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Resident raises fire and roadway hazards; council seeks state help for sinkhole and storm drains
Summary
Resident Monica Murdaugh urged the council to trim obstructing tree limbs, remove a rotten tree at Madison and Tomlinson, address an abandoned, unpowered house at 210 Burgess Street she called a fire hazard, and update a stalled CDBG water project. Councilmembers requested a letter with photos to state legislators about a long-running canal sinkhole and a damaged storm drain.
Resident Monica Murdaugh used the public-comment period at the Sept. 15 Kingstree Town Council meeting to list multiple public-safety and infrastructure concerns.
Murdaugh said some limbs on Tomlinson Street Extension were removed after an earlier request but that additional limbs still obstruct travel lanes, forcing vehicles — including school buses — to swerve into oncoming traffic. She reported a large, possibly rotten or storm-damaged tree at Madison and Tomlinson (the site of a prior house fire) that she said appears likely to fall into the road in a future storm. Murdaugh also asked for an update on the 311 Charles Ave storm drain; she said South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) had been expected to revamp that drain but work had not yet been done.
Murdaugh raised the abandoned house at 210 Burgess Street, describing broken windows, no power to the dwelling and people appearing to live there; she called it a fire hazard given the house’s proximity to overhanging trees, other residences and a nearby church. She asked the town to re-install a repeatedly knocked-over street sign at Lexington Avenue and Main Street and requested that the town’s name be included on the Brick Paving Campaign for the new Vital Aging (Murdaugh Center) building.
Council response and next steps: During non-agenda comments Councilman Frankie D. White reiterated citizen concern about a long-running canal and sinkhole on Madison Avenue and urged a fix. Town Attorney W.E. Jenkinson III recommended drafting a letter with photographs to State Senator Sabb and State Representative Roger Kirby seeking immediate assistance; Mayor Darren Tisdale and Town Manager Kippton W. Coker asked Jenkinson to prepare and send that letter. Councilman Stan Williamson also asked that the damaged storm drain at Live Oak and Heller Street be included in the request, describing large broken chunks and suspected heavy-vehicle damage that could be blocking flows.
What the transcript does and does not show: No formal timeline or schedule for repairs was recorded. The transcript captures requests for state assistance and the town’s agreement to send documentation but does not include commitments to specific repair dates, budget allocations, or orders to remove the abandoned structure. Residents seeking immediate remedies or to report imminent dangers should contact town public works or emergency services.
