West Columbia council appoints deputy fire marshal, accepts subdivision bond

At a City of West Columbia council meeting, members appointed Richard Spivey as deputy fire marshal and municipal code enforcement official and accepted a letter of credit worth $158,737.71 to secure infrastructure for the Faith Hill Subdivision.

The appointment and the bond acceptance were approved by voice/hand vote after brief presentations and motions; no roll-call tallies were provided in the record.

Fire Chief (name not specified) introduced Richard Spivey, saying Spivey “come to us from Lexington County” and that he brings “nearly 10 years worth of experience,” including training in hazardous materials response, community risk reduction, national certification as an emergency medical technician and swift-water technician. The chief said Spivey “has a great attitude, knows our community, and really will help kinda move us along as a city.”

Christine Sharp reported that the planning commission approved the plat for the Faith Hill Subdivision on July 28, 2025, and that Faith Hill Investors LLC, the developer, requested the council accept a letter of credit for $158,737.71. Sharp said the bond amount is set at 1.5 times the estimated cost to complete the subdivision infrastructure and that the letter of credit expires July 21, 2026.

Council members moved and seconded the motions to approve the minutes from the July 21 council meeting, to appoint Richard Spivey as a municipal code enforcement official, and to accept the letter of credit for the Faith Hill Subdivision. For each item the mayor pro tem called for “all in favor” and members raised their hands; the meeting record does not include individual vote names or counts.

The meeting concluded after the council approved the items and voted to adjourn. The mayor was noted to be on vacation; the mayor pro tem presided over the session.