Your County. Your News.
A Message from the County Administrator
Spring has sprung and many of us are spending more time outdoors. We are planting flowers, trimming hedges, cutting the grass, and enjoying the last of our cooler temperatures.
Flowers are in bloom and the natural beauty of Dorchester County is a sight to behold. Now is a great time for friends and family to visit the Middleton Gardens on Hwy. 61, Azalea Park in Summerville, or Francis Beidler Forest near Harleyville, which is home to the world's largest virgin cypress-tupelo swamp forest. In Dorchester County, you can relax, relate, and relieve stress in these beautiful places.
“Do More Dorchester!” Do more relaxing. Do more bird watching. Do more walking. No matter what your hobby is, Dorchester County is working to give our citizens and our community more opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty and resources it has to offer. The Davis-Bailey Park in St. George will be opening in June and the Ashley River Park will be opening this summer.
Additionally, County Council and staff is evaluating guidance received on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which will provide the County $31 Million to address impacts from the pandemic. One of the major programs emphasized in the Act is the expansion of broadband internet to underserved and unserved areas. The County is investigating ways to expand high-speed internet to these areas using funds received. This is one of many areas impacted by COVID-19 as many of us telecommute, participate in e-learning, and rely on this critical infrastructure to stay connected with the world around us. Look for more information on this program to be released in the upcoming months.
Finally, South Carolina is currently in its final phase of the COVID-19 vaccine plan. All South Carolinians, age 16 and older, can get their COVID-19 vaccine. If you desire to take the COVID-19 vaccine, make an appointment as soon as possible. You can find the latest vaccine provider locations by visiting vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov. Remember, by taking steps to protect yourself and your loved ones, you are helping our community to get back up and running so we can Do More Dorchester.
Jason L. Ward, County Administrator
Dorchester County Fire-Rescue Training Chief Earns Chief Fire Officer Designation
Congratualations to Dorchester County Fire-Rescue Training Chief, Shaun Gadsden, for earning the designation of Chief Fire Officer (CFO). The program recognizes individuals who demonstrate excellence in experience, education, professional development, professional contributions, association membership, community involvement, and technical competence. Chief Gadsden is one of only 1,550 CFOs worldwide.
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Highway 78 Improvement Project
Work on the five lane widing continues. Work on the Hwy. 78 and Hwy. 178 intersection and clearing and grubbing for Phase 2-B is expected to begin within the month. Sporadic lane closures will continue in the project area. The project is on schedule for completion in Fall 2021.
Litter Removal Campaign
The Dorchester County Public Works Department is wrapping up year three of a litter removal campaign. If you have driven down roads in our county and seen the green bags, you have witnessed this program in action.
Dorchester County is grateful for wonderful team members, Kathy Simmons, Karen Flood, Demorrick Green, and Tabankek Logan, for helping us Keep Dorchester County Beautiful. This small and dedicated team has removed 8.7 tons of litter from Dorchester County roadways in the 1st Quarter of 2021.
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County Parks - Construction Updates
Considerable progress has been made since Dorchester County announced that the Ashley River Park, near the Town of Summerville, and the Davis-Bailey Park, in St. George, were both under contract last April. Below is a construction update for both parks, as well as the planned Pine Trace Natural Area.
Ashley River Park
The outfitter building, restroom building, fishing piers, dog parks, playground, and splash pad are all nearing completion. Parking lots, the event pavilion, maintenance building, and great lawn grading are underway. The $13,000,000 project remains on budget. Heavy rains in February and other factors have delayed substantial completion to late Summer 2021.
Davis-Bailey Park
The event pavilion, concessions, and storage building will all have certificates of occupancy soon. The walking path has been paved, park signs are installed, and the veterans memorial hardscape is finished. The splash pad, playground, and site lighting is complete. The $6,000,000 project remains on budget. A grand opening event is planned for Saturday, June 5, and will feature a three on three basketball tournament, pickup kickball games, food trucks, concert and activities for all ages.
Pine Trace Natural Area
County Council approved the Pine Trace Master Plan in March. Planned park features include hiking trails, dog parks, fishing pond, fishing pier, ADA kayak launch, playground, youth primitive group camping area, picnic shelters, outdoor classroom, bike skills park, and connection to the future regional trail system. The budget for this project $4,500,000 and design work is underway with construction expected to start in late 2021.
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January - March By The Numbers
Building Services
The Building Services Department issued 1,130 (total) Building Permits with 322 of those permits being for new single-family residential construction (attached and detached) and 191 Certificates of Occupancy in the 1st Quarter, generating $997,460 in revenue, an increase of $321,240 from the 1st Quarter of 2020.
Animal Control
In 2020, Dorchester County Animal Control responded to 3,925 calls and transported 1,868 animals. Year to date, Animal Control has responded to 1,018 calls and transported 408 animals, compared to 1,060 calls and 414 transports during the 1st Quarter of 2020.
Coroner
During the months of January - March, Dorchester County suffered the loss of 281 individuals, compared to 266 during the 1st Quarter of 2020.
Register of Deeds
The Register of Deeds office recorded 10,197 documents and processed $683,311 in fees from recordings, a 20% increase from the 1st Quarter in 2020.
Dorchester County Career & Technology Center Now Registering for the 2021/2022 School Year
With the growing demand for a skilled labor force, it is imperative that students be equipped for 21st Century careers. Open to all county high school students, the Dorchester County Career & Technology Center (DCCTC) offers 18 programs designed to enable students to enter the workforce or pursue a degree with the distinct advantage of hands-on training and certification.
All teachers come directly from industry and offer in-demand classes such as Health Science, Building Trades, Manufacturing and Auto/Diesel Technology. This provides DCCTC an excellent success rate. Research shows that within 18 months of graduation, 98% of DCCTC students are working in their field, attending college or serving in the military.
High school students living in Dorchester County may register to attend DCCTC for the 2021/2022 school year by speaking with their high school counselor or by calling DCCTC at 843-563-2361. Additional Information
Garbage and Recycling
The below numbers represent what was collected and properly disposed of at County Convenience Sites for the months of January - March.
Motor Oil - 6,250 Gallons
Vegetative (yard) Debris - 3,302.37 Tons
Plastic - 73.1 Tons
Glass - 100.1 Tons
Scrap Metal and Aluminum Cans - 283.18 Tons
Cooking Oil - 1,300 Gallons
Mixed Paper and Cardboard - 89 Tons
Carpet and Padding - 23 Tons
E-Waste - 44,526 Tons
Construction & Demolition Debris - 3,104.54 Tons
Household Garbage - 19,055.67 Tons
Palmetto Heros Program
The SC Housing Authority is pleased to announce its 2021 Palmetto Heroes program, which provides historically low, fixed-rate mortgages and up to $12,000 in down payment assistance to frontline workers for keeping our families safe and our communities strong.
The program honors and includes educators, first responders and community service personnel in the fields of law enforcement, corrections, firefighting, emergency medical services and health care, as well as active duty military, members of the SC Army National Guard, SC Air National Guard, and Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Borrowers must be first-time homebuyers who meet income eligibility requirements. More Information
National Donate Life Month
At the Monday, April 5, County Council Meeting, Council proclaimed April 2021 as Donate Life Month in Dorchester County, in honor of Hero Ben Liebgott (pictured). The proclamation was presented to Ben’s mom, Mrs. Chris Kinsey.
Mrs. Kinsey’s donate life story began years ago, with her best friend who needed a double lung transplant. Mrs. Kinsey said, “I was very close with the family and learned a lot about transplants. About three years ago, I met someone at church that had a daughter with type 1 diabetes. She needed kidneys and struggled to find a match. I continued to pray for her. Almost a year ago, I lost my son. In a time where nothing made sense, donation was the only thing that did. We were able to give his organs to the girl I had met at church and another woman I had known. God had answered my prayers to save that girl and Ben has saved many lives. It was a positive we could take from this.” It is Mrs. Kinsey’s hope that Ben’s legacy will show how important it is to give. She added, “You can’t use your organs after you’re gone and it is the best you can hope for.” For more information and/or to register to be a lifesaving organ donor visit donatelifesc.org/register
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