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Council grants 45‑day stay on Toddville Community Center eviction while issues are reviewed
Summary
After public comment by Toddville residents and community representatives, Dorchester County Council voted to place a 45‑day stay on a notice to terminate the lease of the Toddville Community Center and asked staff to review outstanding compliance items and certification as an emergency shelter.
Dorchester County residents urged the County Council on Sept. 16 to halt a pending termination of the lease for the Toddville Community Center. After public comment from multiple community members, the council voted to place a 45‑day stay on the termination notice and to direct staff to review documentation and shelter certification.
Susan Windsor, who identified herself as a Toddville resident, described decades of community service at the center and said the group had struggled with clerical issues around 501(c)(3) paperwork after a volunteer tax preparer died. Residents and supporters described the center as a local gathering point and an emergency congregate site during storms and flooding. One public speaker said the building serves as the highest dry location south of Goose and is critical for evacuations during major flooding events.
County attorneys and staff explained the termination originated from a lease clause tied to nonprofit status and building condition concerns noted in county inspections. Council members expressed concern about the community services the facility provides and asked staff to confirm whether the center is designated as an emergency shelter. County counsel said the council can rescind or extend the notice and that designation as a county hurricane shelter would further affect disposition.
The motion that passed places a 45‑day stay on the notice to evict or terminate while county staff and the council review records and required repairs and determine whether the building is certified as a hurricane or emergency shelter.
Why it matters: The center hosts events, supports elderly and homebound residents, and, according to speakers, functions as an emergency assembly point during high‑water events. Councilors said they wanted more time to verify records, evaluate repairs, and avoid displacing vulnerable residents before any final action.
What happens next: County staff will review the tenant’s nonprofit status documentation, building condition items cited by planning and zoning, and whether the center is on any official shelter lists. The 45‑day stay gives staff and the community time to address outstanding items and return to the council with recommended next steps.
