Residents urge Sumter County Council to address unsafe private dirt roads; members agree to revisit

Sumter County residents told the County Council on March 12 that several rural private dirt roads become dangerous and effectively impassable after rain, and Council members agreed to put the matter back on the March 26 agenda for further discussion.

Councilman Carlton B. Washington said he loses sleep over the problem and described roads including Shakemia Road, Fellow Lane, Pisgah Mail Road, Rembert and Deer Run Lane as causing access problems for emergency responders and for elderly residents. Washington said the County Administrator has an opinion from the South Carolina Attorney General saying the county cannot provide services to privately owned roads, but he urged Council to ‘‘figure it out’’ for residents who pay county taxes.

Why it matters: Council members and residents said delayed ambulance access and difficult travel on dirt roads create a public-safety and public-health risk for residents who rely on emergency services. Councilman Washington and others said the county needs to explore options to protect residents even where roads are privately owned.

Resident Carol Webb urged action and described conditions on Shakemia Road, which she said is about "eight-tenths of a mile" and "like a reservoir" after heavy rain. Webb said there are elderly and medically ill residents on the road and estimated paramedics require "at least 25 to 30 minutes" to reach people in need when the road is impassable. Webb told Council that many residents are low-income and cannot afford to upgrade the road.

Council responses and next steps: Councilman Eugene R. Baten and Councilwoman Vivian Fleming McGhaney voiced support for Washington’s request to place the issue on the main agenda rather than leave it only in committee. McGhaney urged the county to review the ordinances that govern how roads are added to the county road list. County Administrator Gary Mixon and members noted prior efforts after severe weather and agreed the topic should return for formal discussion on March 26.

What the record shows and what remains unresolved: The meeting record reflects residents’ claims about slow response times, Council members’ concern, and the county’s possession of an Attorney General opinion limiting service provision on private roads. The transcript does not record a plan that changes the county’s legal authority or a vote to change policy; next steps are discussion and possible ordinance review at the March 26 meeting.