Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Scdot Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County officials say SCDOT reimbursement rules and missed paperwork contributed to Generations Unlimited's collapse
Summary
Barnwell County officials and GRU representatives described confusion over SCDOT documentation requirements and an inability to secure reimbursed match funds—roughly $100,000 per year—forcing the nonprofit to cease operations despite county support.
Barnwell County officials and representatives of Generations Unlimited told a March 10 special called meeting that unreimbursed match payments from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) were a primary factor in GRU's decision to resign and wind down operations.
Chairman Freddie L. Houston Sr. said the program had counted on SCDOT support — described in the meeting as about $100,000 per year in match funding — but that GRU failed to submit documentation on time, resulting in funds not being released. Council members said hiring a staff large enough to manage scheduling, driving and documentation would be cost-prohibitive relative to the amount recoverable from SCDOT.
"There is a lot of uncertainty, and it puts us in the spot where we really don't understand the SCDOT requirements at this point," Ms. Long, a GRU representative, told council. She said GRU staff and volunteers had worked to prepare paperwork but remained unclear on the department's expectations for reimbursement.
Representative Lonnie Hosey said he has been seeking other funding avenues for GRU but did not specify any confirmed commitments at the meeting. No SCDOT representative attended the session to respond to the explanation given by GRU and county officials.
