COG ELECTS NEW OFFICERS TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments is pleased to announce new appointments to its board of directors for Fiscal Year 2017, which begins July 1.

Travis Windham, Chair of Lee County Council has been elected Chairman. Vivian McGhaney, member of Sumter County Council has been elected 1st Vice Chair. Julia Nelson, Mayor for the City of Manning has been elected as 2nd Vice Chair. Jim Campbell, an at-large member of the board from Sumter County, has been named Secretary/Treasurer.

Dr. Michael Mikota, COG Executive Director: "I congratulate the newly elected offices and I am very excited about working with them and our uniquely positioned professional organization to bring leaders together in the spirit of cooperation to further improve the quality of life for all citizens in our four county region."

COG Staff Outreach to Lee County

Santee-Lynches RCOG staff collected and delivered canned goods to Lee County Cooperative Ministries through Bethlehem United Methodist Church as part of our quarterly community outreach. The goods will assist the Cooperative Ministries with feeding families who are in need within the county. Thank you to Incoming COG Chairman, Travis Windham; Gail Player, Ministry Chair; and Zack Medlin from Bethlehem UMC for their assistance in delivering these items. COG staff works quarterly on an outreach project within our region.

COG Employees and Board Members Participate in the Honorary Commander Program

Fourteen civic leaders including COG Executive Director, Dr. Michael Mikota; Economic and Community Sustainability Director, Kyle Kelly; and board members Alfred Mae Drakeford (Chair), James T. McCain, and Vivian McGhaney, joined the ranks of honorary commander on March 3, 2017. The honorary commander program gives community leaders and their corresponding commanders the opportunity to share information, learn from one another, and participate in special events. To find out more about the program and see photos, visit the Shaw Air Force Base website.
Photo Source: http://www.shaw.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/6105/Article/1102572/20-fw-welcomes-new-honorary-commanders.aspx

COG Staff Outreach Project

Santee-Lynches RCOG staff collected and delivered canned goods to United Way in Kershaw County as part of our quarterly community outreach. The goods will help families who are in need within the county. Thank you to COG board member Brad Hanley for his assistance in delivering these items. COG staff will be completing outreach projects quarterly for other communities in our region.

Santee-Lynches Regional Long Range Transportation Plan

The Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments (Santee-Lynches) is providing public notification of proposed updates to the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan, originally adopted in 2014.

The proposed revisions to the LRTP include additional data on pavement quality, traffic volume, and crashes occurring in the region, as well as updates to the proposed project list and rating criteria to ensure continued compliance with SCDOT and State of South Carolina Law.

Pending consideration of public comments, the updated LRTP will be reviewed by the Santee-Lynches Economic and Community Sustainability Committee and considered by the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments Board of Directors).

Public Comments will be accepted until the close of business on March 2, 2017.

The document for public comment can be found at the following website, which also includes a link to the comment form http://www.santeelynchescog.org/transportation. Citizens may also send comments via mail or may provide them in person at the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments offices located at 2525 Corporate Way, Suite 200, Sumter, SC 29154.

The Santee-Lynches Area Plan

The Health and Human Services staff is meeting today to work on the Area Plan for the Santee-Lynches region. The Area Plan is a document that is updated and maintained by HHS department and submitted to the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging. It identifies how services will be rendered to seniors in Sumter, Lee, Clarendon, and Kershaw Counties and how funds will be spent to provide these services and supports. For more information on the Area Plan and the services provided by the HHS Department, visit our website at www.santeelynchescog.org or call our office at 803-775-7381.

City of Manning Comprehensive Planning

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The COG is currently assisting the City of Manning as they write their new 10 year Comprehensive Plan. The Plan documents the current physical, social, and economic characteristics of a community and provides a vision and series of goals and objectives to guide community development in the future. Comprehensive Plans help facilitate and coordinate local decision-making, involve residents and stakeholders in the planning process, and inform landowners and developers about the community and its goals.
A critical component of developing an effective Comprehensive Plan is strong public engagement. The City needs feedback from residents about the current conditions in the community and about the aspirations residents have for Manning. The opinions offered by residents provide the basis for developing a vision for Manning and establishing a set of short-term and long-term objectives.
There are multiple ways for residents to get involved in this process. Throughout the month of January, a

survey is available online, at the Harvin Clarendon County Library, at City Hall, and at various restaurants and businesses throughout the city. You can find a list of participating businesses below or follow the link to the online survey on the City's website (www.cityofmanning.org), the Facebook page, "Tomorrow Together:Planning Manning for the Future"(www.facebook.com/PlanningManning) or on the Santee-Lynches Council of Governments' website, (santeelynchescog.org/community-development). Additionally, planning staff from the COG will be available at the library on Monday, January 23 from 4-8pm, Wednesday, January 25 from 9am-12pm, and Thursday, January 26 from 12pm-3pm to collect in-person feedback and answer any questions.
If you would like more information, please visit the Facebook link above or contact Santee-Lynches planner Susan Landfried via email at slandfried@slcog.org.

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