Fairfield County council tables $30,000 request for Lake Wateree algae treatment

Fairfield County Council on an unspecified meeting date heard multiple public pleas to increase the county’s contribution toward an algae treatment effort for Lake Wateree and voted to table a motion to provide $30,000, 5-2.

Supporters told the council that early treatment could prevent far larger costs later and that multiple neighboring counties and organizations are contributing to a regional effort. “We need the $30,000. We’re lagging badly behind the rest of the counties,” said Randy Kelly, a District 2 resident who helped present the issue to council earlier in the year.

The request grew out of presentations and sampling work by local stakeholders and university researchers. Council members heard that Lake Wateree association volunteers and outside technical consultants have already committed money and expertise: one presenter said a Clemson professor has agreed to advise at no charge and that the association has spent roughly $15,000 on university sampling and analysis. Council members also heard estimates that professional consulting alone could be worth “80 to a $100,000.”

County Administrator Kit Carpenter told council the budget he presented to the board currently includes $5,000 for the effort. “The budget that I presented, includes $5,000 for for that effort,” Carpenter said during the meeting.

A motion was offered to fund the Lake Wateree Algae Treatment Program at $30,000 from the current year general fund contingency; the mover identified in the record asked the council to take the larger amount to align Fairfield with commitments by neighboring counties and private partners. The exact mover and seconder are recorded in the meeting minutes. Before a final vote on the funding motion, Councilmember Roof moved to table the request to the next meeting, saying he needed more time to review conflicting information. “I would like to make a motion to table this to the next meeting,” Roof said. The motion to table passed on a 5-2 vote (recorded as “let the record show 5, 2”).

Speakers during public comment stressed both ecological and economic risks. Jim Lotruglio, past chairman of the Lake Wateree Association, said the lake “is a cornerstone of the community, supplying water to thousands, offering recreation for families, and driving economic growth through tourism.” Anne Carrillo, a District 2 resident who described herself as a “devil’s advocate,” urged caution and suggested the association (LWA) contribute more, noting the group’s investment accounts and prior fundraising.

Council discussion touched on local tax contributions tied to lake properties and tourism. One council member reported county residential property tax from lake properties of about $6.6 million (about 30% of the county’s residential property tax total, per the speaker’s representation) and noted 61 short-term rental units in the county, 53 of which are on the lake — figures cited to illustrate economic stakes tied to lake tourism.

With the tabling vote, the $5,000 in the administrator’s budget remains the board’s committed amount for now. Council members said they will gather follow-up information before the next meeting; one council member urged colleagues to provide specific questions so staff can assemble data and remove ambiguity.

The council did not adopt any immediate funding change at the meeting; the item will return on a future agenda for further consideration.