Residents urge access for youth program at Shaw–Sumter site and seek action on Monroe Street blight

Two residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to press the council on distinct local concerns: access to county-operated agricultural and welcome facilities for an educational nonprofit, and long-term vacant properties on Monroe Street.

Brenda C. Williams, who identified herself as president of Family Unit Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) that runs the Science Whiz Kids program, told the council she has submitted multiple requests since January to tour the Shaw–Sumter Welcome Center and Shaw–Sumter Farms and said each request was rejected. Williams said her group teaches STEM subjects to children and asked the council to extend an invitation so the children can visit educational resources at the county facilities. She referenced facility guidelines and asked the council to use its authority to facilitate access.

A second resident, identified in the transcript as Lorenzo Rivers, said he had provided a list of properties near his home on Monroe Street that have been vacant or burned out for years. Rivers asked how the county prioritizes properties on the list and whether his street’s properties are being actively addressed, saying he wants to know if his location is near the top of the remediation list.

Council members did not take immediate action during the public-comment period; the comments were entered into the record and council or staff may follow up through appropriate departments, such as Parks & Recreation or Code Enforcement, depending on the issue.