[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6320468,"mediaKeyId","2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315","parentId",2356610,"title","New Ellenton council hears community services updates; charter school application filed and new businesses nearing openings","audioSeconds",299,"startMs",147000,"endMs",446000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315&start=147&end=446","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315/thumbnail_147000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6320468/New-Ellenton-City/Aiken-County/South-Carolina/New-Ellenton-council-hears-community-services-updates-charter-school-application-filed-and-new-businesses-nearing-openings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6320468-230c6cc1931d11b0151ad69e4c4294b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1774834424&Signature=eRPQD1H0W63P1SdOtj7L8~B4gajsVTcrcnvSZD~38iN2j4cdn6awMxZHU6DAzNVjZR0mDw3kMC3c5kqYgzsLFP9CoR04u1TuXwMQKM1pSAj5Pq3ZamurFW4UmZpu8sYPI7fS4VKgNtmPhuYDu0bDPqWYXbwqdgpR9QgkzGl5m94vG6p0~lt98PJiV1el2nHa~HIeFYmdmyt-V4m1vOjmOqS3XYXT0fD2nsvuDuaVNyUq6lCyFCe8IFRsnZjaHp1EPSE3h1WSru9ruaJnmA~bWQAIC1XRF1xP6v~P6bhpk1XPDsC5iY-yceCbaowQrvzL7ANNCYQSeIV3KwxjQoFy0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of New Ellenton, SC","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","Several community and economic-development updates featured in the meeting as staff and community partners described volunteer services, seasonal programs and business activity.

Tina Thomas, assistant director at Christ Central, told council the organization will host a life-skills coaching class this Saturday with Dr. Melinda Wright; the group also plans a senior day featuring food boxes and wellness classes and reported serving more than 200 people at a recent feeding event. Christ Central said it received a Golden Harvest grant to update cold-storage units and will pause clothing donations while its closet reaches capacity.

City staff reported business openings and website work. Edith Ogletree, owner of Smoothie Group, was reported as preparing for a final inspection with a tentative opening date of March 5; staff said they will coordinate a grand-opening ceremony. Additional new businesses noted by council include Ringing Outdoors, a sporting goods store, and Nuclear City Nutrition. A local bank branch and an O’Reilly auto parts location also are moving forward on site work and build-outs.

The council also heard from recreation staff that youth baseball and softball programs are under way with two T-ball teams and volunteer needs for concession stands; upgrades at the ball field include repaired water fountains and planned fencing replacements. Superior quoted faster completion if a down payment and contract are in place; the council later approved a separate Evans Park fencing motion (see article on that vote).

Mayor and staff announced that the Hope Charter School application was submitted to the state and is under review by a charter authorizer; the proposed first-year grades would be kindergarten through second grade with plans to add grades in subsequent years. The council said the initial campus would be in space next to Price Central and that charter approval is a multi-step process that may take months.

Council members also recognized outgoing city administrator Kenny and announced a new full-time city administrator will begin next month to oversee day-to-day operations, grants and other administrative functions.

No formal council action was required for these updates; council accepted reports and directed staff to continue coordinating volunteer support, business openings and charter approval steps.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","February City Council Meeting 02/19/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council received updates from Christ Central and city staff about volunteer services, youth sports, a submitted charter-school application, and upcoming business openings including Smoothie Group and Ringing Outdoors. The city also plans to add a full-time city administrator next month.","taxTitle","New Ellenton City, Aiken County, South Carolina","taxId",57874,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6320473,"Council approves sale of two fire apparatus, cites replacement costs and regional needs",146,2821000,2967000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315&start=2821&end=2967","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315/thumbnail_2821000.jpg","/articles/6320473/New-Ellenton-City/Aiken-County/South-Carolina/Council-approves-sale-of-two-fire-apparatus-cites-replacement-costs-and-regional-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6320473-a01b63234a2790dfda27654a74df01a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1774834424&Signature=Uf1bEkHtfR0xqc~QGMx2DPzU5aum5vC3c07ELzgS2OR5NpDUiAlBHl8IpFIBfnBEHEImIXlWwy~66Zw~BLjsKDCJosihbfy0z3tvEI7t7jnUkkfjSaaNnnNvwPGJ0Z3MxdpzhbwjMzlxbk29-oAkL0eevyW7dT0kLwu8saT-77IzLhyxeMqWAUvakWqVo1fDy3TEUUTYL3-b7o~Ii-CGHF~Wh63kNudASsauUOE9V-R6Z74uflEVNQyFEFq5QCgshH6oPIVsdbVFqvgsWK1ejzvx91a3ZcAsfG4vVXUt0VpTWErxnvjk6WmRBOzHdoXl5V7vHndCFjK46q45IWQWBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Ellenton City Council approved the sale of two pieces of fire apparatus — a 2018 Freightliner tanker (Tanker 25) and a ladder truck — after the fire department outlined maintenance challenges and replacement cost considerations.

Fire representatives told the council that the 1999 ladder truck is expensive to maintain and that a comparable new vehicle would cost on the order of millions of dollars and require multi-year lead times to build. One speaker said, “a new ... is somewhere around $2,000,000,” and noted typical build times of four to five years for specialty apparatus. Council and department staff said letters of intent had been received from a neighboring county department interested in one of the vehicles, and that the sales would return funds to the department budget.

Council members moved, seconded and voted to approve the sales; staff were authorized to proceed with sale paperwork and acceptance of firm offers. Council also discussed ensuring that new apartment or multi-story construction projects include sprinkler systems where applicable so the city’s apparatus needs remain aligned with local building characteristics.

No purchase of replacement apparatus was authorized at the meeting; the discussion focused on salvaging value from aging equipment and on coordinating sale logistics with interested neighboring departments.","The council approved sale of a 2018 Freightliner tanker and a 1999 ladder truck after discussing replacement costs and local needs; letters of intent from neighboring departments were on file.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6320478,"Council selects Capital Waste Services for city garbage contract",50,2693000,2743000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315&start=2693&end=2743","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315/thumbnail_2693000.jpg","/articles/6320478/New-Ellenton-City/Aiken-County/South-Carolina/Council-selects-Capital-Waste-Services-for-city-garbage-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6320478-97b0563195c5aef774cedf4b897278e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1774834424&Signature=OWKEAFXl6Srpa5FdMzUGs0KV8x7taEOx43L5GuQocqVCA-LT0lyvcaZb-XkTAYfkR7hrBfJi5EUyYU4BnKntN1Cc91bY3HMA9KTkHL4XfgLjQHt0jG6LFeGn77lSUos9LXM3A-mdNbC2Akh~A9VEBza8j~A~Exf5IxqjN5J~ZItWhQwOzFFv49-p6nD-vJJIGHubZJ3seYNJeHN-gxwgzyplCu2SbykKd6usgoUqmJY78-3x-3HD6hnAOOpWLHuMTQad8Q52o-Ct9osJuRLlisTtFJ09qnWzjf6aY-JTAM6rbi~aLb7OdaSk4KVEKz8tCb2qaxCK92k7EkhrXQi7wQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Ellenton City Council approved a new residential garbage contract and selected Capital Waste Services as the vendor for curbside collection.

Council reviewed three bids: Waste Management at $12.75 per cart per month (lowest price), Capital Waste Services at $12.87 and Good Old Boy Sanitation at $17.50. Staff and councilors raised concerns about service reliability with the low bidder based on recent performance, and the council chose Capital Waste Services to prioritize service continuity. Representatives from Capital Waste were present and spoke with council members before the vote.

The council recorded the approval on the meeting record; no roll-call tally was provided in the transcript. Staff will proceed with contracting steps and notify affected residents of any changes to collection schedules and billing.","After reviewing three bids, the council selected Capital Waste Services at $12.87 per cart per month, citing past service issues with the low bidder and the need for reliable collection.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6320483,"Council awards Evans Park fencing contingent on timeline; elite bid approved with fallback",172,2439000,2611000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315&start=2439&end=2611","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315/thumbnail_2439000.jpg","/articles/6320483/New-Ellenton-City/Aiken-County/South-Carolina/Council-awards-Evans-Park-fencing-contingent-on-timeline-elite-bid-approved-with-fallback","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6320483-caf868bc09eabf9ee8f894e63045a1b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1774834424&Signature=aXHfkp1LzSCbBwlXWufvlIi6tTlpcTpEBf2XdmcHuSWwM1jwJHXg~-raHqyz-0ljNkp7JDQQmTTgX8tvi6wFqCTP8R-G~rD2CcOJhAWnbcl5pHwIiqXrfTP-1trkcwAD6-22IcZl8pm-33hIMJBNdaAg7hUYNb32~vK4ImrHisMvrkO2Kdd3bPiRkCLob3ieQnIlPkKm0r5IO0~s6jgXT9biMLXlNFKG5xI1~96SpuY0~Sqjbm1tquWiqgbgBU9pjbY358Of~Tz0IWoncZjDaqunwg5o4BiKlLyn69N91-WytHITniiD7htQBO90udDQNil7pbpJ-3Uy2VANMYUEiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Ellenton City Council voted to accept a bid to replace damaged fencing at Evans Park, choosing Elite’s lower bid on the condition the company can guarantee completion by the city’s required date for an upcoming event.

Council member James Anderson moved to accept Elite’s $15,000 bid “unless they cannot guarantee us a completion date,” and the motion was seconded by Council member Carl. The motion passed with council approval; staff was directed to execute the fallback option with Superior — whose black-coated fence bid totaled about $18,000 — if Elite cannot meet the timeline.

City staff said three bids were received; one company submitted two bids with different materials and pricing. The council emphasized timing as the deciding factor because the goal is to have fencing installed in time for the SRS safety expo and related spring events. Staff suggested adding contract language requiring a completion guarantee and authority to move to the alternate bid if Elite cannot commit.

Parks staff and councilors also discussed future phases to add additional sides of fencing around the basketball courts and favored the black-coated fencing for longevity and safety. The council approved the contingent bid and instructed staff to confirm scheduling before final contract execution.","Council approved a $15,000 Elite fencing bid for Evans Park contingent on the contractor guaranteeing an early-April completion; if Elite cannot meet the deadline, the city will proceed with Superior’s $18,000 bid.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6320488,"New Ellenton police outline camera, training and radio upgrades as vandalism rises at park",89,609000,698000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315&start=609&end=698","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2356610-a424298746d37265536fca07daf74315/thumbnail_609000.jpg","/articles/6320488/New-Ellenton-City/Aiken-County/South-Carolina/New-Ellenton-police-outline-camera-training-and-radio-upgrades-as-vandalism-rises-at-park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6320488-c3253316a97ef404ab0783eb9f532257/orig.mp4?Expires=1774834424&Signature=ccwW3vHuDdnrXNIy~l0qDrqSUcqXfxFuf9tQuYCJFoetwX3SpW-OItTB4QNhN6wpLuE12Zb0WPO3kBSFiN65QFT5i8lnr5URVGIe3SnrTeRo6mW507ULihIJql8LPPfuHMcgQubGjHhsLRdBVcfajsvzZidh3ylpYz1QfKn0V8B0ngoJrNSbYruV91LvUq7DFL1MJtZaJ6~li90FoIwSIBcSXnxsRB1-qZ7FW5EkJ190wg4DVMVPr52~FhWttLfTDWo0VWPpqMoK9VPp8b1F5C-fAmasarx1DeUJAaMkHHrKz1B5Hy~uO9lADFXl9ATti1uZR1M~yuT2R3yM1RkatA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","New Ellenton police reported combined activity totals for the two months since the council last met and described equipment and staffing upgrades intended to address vandalism and public-safety concerns at Evans Park and other public areas.

The department said it completed 36 incident reports, handled 257 calls for service and assisted other agencies on 96 calls; officers issued 16 citations, 10 warnings and made five arrests. “Everything is finally here. The server rack was just delivered today,” the police chief said of equipment for the new Motorola body-camera system, and he said he expects to have the system live “within the next few weeks.”

The department also reported that Verkada — the vendor for the city’s new video cameras — plans to begin installation on Feb. 24 at City Hall, the farmers market and park areas, adding 24/7 coverage that will include audio. Officers said they are coordinating with city staff to accompany installers and finalize camera placement.

Council members and the chief discussed increased vandalism linked to unsupervised juveniles. “We’re still having issues with vandalisms. The correlation between that is there’s a lot of unsupervised juveniles in the park and Farmers Market area at any given time,” the chief said, and the department confirmed officers have been instructed to increase random patrol checks of the park during shifts.

The department said several officers are scheduled for additional training through the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, including basic detective training and firearms-instructor certification so the city can host in-house firearms training in the future. The chief also reviewed vehicle and equipment plans: a Tahoe ordered in December will replace the Durango for incidents that require extra crime-scene material storage and is expected to be built in April–May and upfitted afterward, and an older charger is being retired with some parts repurposed or sold.

The chief told council the city must update radios to remain compatible with the Palmetto 800 system and quoted a vendor estimate of about $909 per radio, after an available discount. He warned that radios could “go dead” if the city does not complete required updates.

For non-emergency matters, the department reiterated a centralized contact: calls to (803) 652-7770 will be forwarded to the on-duty officer’s cell phone so residents can reach the department outside of 911 emergencies.

The reports and planned upgrades drew no formal vote; the council received the police report and discussed next steps for enforcement and camera placement.","Police reported an uptick in vandalism and juvenile misconduct at Evans Park and said new body cameras, a Verkada camera system and radio upgrades are coming. Officers will increase patrol checks while training and vehicle changes continue.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

New Ellenton council hears community services updates; charter school application filed and new businesses nearing openings

Council approves sale of two fire apparatus, cites replacement costs and regional needs

Council selects Capital Waste Services for city garbage contract

Council awards Evans Park fencing contingent on timeline; elite bid approved with fallback

New Ellenton police outline camera, training and radio upgrades as vandalism rises at park