2015 State of the Town Address – Lexington, SC
March 3, 2015
Good evening, I’m Mayor Steve MacDougall. Welcome to the State of the Town Address, an overview of our Town’s accomplishments in 2014. I want to take time to recap the progress we made last year and address projects and issues Council and I will focus on this year and beyond.
First, I want to say it is a privilege and honor to be your Mayor and I look forward to continuing to serve you and leading the Town of Lexington.
At this time I would like to acknowledge my fellow Council members – Mayor Pro-Tem Hazel Livingston, Councilwoman Kathy Maness, Councilman Todd Shevchik, Councilman Ted Stambolitis, Councilman Todd Carnes and Councilman Ron Williams; along with our staff for their continued service to the Town. These fine men and women have helped mold the town into an outstanding community. I look forward to seeing what we accomplish together in 2015.
As we prepare to spring forward, let’s take a step back and highlight a few of the top achievements from the past year:
2014 was a banner year for the Town of Lexington.
First and foremost, we are making major strides in improving our traffic woes. Phase I of the Unified Traffic Improvement Plan is complete and has already addressed some of our traffic congestion. This project took nine long years of working with federal and state governments, especially SCDOT, to launch. We secured more than $14.5 million that was dedicated to this project. Over the last year construction included major intersections and road widening. You will see a new and improved W. Butler St., Columbia Ave., Reed St., W. Main St., Old Chapin Rd. and Park Rd.
The Police Department continually works hard to ensure safety on our roads. In 2014, they were named “Agency of the Year Award” by SC Department of Public Safety for excelling in the area of DUI arrests, DUI victim services and underage drinking programs in SC. It was also the second straight year Town did not experience a highway fatality.
A big thank you to our officers for their dedicated service to the town and ensuring our safety on a daily basis – we are honored to have you on the team.
In addition to “Agency of the Year”, the town’s Information Technology Department received the Elite Achievers Award from the South Carolina Chapter of Government Management Information Sciences. The award showcases the efforts of our Patrol Division Device Management Project focused on providing effective and efficient use of the patrol officers “mobile office” inside the patrol car. The Elite Achievers Award honors a member agency whose project demonstrates outstanding achievement in the implementation of creative information technology.
Congrats to a job well done to some of our most unsung heroes who make everything run smoothly behind the scenes!
Safe communities translate in to economic growth, and Lexington is no exception. The Town prides itself on being a business friendly and more and more businesses are choosing to call Lexington home. In 2014, we had 29 annexations, encompassing 350 acres, worth $10 million in taxable value for the town. We also processed more than 3,400 business licenses, an indication that Lexington is the place to be, not only for residents but for new businesses as well.
These accomplishments are a testament to our Business and Development Services Center motto, “The Key to Success Starts Here”
The Town’s key to success is fiscal responsibility which has led to national recognition. The Finance Department recently received – for the 16th consecutive year – the Governmental Finance Officers Association Comprehensive Annual Finance Report Award and now for the fifth straight year, the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. Through our dedicated staff in our Finance Department, the Town remains rock-solid and financially sound, staying ever so mindful of how we spend, or invest, your tax dollars.
This fiscal responsibility allowed the Town to Refund the 2004 W&S Revenue Bonds for gross savings of approximately $1million and net present value savings of approximately $700,000 or nearly 12 percent.
In addition to fiscal health, the Town is promoting physical health by providing additional green amenities that allow residents to enjoy the scenic nature that lies within our backyards.
Fourteen Mile Creek Trail opened this past September and is located off North Lake Dr. and Old Cherokee Rd. The trail is a 3/4 mile loop and features bridges, educational kiosks and an outdoor learning center. Additional amenities include park benches, dog waste receptacles, trash cans and emergency call boxes for citizen security.
The project was made possible through a $100,000 grant from South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
This is a perfect way to take in the fresh air and enjoy the scenic nature and natural beauty of the Town of Lexington!
Beautification is another priority of the Town and through a SCDOT Interchange and Gateway Beautification Grant, the town transformed the Interstate 20/Sunset Blvd. Interchange corridor into an attractive “front porch” entrance into Lexington. Collectively, the project was awarded $620,000 and includes landscaping and signage welcome visitors and residents to our wonderful community. This project is also in collaboration with Lexington County and the Lexington Beautification Foundation, creating another beautiful landmark that is unique to the Town of Lexington!
These projects speak volumes of how our proactive, progressive forward-looking vision and planning is continuing to create a wonderful, vibrant livable community, not only for today, but for future generations… our children and our grandchildren.
As you can see, we’ve had some amazing accomplishments this past year and that was just the tip of the iceberg, but there’s always more work that can and will be done. Here are a few of the challenging issues we will focus in on into 2015 and beyond:
Council and I will continue to develop the Vision Plan and find measures to relieve traffic congestion. We are truly amazed, in a good way, of how many projects that have come to fruition since we implemented the plan less than three years ago.
Project Icehouse is our most anticipated project and includes the former Shirey’s on Main. This past fall, we completed the demolition of the buildings, which has already cured a significant eyesore.
The land will be transformed into a destination plaza with retail and public green space. Plans include boutique retail and eateries along with plans to construct a 900 seat amphitheatre, which will be used for town events, including the farmers market.
To help finance the project, Council has created and implemented Downtown Redevelopment Plan and TIF District. We also recently approved an ordinance to sell the Shirey’s building, which will include a restaurant on the first floor. Finally, we will be going out to bid for the construction of the amphitheater and parking lot in the first quarter of 2015.
With the completion of Phase I of the Unified Traffic Plan, we can now turn our attention to another solution to ease our traffic woes. The Adaptive Computerized Signalization System will be our newest traffic mitigation initiative. This high tech traffic management system will help alleviate traffic congestion by monitoring and synchronizing traffic signals to balance traffic flow in “real time” conditions and “link” all lights within the town limits. The town was again fortunate to receive funding, this time through the Central Midlands Council of Government with Columbia Area Transportation Study (COATS) Share Funding and from Lexington County, totaling $5.1 million.
Phase-1 of the project includes 19-signalized intersections. Bids were opened last month and construction is expected to begin later this month, lasting six – nine months. The system is planned to be fully operational by the end of the calendar year. Phase-2 will include the remaining 16 signals and is expected to go to bid as soon as right of way issues are resolved. This system will help place Lexington at the forefront of traffic management through the latest, innovative computer technology. We would be the first municipality in the state to implement this new technology at all traffic signal intersections in town. This is just another way we are being proactive and preparing for the anticipated growth we project for the future.
Along with tackling traffic, the town will take additional steps to help direct citizens and guests via new wayfinding signage. The new directional signs will address the needs of finding landmarks throughout the town, creating a consistent brand while providing familiarity and comfort within Lexington.
Finally, we will continue our beautification efforts with corridor improvements. These facelifts will be in tune with our “front porches”, helping define the town. Our goal is to be aesthetically appealing and preserve our small town charm, while making enhancements that will continue to attract visitors and new economic development.
In addition to the corridors, the town has begun working through a public / private collaboration to add a walking trail around the Old Mill Pond. The trail will be a little over a mile and will include boardwalks and bridges.
To showcase our wonderful community we provide an array of events and activities throughout the year. The town along with the Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission will host several events. First up is the Fifth Annual Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt and Carnival on Friday, March 20 at the Gibson Road Soccer Complex. Later in the year look for events such as the ever popular Movies in the Park, the reading of haunted tales at the “So the Story Goes” Virginia Hylton Park and the Snowball Festival.
Other community events include Kid’s Day of Lexington, Wine Walk on Main, the Farmers Market and the ongoing Historic Downtown Cell Phone Walking Tour. In addition to these signature events, the Town is proud to support grassroots efforts, such as the Lexington Community Band, providing entertainment for the entire family. We hope to see you around town for these wonderful events!
It is our job as the Town to actively engage the public through various communication efforts. Stay informed with Town news and upcoming events through our website, our social media pages of Facebook, Twitter and our community access station on Time Warner Cable, which is airing this State of the Town Address and Council Meeting live. Also, the town is fortunate to host a half-hour radio program “Town Talk Tuesday” each Tuesday at noon on 107.9 WLXM. The weekly show allows us the opportunity discuss the events and happenings in Lexington with local community and town leaders and every so often I will be a guest on the show, providing update on town initiatives.
I hope you have become more informed about our great community through the State of the Town Address. My remarks in this message reflect the great work that is being done and how we can continue to move this town forward effectively and efficiently. Each employee at the town has made contributions to the achievements we have seen tonight and I want to thank them all in making Lexington a place you want to live, work and learn. Lexington is my hometown and I am still in awe to see how we’ve grown through the years.
In closing, Lexington County is hosting a special election for Sheriff. I urge all our registered voters to educate themselves on the candidates and go to the polls tomorrow, March 3 for the primary election and have your votes counted. This is a pivotal time for the future of our community and your voice should be heard.
I wish that all of you have a continued healthy, happy and prosperous 2015. God bless you, your family, our town, the State of South Carolina and our great nation, the United States of America.
