Cheraw council approves first readings, grant acceptance and management agreements

The Cheraw Town Council on Monday advanced a series of municipal measures: first readings for two ordinances, acceptance of a USDA Community Facilities grant to assist with the fire department roof, authorization to pursue a fleet-management contract with Enterprise, and a policy change to make recreation facility deposits non-refundable.

First reading: flood damage prevention ordinance (Ordinance 20251). Town staff said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has updated flood maps and Cheraw must adopt revised flood-plain rules and the new maps by March 25, 2025 to remain in the National Flood Insurance Program. Staff reported preliminary data from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources indicates only one town property is affected by the map changes, and the town has been removing structures in flood-prone areas so fewer than 15 properties remain subject to floodplain designation. Council approved first reading so the town can adopt final maps as they are presented.

First reading: acquisition of half interest in SPEC building site (Ordinance 20252). Staff explained HS Ingredients LLC is returning the SPEC building and approximately 20.6 acres; the town would take an undivided one-half interest along with Chesterfield County, then work with county economic development to clean and market the site. The town has not yet received the signed return agreement from the seller; council approved first reading now so a second reading can proceed once the final agreement is in hand.

Resolution accepting USDA grant for fire department roof (Resolution 07225). Staff reported USDA Rural Development approved a Community Facilities grant of $44,100 toward a projected roofing cost of $81,500 for the Cheraw Fire Department. Staff proposed using a portion of the fire capital reserve fund for the local match (the fund balance was reported at $197,500). Council voted to accept the grant; staff said the project will still require planning and construction scheduling before work begins.

Enterprise fleet management authorization. The town manager requested authority to enter into an agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management after staff checks and reference calls; staff said participants often see 30–40% reductions in operating costs and estimated Cheraw could save about $30,000 per year. Because the town budgeted $446,000 for vehicle replacements this fiscal year, staff said the Enterprise model would allow the town to replace roughly 19 vehicles in the first year rather than seven. Council approved moving forward with the agreement.

Recreation deposit policy. Council approved a policy change to make recreation facility deposits non-refundable by applying deposits to the final bill rather than issuing a return check, a change staff said would reduce administrative costs.

Votes at a glance: The meeting record shows voice votes approving the minutes, the financial report, first readings for Ordinances 20251 and 20252, Resolution 07225 accepting the USDA grant, authorization to pursue an Enterprise fleet-management agreement, and the recreation deposit policy. Individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the meeting transcript.