City Quick Connect Podcast From The Municipal Association Of South Carolina

There are several steps cities and towns should take in early 2021 with their business license data as they get ready for standardization. Manager for Collection Programs Caitlin Cothran discusses assigning codes to businesses and data preparation.

The new SC Business License Tax Standardization Act means that cities and towns must transition to a new way of administering this tax. Director of Advocacy and Communications Scott Slatton examines the law’s requirements and what the compliance process will look like in 2021.

The right to run for and hold office in a municipality has residency requirements, and the question of whether councilmembers meet the requirements can sometimes be difficult to answer. The Municipal Association’s General Counsel Eric Shytle and Field Services Manager Charlie Barrineau discuss the legal background of the question and how officials can approach it when it arises. Read the related Uptown article at https://l.masc.sc/ResidencyReqs20.

West Columbia won a 2020 Achievement Award from the Municipal Association for its River District redevelopment. Mayor Tem Miles discusses the many aspects of this economic development effort.

The City of Columbia won the Municipal Association’s 2020 Achievement Award in the Public Safety Category for its homeless court, which creates partnerships between the legal system and service providers, and can help those offenders who participate in it. Municipal Court Judge Gail Jabber explains how the court works.

The Municipal Association of SC has now launched a new listserve platform, which will provide an improved user experience and a great way to learn from the experiences of peers around the state. Hear from Virginia Butler and Sara Whitaker about the features of the new listserves, and how to get started.

The City of Camden won the Municipal Association’s 2020 Achievement Award in the Public Works Category for its Wateree Riverfront Environmental Park. Deputy Director of Public Works & Utilities Ray Peterson describes the park's development, and what it has done for wildlife and recreation.

The City of Rock Hill won the Municipal Association’s 2020 Achievement Award in the Public Service category for My Ride Rock Hill. Hear from Communications Manager Katie Quinn about how the city worked to bring the fare-free, all-electric transit system to life.

The Town of Lexington won the Municipal Association’s 2020 Achievement Award in the Population 10,001 – 20,000 for its adaptive signalization system. Hear from Mayor Steve MacDougall about how the system works and how it has improved local traffic.

The City of Greer won the Municipal Association’s 2020 Achievement Award in the Communications Category for its downtown streetscape project communication plan. Hear from Mayor Rick Danner about the city’s communications work during the massive construction project.

Scott Slatton and Casey Fields look back at the legislative session, including good outcomes for cities and towns on business license standardization, hospitality tax flexibility, firefighter health care, small cell deployment and broadband access.

Main Street South Carolina recognized Sumter’s eSTEAM Festival with the Excellence on Main Street Award. Hear from Erika Williams of Sumter Economic Development about what the eSTEAM program is, and how the festival has evolved.

The City of Walterboro won the Municipal Association’s 2020 Achievement Award in the Population 5,001 – 10,000 Category for the Walterboro Wildlife Center. Hear from Mayor Bill Young about how the city brought this project to life.

Many of the Municipal Association’s affiliate associations are developing virtual meetings in place of regularly scheduled in-person meetings this fall. Hear from two staff associates for affiliate services, Elizabeth Copeland and Sara Whitaker, about the virtual meetings coming up.

Scott Slatton and Casey Fields discuss the absentee voting bill, COVID-19 liability legislation, the business license bill and other updates.

The Town of Seabrook Island won the Municipal Association’s 2020 Achievement Award in the Population 1,001 – 5,000 Category for its website redesign and online public comment portal. Hear from Mayor John Gregg about how the project developed and the benefits of the new site.

The Town of Edisto Beach won the Municipal Association’s 2020 Achievement Award in the Population 1 – 1,000 Category for its water improvement project. Hear from Mayor Jane Darby about this infrastructure project’s development and outcome.

It’s time again to apply for Hometown Economic Development Grants, awarded to 14 cities in individual grants of up to $25,000. Scott Slatton explains the grant process and how to apply.

Jenny Boulware, manager of Main Street South Carolina, talks with several local Main Street program directors about how they are working to assist businesses during the public health emergency, keep working on projects and handle special event concerns. She is joined by Joe Timmons, events and promotion manager with See Lancaster and Suzy Moyd, executive director with Main Street Hartsville.

Field Services managers Charlie Barrineau and Jeff Shacker talk about how to handle executive sessions appropriately.