three years. Thesurvey asked them about the problemsthey had during these hurricanes to iden-tify issues that could be prevented infuture hurricanes. The most commonproblem: getting gas to evacuate (35 per-cent). Twenty percent reported they didnot have enough money at some point,14 percent did not have enough waterand 12 percent did not have enoughfood. Of note, smaller numbers reportedneeding medical care but not receiving it(5 percent), getting injured (5 percent) orbeing threatened by violence (3 percent).One area where few people reportedproblems was getting the informationthey needed to keep themselves andtheir families safe (8 percent).

Hurricane preparedness survey reveals troubling statistics

September 2007 Uptown 7

New OrleansThe survey included a sample of the

New Orleans metropolitan area to see ifresidents there differed from other high-risk area residents. After their experienceswith Hurricane Katrina, most residentsthere say they would evacuate for afuture storm. Only 14 percent would notevacuate compared to 32 percent of resi-dents of other high-risk areas. Sixtypercent do not know the location of anevacuation shelter if they needed to go toone, which is significantly more than resi-dents of other areas (38 percent). Despitethe dramatic images of people strandedduring Katrina, more than half (54 per-cent) of New Orleans residents areconfident they would be rescued if theyneeded to be during a future storm.

“It is worrisome that New Orleans,the site of one of the most severe hurri-canes in U.S. history, has such a largeproportion of people who don’t knowthe location of an evacuation center,”Blendon said. “An important priority forgovernment and voluntary agenciesshould be to inform people of the loca-tion of shelters well before a storm hits.”

Even after Katrina, a substantial per-centage of New Orleans residents are notprepared for a major storm. Half of NewOrleans residents have not designated a

place for their family to meet if they getseparated. Thirty-nine percent have notagreed on a phone number outside theregion that family members could call. Asizable percentage of New Orleans resi-dents — 23 percent — do not have morethan two days of water if the water sup-ply were cut off.

Hurricane Katrina illustrated the addi-tional challenges facing minorities and thepoor in these high-risk coastal areas dur-ing a major hurricane. This survey findsthat although African-Americans (73 per-cent) and Latino-Americans (71 percent)are more likely than whites (59 percent)to say they would evacuate if govern-ment officials said they had to leave inthe event of a major hurricane, they arealso more likely to need help to do so.Seventeen percent of African-Americansand 10 percent of Latino-Americans saythey need help to evacuate and don’thave help lined up — compared to 3 per-cent of whites.

Low-income residents also wouldhave more problems evacuating thanthose financially better off. Eighteen per-cent of those making less than $25,000 ayear and who intend to evacuate do nothave the necessary help compared to 4percent of those making $25,000 a yearor more.

If minorities and low-income resi-dents are unable to evacuate because theydo not have help, they are less preparedto stay in their homes and weather thestorm and its aftermath. Approximatelyone-third of African-Americans, Latino-Americans and low-income residents saythey aren’t prepared should a major hurri-cane strike their community in the nextsix months. This compares to 14 percentof whites and 19 percent of those making$25,000 a year or more.

A greater percentage of African-Americans (18 percent), Latino-Americans(11 percent) and low-income residents (14 percent) do not have enough food on hand to last more than three dayscompared to whites (6 percent) and those making $25,000 a year or more (8 percent).

The Harvard School of Public HealthProject on Public and Biological Securityis funded by the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention through a grantto the Association of State and TerritorialHealth Officials.

To view a full press release and survey data, including individual statereports and figures, visitwww.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2007-releases/press07242007.html.

Fourteen business licensing officialsreceived their Accreditation in

Business Licensing designation this sum-mer: Rebecca Ard, director of businesslicense, Sumter; Claudette Cochran,clerk/treasurer, Saluda; Stacy Craven,business license specialist, Sumter;Sharon Felder, business license inspec-tor, Sumter; Amyee Hammonds,administration supervisor, Pendleton;Sharon Leahey, business license inspec-tor, Surfside Beach; Angelia Locke,

business license officer, Greenville;Robert McDonald, business licensedeputy administrator, Columbia;Kristina Plymel, finance director,Summerville; David Seifert, director offinance and information technology,Greer; Hugh Smith, business licenseinspector, Easley; Paul Smith, businesslicense enforcement manager,Spartanburg; Louis Streater, codeenforcement officer, Lancaster; andRobert Urness, accountant, Greer.

Four business licensing officialsreceived their Masters in BusinessLicensing designation: James Siemers,business license inspector, CharlestonCounty; Sally DuBose, business licenseinspector, Sumter; Ellen Ravenell, busi-ness license official, West Columbia;and Debra Bivens, revenues manager,Georgetown.

For more information, contact Melanie Dozier at 803.933.1238 or mdozier@masc.sc.

Business licensing officials receive accreditations

8 Uptown September 2007

The City of Clemson is improvingefficiency by putting fewer garbage

trucks on the road. It’s possible with theuse of new technology, said PublicWorks Director David Conner.

The city’s garbage trucks have beenequipped with Global PositioningSystem devices. When crews are makingtheir routine stops, they are able topunch in details about what kind ofwork needs to be done on a particularstreet. Workers might notice a pothole, astreetlight that needs repair, brush piles,low-hanging tree limbs, hazardous wasteitems or appliances that need to bepicked up for disposal.

The worker presses a picture-codedicon on a screen mounted on the truckdashboard. The system records the loca-tion and type of work needed, Connersaid. Later, when the crew returns to thepublic works department, the data isdownloaded to a computer. A workorder is created, with a map or street listand details of the job, and assigned to aspecialized utility crew.

Because of the new system, differentutility crews don’t have to make randomrounds in neighborhoods, checking tosee if nonstandard waste items need col-lecting. “This sends us straight to thesource,” Conner said.

It saves manpower and money,reduces wear and tear on the streets andequipment, and prevents accidents thatcould be caused on residential streets bythe large trucks, Conner said. Perhapsmost notably, the system is expected tosave the city about $8,000 a year in fuelcosts, Conner said.

“With the price of fuel now, that’ssignificant,” he said.

The system, Pinpoint-Public Works,has been up and running for severalmonths. Clemson resident Jim Oswald,owner of O.A. Technology Group, devel-oped the system after discussions withcity and county administrators. Adjoiningmunicipalities have expressed interest inthe system, Conner said.

Pinpoint-Public Works went on themarket nationwide in June. The systemalso allows voice notes, hand-entereddata and can detect and alert crews toradiation in waste items.

City officials already have seenincreased efficiency as a result of the sys-tem. On one occasion, a brush collectioncrew came to the public works facility

for lunch and asked the supervisor whatto do for the rest of the day. When thesupervisor told them to finish the routesas normal, they replied that they alreadywere finished.

"The GPS directed them to the debrispiles and they did not have to drivearound each street locating the piles,"said Assistant City Administrator ChipBoyles. "This saved one-half day ofwork." The supervisor then was able todirect them to collections scheduled forthe next day, Boyles added. “I’m pleasedto see our city departments looking forinnovative ways to make themselvesmore efficient,” said Clemson CityAdministrator Rick Cotton.

City of Clemson saves money with GPS on garbage trucks

Pinpoint-Public Works Global Positioning System

September 2007 Uptown 9

R eforms passed by the GeneralAssembly, which took effect July 1,

soon will have an impact on the state’sworkers’ compensation laws.

The changes provide employerswith more protection against fraudu-lent workers’ compensation claims,tighten regulations about premiumincreases and begin to phase out theSecond Injury Fund.

“On balance, we believe it’s a goodlaw,” said Harvey Mathias, director ofRisk Management Services for theMunicipal Association of SC.

The workers’ compensation systemhad become slanted toward workers’rights and began affecting the economyof South Carolina, Mathias said. Somebusinesses moved out of the state toavoid dealing with the system, he said.

“Going forward, it should be morebalanced,” Mathias said.

The reforms address some SCSupreme Court cases considered adverseto the system, Mathias said.

In one case, Brown v. BILO, the courtruled employers could not meet with anemployee’s doctor unless the injuredworker gave his consent. This made itdifficult for an employer to obtain infor-mation about when an employee couldreturn to work and whether he wouldrequire any job restrictions, Mathias said.

The new legislation permitsemployers to speak with a physicianafter an employee files a workers’compensation claim. The law requiresthe employee be informed of themeeting and invited to attend.

The reforms also address issuesraised in Ellison v. Frigidaire. In that case,an employee injured his leg in a work-place accident. He was given a 20

percent permanent impairment ratingto the leg. However, the leg injury, incombination with other pre-existingmedical conditions, left the manunable to work after the accident. Hereceived full disability.

Under the legislation, employees nolonger will be able to receive full disabilityif one injury combines with pre-existingconditions.

The new law requires medicalexpert testimony in medically complexcases, Mathias said. It also addressesrepetitive trauma, such as carpal tunnelsyndrome, he added.

The legislation also phases out theSecond Injury Fund. That fund was cre-ated after World War II as a way toencourage employers to hire injured sol-diers. The fund has had little purposesince the creation of the Americans withDisabilities Act, Mathias said. Employerswere irritated because all industry wasrequired to pay into the fund but veryfew received benefits, he said.

Under the new law, no claims will beaccepted with an occurrence date afterJune 30, 2008. The fund is slated to beshut down in 2013, Mathias said.

“Regardless of the changes to theworkers’ compensation system, the idealsituation to lower costs is to avoid acci-dents in the first place,” said Mathias.“The best way to do that is to have agood risk and safety program in place. Inthe long run, it is better for the employ-ees and the employers to have a safe,productive workplace.”

For more information about workers’ com-pensation and establishing a safety program,contact Harvey Mathias at 803.933.1212 orhmathias@masc.sc.

General Assembly passes workers’ compensation reforms

■ Deannia Roberson, human

resources specialist in Walterboro,

has been appointed to serve an unex-

pired term on the SC Municipal

Insurance and Risk Financing Fund’s

Board of Trustees. Chris Eldridge,

administrator of Pickens, has been

appointed to serve an unexpired term

on the SC Local Government

Assurance Group’s Board of Trustees.

■ Chief Patty Patterson of Sumter

was named Woman Law Enforcement

Executive of the Year by the National

Association of Women in Law

Enforcement Executives.

■ The City of Charleston received a

2007 Award for Excellence in the

Americas Competition, presented by

the Urban Land Institute.

■ Mayor Bill Barnet of Spartanburg

and Mayor Joe Riley of Charleston

have been chosen by The Liberty

Fellowship to mentor the participants

in its two-year leadership program.

■ The Municipal Association of SC

promoted Marisa Cebulski to staff

associate for affiliate services.

Cebulski will be the staff liaison to

the Municipal Court Administration

Association, the Municipal Attorneys

Association and the SC Municipal

Human Resources Association.

■ The City of Rock Hill is accepting

applications for an Office Assistant for

City Management at the Municipal

Court. Apply at the Personnel Office,

City Hall, Room 230, Main Floor, Rock

Hill, SC or mail to City of Rock Hill,

Office of Human Resources, PO Box

11706, Rock Hill, SC 29731.

News Briefs

Classifieds

10 Uptown September 2007

The Municipal Association’s boardof directors, comprised of both electedand appointed officials, sets policy forthe Association. The officers (executivecommittee) were elected to one-yearterms during the Association’s JulyAnnual Meeting:

PresidentMayor Fred Cavanaugh of Aiken

First Vice PresidentMayor Rick Danner of Greer

Second Vice PresidentMayor Carol Burdette of Pendleton

Third Vice PresidentMayor Kevin Johnson of Manning

Immediate Past PresidentMayor Doug Echols of Rock Hill

Board members are elected to three-year terms. The board consists of representatives from each of the 10 regional councils of governments and three at-large seats.

Councilmember Chandra Dillardof Greenville. Representing: AppalachianCouncil of Governments Term expires: July 2008

Mayor Randy Randall of Clinton Representing: Upper SavannahCouncil of GovernmentsTerm expires: July 2009

Mayor H.C. Starnes of Great Falls Representing: Catawba RegionalPlanning CouncilTerm expires: July 2009

Mayor Ed Kyzer of NewberryRepresenting: Central MidlandsCouncil of GovernmentsTerm expires: July 2008

Mayor Paul Miller of OrangeburgRepresenting: Lower SavannahCouncil of GovernmentsTerm expires: July 2008

Mayor Joe McElveen of Sumter Representing: Santee-LynchesCouncil of GovernmentsTerm expires: July 2010

Mayor Michael Holt of Hartsville Representing: Pee Dee RegionalCouncil of GovernmentsTerm expires: July 2010

Mayor Marilyn Hatley of NorthMyrtle Beach Representing: WaccamawPlanning & Development CouncilTerm expires: July 2009

Mayor Minnie Blackwell ofHanahan Representing: Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council ofGovernmentsTerm expires: July 2010

Mayor John Rhoden of HamptonRepresenting: Low CountryCouncil of Governments Term expires: July 2010

Mayor Sam Murray of Port Royal Representing: At-largeTerm expires: July 2008

Councilmember Tameika Isaac-Devine of Columbia Representing: At-largeTerm expires: July 2010

City Administrator MarkWilliams of Forest AcresRepresenting: At-largeTerm expires: July 2009

MASC 2007-2008 Board of Directors

Fred Cavanaugh, 2007-08 Municipal Association of SC president, told members, “In thecoming year, we will ramp up our efforts to work with statewide organizations … toensure that the importance of strong municipalities is a focus for them as they work tomake our state more competitive. Knowing that our voice becomes stronger when com-bined with others, we need to continue to develop partnerships that will help us bettercommunicate local government concerns and needs to our state leaders.”

September 2007 Uptown 11

M ain Street South Carolina present-ed its 2006 Inspiration Awards

during the Municipal Association ofSouth Carolina’s July Annual Meeting.

The City of Orangeburg took hometwo awards: Outstanding NewConstruction Project and Public Service.The City of Bennettsville won theGaines Jontz Rehabilitation Award for its Visitors Center.

Outstanding New ConstructionProject The award recognizes excellence innew construction in downtown. The projectmust demonstrate sensitivity to its setting;quality and appropriateness of design, mate-rials and construction; and a positive impacton the commercial district.

For many years, Orangeburg’s publicsafety department, municipal court andsheriff’s department shared a joint lawenforcement complex outside the citylimits. The space was cramped and inad-equate. Juggling the court facilitiesbetween the two entities created a back-log of cases.

The mayor and council recognizedthe need for change and devoted morethan $4 million to create a new, state-of-the-art facility. Located in the heart ofdowntown Orangeburg, the new publicsafety building houses fire, police andthe municipal court under one roof.

Beppie LeGrand, Main Street SCmanager said, “The building blendsarchitecturally with the surroundingdowntown community. It’s a greataddition to that area.” “This is just oneexample of the mayor and council’songoing efforts to revitalize down-town,” according to City AdministratorJohn Yow.

Public Service Award The awardrecognizes an elected or public official whohas contributed leadership and support for

downtown beyond the normal call of dutyand best represents commitment to the goalof revitalization.

This year’s Public Service Award wasgiven not to an individual but to a groupof public officials who have shown dedi-cation and commitment to revitalizingtheir downtown. The Orangeburg CityCouncil decided almost a decade ago tomake restoring and improving the down-town its mission.

In addition to the new public safetybuilding, the Council dedicated funds forongoing streetscaping, façade improve-ments and construction of new land-scaped parking areas. Also, Council

provided the funds for several restorationand construction projects for downtowncity-owned facilities.

The city renovated an abandoned jailfor the public works building and trans-formed an old fire station for the state-of-the-art council chambers. “CityCouncil accepted revitalization is a pro-cess, not a project. They are committedto sustained success,” Yow said.

“The downtown area is the heart ofOrangeburg. The revitalization effortshave made the three or four blocks inthe center of the city a hub of traffic andactivity,” said Mayor Paul Miller whenasked about the importance of down-

Municipal leaders capture three Main Street SC Inspiration Awards

Outstanding New Construction Project - Orangeburg

SC INSPIRATION AWARDS continued on page 12

12 Uptown September 2007

town revitalization. “Now citizens arebecoming involved. There were naysay-ers at first, but their opinions have beenchanged by the improved look and feelof the area.”

Gaines Jontz RehabilitationAward The award recognizes excellence infaçade rehabilitation or total building rehabili-tation. The project must demonstrate qualityand appropriateness in design, materials andconstruction and a positive impact on the com-mercial district. Where appropriate, a strongpreservation ethic must be evident in thisproject.

On June 23, 2006, the BennettsvilleVisitors Center (also known as McCollHouse) opened its doors. Since that time,more than 2,000 visitors have taken inthe beauty of the 1882 Queen Annestyle home.

The McColl House was initially con-structed using Marlboro County yellowbrick, stained cherry red, with the mor-tar joints painted white. The windowsills and headers were painted gray toresemble granite. The city restored these

features. The house also includes a cor-ner turret, an expansive wrap-aroundone-story porch with Victorian trim anda freestanding Delco house. Originalmarble mantels are found in each roomand stained glass transoms are situatedabove the front and rear hallway doors.

The City of Bennettsville received aSC Department of CommerceOpportunity Grant, which provided amajority of the funds for rehabilitationand conversion of the McColl Housefrom a bank to the current BennettsvilleVisitors Center and Chamber ofCommerce.

According to the center staff, visitor’scomments range from “Wow!” to manywords of appreciation for the preserva-tion and use of such a beautiful andhistoric structure.

SC Inspiration Awards continued from page 11

• Outstanding Public/Private

Partnership

Piedmont Rural TelephoneCooperative and MainStreet Laurens, USA

• Outstanding New Sign

Capitol Theatre and Café,Laurens

• Master Merchant Award-

Kim Crews, Stitches,Laurens

• Hometown Hero

Nancy B. Howell, MainStreet Lancaster

• Outstanding Promotional

Event

100th anniversary celebra-tion for Ferse’s 5&10,Orangeburg

• Outstanding Promotional

Program

First Saturday Art Walk,Conway

Other MainStreet SCWinners:

Gaines Jontz Rehabilitation Award - Bennettsville Visitors Center

September 2007 Uptown 13

The SC Supreme Court eliminated agray area pertaining to disclosing

information about finalists for a publicjob. A recent ruling clarifies when publicdisclosure of the finalists must take place.

According to the court, SpartanburgSchool District No. 7 violated the state’sFreedom of Information Act by onlyreleasing information on two finalists forits superintendent job but not the fivesemifinalists selected from a group ofabout 30 applicants.

In 2003, the Spartanburg Herald-Journalsued Spartanburg School District No. 7(New York Times Co. v. Spartanburg Cty.School Dist. No. 7) after the district releasedinformation on just two finalists instead ofthe five semifinalists.

The Supreme Court’s decision focus-es on the wording of SC Code Section30-4-40(a)(13), which exempts from

mandatory disclosure certain materialgathered in the search to fill a publicemployment position. It provides that“all materials, regardless of form, gath-ered by a public body during a search tofill an employment position, except thatmaterials relating to not fewer than thefinal three applicants under considerationfor a position must be made available forpublic inspection and copying.”

The Spartanburg School Districtargued this section limits the term “appli-cants” by the words “final” and “three.”The real issue boiled down to which ofthose two words is more important froma legal standpoint. The district furtherargued it provided material relating tojust two because the final pool onlyincluded two people.

The Court ruled the term “‘final’refers to the last group of applicants,

with at least three members, from whichthe employment selection is made.” Thedistrict asserted the requirement of threewould have the absurd effect of forcingpublic employers to name three finalistseven though there may only be twoqualified candidates. The Court declared“the statute simply requires a publicemployer to disclose material relating toa larger group of applicants if it choosesto name one or two ‘finalists.’”

If a pool of applicants is narrowed toa group larger than three, but not ulti-mately three, material related to thelarger group must be disclosed. The dis-trict, for example, could have gone from30 to three and disclosed the three.They could have gone from 30 to onebut would have to disclose 30.

Public officials must remember “threeis the magic number.”

Three is the magic number

S ixteen municipal officials graduat-ed from the SC Municipal Elected

Officials Institute of Government dur-ing MASC’s Annual Meeting in July.

The Institute is sponsored by theMunicipal Association in cooperationwith USC’s Institute of Public Serviceand Policy Research and ClemsonUniversity’s Strom ThurmondInstitute. Institute topics address thevaried concerns of local government,such as powers and duties of electedofficials, finance and planning/zoning.The next session, “Forms of MunicipalGovernment” and “Benefits andPitfalls of Economic Development”will be broadcast via satellite to the 10 regional councils of government onSeptember 20.

For more information, visitwww.masc.sc or contact Miriam Hair at 803.933.1204 or mhair@masc.sc.

Sixteen graduate from Elected Officials Institute

The summer 2007 graduates of the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Governmentare, in alphabetical order, Councilmember Randy Alford of Conway, Mayor Paul Bell ofWoodruff, Councilmember Robert Braddock of Hartsville, Councilmember David Dennis ofMoncks Corner, Councilmember Bob Flowers of Summerville, Councilmember BruceHenderson of Clover, Councilmember Charles Hornack of Duncan, Councilmember BruceKalley of Pendleton, Councilmember Hardison King of Irmo, Councilmember WilliamMcKown of Surfside Beach, Mayor Louis Newton of Furman, Councilmember MargaretThompson of Clemson, Councilmember Shirley Upton of Santee, Councilmember RichardWaring of Summerville, Councilmember Dave Watson of Easley and Councilmember PatWelborn of Pickens. (Not all graduates appear in photo.)

14 Uptown September 2007

Noted law enforcement expert JackRyan, speaking at the Municipal

Association of SC Annual Meeting,called South Carolina's legal standardson police pursuits "one of the worst inthe country."

Ryan, an attorney and former lawenforcement officer, is a nationallyrenowned trainer with the Legal andLiability Risk Management Institute (adivision of the Public Agency TrainingCouncil). The institute assists risk man-agement and law enforcement inproviding a proactive approach to reduceliability exposure.

After a recent U.S. Supreme Courtruling in Scott v. Harris, other states arebecoming less protective on pursuits andallowing law enforcement to exercisemore discretion as to the appropriate-ness of a pursuit. While Scott v. Harrisanswered many of the federal constitu-tional questions that arise whenpursuits end in property damage orbodily injury, the decision did nothingto address the tort liability implicationsbrought in state courts.

Ryan explained South Carolina hasone of the lowest bars in establishing lia-bility for police. Plaintiffs need onlyshow police failed to exercise a "slightdegree of care" in establishing liabilitybased on negligence, as opposed to moststates that still maintain a "gross negli-gence" standard. Ryan recommended SClocal governments implement strict, lim-ited scope pursuit policies.

Law enforcement agencies, he said,need to make themselves a "more diffi-cult target for suits," as the costs of evendefending a law enforcement lawsuitcan be outrageously large. The bestdefense to these types of suits, accordingto Ryan, is sound law enforcement

policy and training. In addition to pursuits,he addressed the legal issues surrounding

• use of force

• property/evidence collection

• care, custody, control andrestraint of prisoners

• domestic violence

• off-duty conduct

• sexual harassment

• discrimination

• selection and hiring

• internal affairs

• special operations, and

• the mentally ill.

Law enforcement agencies are noto-rious for borrowing policies from otherjurisdictions and adopting them as theirown. Ryan warned this was particularlydangerous to do across state lines.Virginia implemented a very good modelpolicy and procedure manual a numberof years ago that several jurisdictions inother states used as a model. "You can'tgo and get a policy manual from Virginiaand expect it work in South Carolina.Agencies must look at policies to ensurethey address both federal and their spe-cific state law,” Ryan said.

The South Carolina MunicipalInsurance and Risk Financing Fund (theproperty and liability insurance programof MASC) contracted with Ryan todevelop South Carolina-specific modellaw enforcement policies and proce-dures. The South Carolina CriminalJustice Academy Legal Division hasreviewed and approved them. Thesepolicies are available free as a member-ship benefit to SCMIRF members.

Said Phil Cromer, MASC risk andsafety services manager, "The modelpolicies have been developed in accor-dance with the legal standards of SouthCarolina and will be a tremendous bene-fit for SCMIRF members who areinterested in controlling their liabilitycosts. The 'pursuit policy' alone is worththe amount we paid to develop theentire model."

SCMIRF will be distributing themodel policy and procedure manual in mid-September during regional train-the-trainer sessions for SCMIRF-member law enforcement agencies. See box for dates and locations.

For more information, contact Phil Cromerat 803.933.1210, pcromer@masc.sc or visitwww.masc.sc/rms.

SC legal standards: "One of the worst" on police pursuits

SCMIRF addresses problem with model policy

SCMIRF-member training sessionsSeptember 17 - Anderson

September 18 - Columbia

September 19 – North Myrtle Beach

September 20 - Isle of Palms

SCMIRF members can contact Barbara Little at blittle@masc.sc or803.933.1237 to register for these SCMIRF member-only sessions.

September 2007 Uptown 15

So far, it’s been a good year for statesand their revenues. It’s a good thing,

too, because a lot of states are findingout that the declining writing skills ofmany of their employees are costingthem money.

The National Commission onWriting for America’s Families, Schools,and Colleges released a report, “Writing:A Powerful Message from State Gover-nment,” based on data provided byhuman resources offices in 49 of the 50 states.

Even though writing is a hugelyimportant and costly job requirement forprivate sector employees studied in anearlier survey, the report revealed that itis even more so for the nearly 2.7 million people who work for state gov-ernments. Training programs in writingskills for these state employees are estimated to cost taxpayers more than$220 million a year.

Almost two years ago, the State ofWashington, according to an AssociatedPress report, became concerned with thebureaucratic gobbledygook it saw in itsagency communications.

To help address the problem, thegovernor ordered all state agencies touse “plain talk,” and more than 2,000state employees attended classes toreceive instruction on how to write ineveryday language.

Has it paid off? According to the AP,just one letter from the state’s Departmentof Revenue that used plain talk resultedin the collection of an extra $800,000over two years in “use tax,” the general-ly ignored equivalent of sales tax onitems bought out of state. That one lettercaused the number of businesses com-plying with use tax regulations to triple.

Thom Haller, executive director ofthe Center for Plain Language inWashington, DC, has said plain-languageinitiatives are spreading to other states.

“We’re seeing them embrace itbecause they’re recognizing that clarityin structure and language is important,”he said. “It enables people to get theirjobs done more efficiently.”

Here are a couple of examples theAP used to illustrate simplificationsWashington state is using in its officialdocuments:

• The Department of Labor andIndustries:

Before: We have been notified thatyou did not receive the State ofWashington warrant listed on theattached Affidavit of Lost orDestroyed Warrant Request forReplacement, form F242.

After: Have you cashed your L&Icheck yet? The state Treasurer’sOffice has informed us that a checkwe sent you has not been cashed.

• The Department of Ecology:

Before: Specific to the CO2 mitiga-tion program, Ecology recommendsthat the reviewing authority assurecompliance with the approved miti-gation plan on an annual basis, unlessproject circumstances indicate that amore or less frequent compliancereview is appropriate.

After: Reviewing authorities conductannual reviews to assure compliancewith the mitigation plan.

The same kinds of gobbledygookproblems can infect communicationsthat businesses depend on to sell theirproducts. One of the points I stress withstudents in my “Good Writing Is GoodBusiness” seminars is that, in many cases,you have never met the person you aretrying to persuade, to impress, or to sellwhen you send them a written commu-nication — and that includes e-mail.

The only means those people have offorming an image of you and your busi-ness is through the words they see infront of them. It’s up to writers to seethat the image they create is the best itcan possibly be.

Bob Kerry, the former U.S. senatorand governor from Nebraska who ischairman of the National Commissionon Writing, has said he shudders to thinkhow the Declaration of Independencewould read if it had been written intoday’s bureaucratic gobbledygook.

We all know the adage that “time ismoney.” Apparently, words are money, too.

Dr. Price, a consultant with Sam McCuenand Associates, taught copy editing and writ-ing for more than 30 years at the University ofSouth Carolina.

Article reprinted with permission fromSouth Carolina Business, SC Chamber ofCommerce, July 2007.

Written any gobbledygook lately?By Dr. Henry T. Price

1411 Gervais Street ■ P.O. Box 12109Columbia, South Carolina 29211Tel: 803.799.9574 ■ Fax: 803.933.1299www.masc.sc

President: Mayor Fred Cavanaugh, Aiken

Executive Director: Howard E. Duvall Jr.

Managing Editor: Reba H. Campbell

Editor: Mary M. Brantner, APR

Associate Editor: Christie M. Penzol

Designed by Corporate Communication Solutions © 2007

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PAIDMunicipal

Association ofSouth Carolina

Municipal Elected Officials Instituteof Government ■ September 20, will offer the course"Benefits and Pitfalls of EconomicDevelopment/Forms of Government”from 6 - 9 p.m. via satellite to the 10regional councils of governments.

SC Association of StormwaterManagers■ September 21, will hold its thirdquarterly meeting at the SC HospitalAssociation in Columbia. Topics include“MS4 Implementation,” “Changing LandUse and the Environment” and“Underground Retention and WaterQuality.”

Road Show■ September 25, the MunicipalAssociation will hold a Hometown, SCRoad Show at 11:30 a.m. at its office inColumbia.

Road Show■ September 27, the MunicipalAssociation will hold a Hometown, SCRoad Show at 11:30 a.m. at theMunicipal Conference Center in Aiken.

SC Community DevelopmentAssociation■ October 1, will partner with the SCDepartment of Commerce’s GrantsAdministration for its fall meeting.Topics include sustainable communities,smart growth, housing financing tech-niques, small business development,predatory lending and historic preserva-tion tax credits. A SC CommunityDevelopment Block Grant workshopwill be held October 2-3. Both eventswill be held at the Clarion TownhouseHotel in Columbia.

Road Show■ October 3, the MunicipalAssociation will hold a Hometown, SCRoad Show at 11:30 a.m. at the MarriottCharleston in Charleston.

Road Show■ October 11, the MunicipalAssociation will hold a Hometown, SCRoad Show at 11:30 a.m. at theSimpsonville Activity Center inSimpsonville.

Road Show■ October 17, the MunicipalAssociation will hold a Hometown, SCRoad Show at 11:30 a.m. at theTechnical College of the Lowcountry inBeaufort.

Road Show■ October 25, the MunicipalAssociation will hold a Hometown, SCRoad Show at 5:30 p.m. at the HiltonGarden Inn in Florence.

Road Show■ October 26, the MunicipalAssociation will hold a Hometown, SCRoad Show at 11:30 a.m. at the MarriottResort at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach.

For more information about these meetings or other MASC meetings not listed, please call 803.799.9574, or visit our Web site at www.masc.sc.

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