County of Lexington Spotlight: Projects, events and daily happenings in April 2017!

In 2017, the County of Lexington will be bringing you monthly updates as to what is happening within the County! With the guidance of Lexington County Council, this is an effort to keep our residents and neighbors in other counties informed about County operations, achievements and events!

We look forward to bringing you County-related news in the months to come. Here is what is going on in the County of Lexington for April 2017:

By the Numbers: Lexington County’s Fast Growing Population

• Recently, the Central Midlands Council of Governments (COG) updated their 30-year population projections, estimating that Lexington County’s population will see an 82.4% increase in by population through 2050.
• Using a cohort-component projection model, which utilizes birth, death and migration rates to estimate future population in five-year increments across 18 different age cohorts, the COG estimates that the Central Midlands region will be home to over 1.36 million people, a population increase of over 62%, by 2050.
• Lexington County has seen the fastest increase in population since 2010 of any County in the Central Midlands region at over 20%, according to the COG’s study. Over the next 30 years, the County is projected to have significant growth reaching an estimated population of 581,100 residents by 2050.
• The COG also reported that over the next 30 years, Richland County will see 54.9% increase, while Newberry and Fairfield counties will see 23.7% and 9.9% growth, respectively.
• Lexington County Fire Service Reveals First Red Firetruck at ‘Wetting Down’ Ceremony
• Members of the Lexington County Fire Service welcomed their first red truck into service on Friday, March 31, at a traditional “wetting down” ceremony held at Station 10 in Lexington.
• Departing from the Fire Service’s traditional white and blue color scheme, Ladder 10’s grey-over-red coloring was chosen by the County’s firefighters in a department-wide survey. Grey-over-red will now be the color scheme for all future trucks.
• The $850,000 truck, which is the first new firetruck introduced into the Fire Service’s fleet in five years, boasts a 70-foot platform and is capable of shuttling 500-gallons of water and 20-gallons of fire suppressing foam.

Lexington County Library Needs Your Input for the Future.

As the Lexington County Library begins to plan for the future, they are requesting citizens’ feedback in order to improve the resources and services offered by the Library.

Library staff will host several sessions in which the public and provide their input:

• Thursday, April 6 at 6 p.m. – Batesburg-Leesville Branch Library, 203 Armory St., Batesburg 29006
• Monday April 10 at 6 p.m. – Irmo Branch Library, 6251 St. Andrews Road, Columbia 29212
• Monday April 17 at 6 p.m. – Gaston Branch Library, 214 South Main St., Gaston 29053
• Saturday April 22 at 10 a.m. – Pelion Branch Library, 206 Pine St., Pelion 29123
• Thursday April 27 at 6 p.m. – Lexington Main Library, 5440 Augusta Road, Lexington 29072

Can’t make it to one of the sessions? Join the conversation online by visiting www.lex.lib.sc.edu/survey and tell us what you’d like to see more of.

County of Lexington Stormwater Division Requests Citizens to Participate in Floodplain Management Survey:

• In an effort to make the County’s communities less vulnerable to flooding, the County of Lexington Stormwater Division is requesting citizens to take part in a Floodplain Management Survey.
• The survey, which can be found on the County of Lexington’s website (www.lex-co.sc.gov), will afford Stormwater Division staff the ability to create a Floodplain Management Plan, which will identify and assess the County’s flood hazard risks and will help determine how to best minimize or manage those risks.
• Once the survey is completed by a citizen, it is automatically emailed to Stormwater Division staff, who will then interpret and incorporate the data into the Floodplain Management Plan, which is scheduled to be written in Fall 2017.
• This survey is an opportunity for citizens to share their opinions and participate in the mitigation planning process. The information that is provided will help the County better understand citizens’ hazard concerns, all aimed at creating mitigation activities that will help lessen the impacts of future weather events.
• Citizens will be able to participate in the survey until summer.

Lexington County Museum to Host Annual Spring Open House in May!

The Lexington County Museum will host its Annual Spring Open House on May 7, 2017 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The public is invited to see the 1832 John Fox House, the 1771 Laurence Corley Log House, the 1815 Oak Grove Schoolhouse, as well the other historic structures at the museum. Children will be able to participate in a scavenger hunt and participate in 19th century cooking activities.

The Open House will also feature demonstrations of historic crafts such as blacksmithing and baking in the outdoor oven.

This event is free to the public.

Light refreshments will be served. The Open House is a great time for visitors to learn more about the museum and the county’s history and is fun for the whole family.

New Grant for Septic System Repairs or Replacement and Farm Upgrades

This project is funded in part by the US EPA under a Section 319 grant through SC DHEC.

The Lexington County Public Works Stormwater Division has a grant (NO repayment required) for people living in the Congaree Creek Watershed.

This 319 grant shares the cost (at least 60%) to repair or replace your home septic system or to improve livestock health, forage production and water quality at your farm or hobby farm. If a homeowner or farmer receives grant money, they are not required to repay the funds given to them!

Applications and questions may be directed to India Woodson, Environmental Coordinator, at (803)785-8634 or by email to [email protected]