By Betsy Finklea
LATTA—The Latta Town Council learned at their meeting on Thursday night that the state will be taking back over most of the roads transferred to the town some years ago.
Latta Town Administrator Jarett Taylor was very pleased to relay this news to council.
Taylor said he and Councilman Brian Mason had been before a group of interested citizens answering questions about this issue, talked with members of the Dillon County delegation, and had been in serious talks with Senator Kent Williams for the past six to eight months, who assured him that an agreement was in the works. Taylor said he received a call and a letter on the day of the meeting regarding the matter. Taylor read the letter.
The letter states the following: “This letter is to advise you and members of Town Council that I propose to revise our previous agreement with the Town of Latta regarding utility relocation costs and road swaps. The original October 2011 agreement covered an estimated $548,000 in utility relocation costs and a transfer of 11 miles of roads to the Town in exchange for SCDOT bearing the Town’s utility relocation expense associated with a roadway project.
The 11 miles of state-owned roads were transferred to the town in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The actual cost of the town’s utility relocation was $942,954.55. This exceeded the original agreement by $394,954.55 and resulted in SCDOT requesting that the Town reimburse the Department for this additional expense several times over the past few years.
Since becoming Secretary, this issue has been brought to my attention. I am from a rural area of the state and I understand how challenging it can be for the rural areas to bear a large, unanticipated expense. Additionally, since 2011, we have revised our method for calculating the value of state-owned roads. In this situation, this new road valuation calculation works to the advantage of the Town, and I propose that SCDOT take the vast majority of the previously transferred roads back into the state system as shown on the attached map. The Town will retain the alleys, Mill Street, and SE/NE Railroad Avenue which based on the new road value calculation is approximately enough to offset the $942,954.55 in actual utility relocation costs. This proposal will resolve all outstanding financial issues between SCDOT and the Town of Latta regarding the utility relocation associated with the I-73 TIGER grant project.
I trust this proposal is acceptable to the Town, and I intend to proceed accordingly. Please feel free to contact me if the Town has any concerns or objections.”
Sincerely,
Christy A. Hall, P.E.
Secretary of Transportation
Taylor also gave the council a copy of the agreement and said if the Town Council approved that he would sign it and send to Secretary Hall. He said that if everything goes as planned effective Thursday (Sept. 17), the state will take over the roads in the Town of Latta as per the agreement.
Upon a motion by Councilman Brian Mason, the council voted to approve the agreement.
