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Delegation to change way appointments are made

The Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation voted Monday to establish a formal process for making appointments to various boards and commissions.

"We need to do what we can to let the public know" about vacancies "so we can spread these (appointments) around," Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter said.

Cobb-Hunter proposed advertising the vacancies in the newspapers so "people who are outside the loop ... would at least know about" them, and requiring prospective appointees to fill out an application form.

This is similar to what several other South Carolina county legislative delegations, including Charleston, have done or are moving toward doing, she said.

Rep. Harry Ott seconded the motion and proposed a requirement, to which Cobb-Hunter agreed, that each applicant must appear before the delegation for a personal interview to discuss his or her interest in and qualifications for the position sought.

Prior to the vote, the delegation approved the reappointment of Donnie Jameson to the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Area Commission. His term expired July 1.

But all other appointments on the agenda were put off, including two appointments to the Orangeburg County First Steps Board and a successor to Rut Connor on the Santee Cooper Counties Promotion Commission. Connor resigned April 12.

The delegation approved a $3,500 state Parks and Recreation Development grant for the town of Springfield, which had applied in September 2002.

Also approved was $3,500 in PARD money for the town of Elloree, which had applied in October 2003 for assistance in gymnasium renovations. Elloree will receive $2,700 immediately and the balance as soon as the next round of funds become available.

Three other applications for PARD money were "carried over" and will be considered later. The town of Rowesville applied in October 2002 for $3,500 for a gazebo park. The town of Norway applied in July 2003 for $16,520.60 for park and playground improvements. The city of Orangeburg applied in October 2003 for $15,000 for backstop renovations at Hillcrest and Adden/Peasley.

Among those addressing the delegation were Dr. Anne Crook, president, and Dr. Walt Tobin, vice president for academic affairs, of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

They said enrollment has grown 40 percent in the past five years, but there's no room to add more classes. Next April the college expects to break ground on a $5 million classroom building that can be brought on-line in the fall of 2006.

Crook said the college has generated $2 million through a tuition set-aside and operating efficiencies, has requested $1 million from its sponsor counties and is requesting $2 million from the Legislature.

If the Legislature turns down the request, the college will have to borrow the money, Crook added.

Another way the college will accommodate the growth is by partnering with Orangeburg Consolidated School District 3, the Tri-County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the state Adult Education program, she said.

She told the legislators the college was notified Monday that these entities will receive a one-year, $357,000 federal grant to help establish a satellite campus in the Lake Marion High School complex that is under construction south of Santee, and adult education community centers in Holly Hill and Elloree.

Formal announcement of this grant is scheduled for Thursday.

Crook asked the legislators to exempt high school students and baccalaureate degree holders from the requirement that they must apply for federal Pell grants before they can apply for state lottery scholarships.

Those groups are ineligible for Pell grants, so it's a waste of college employees' and students' time and energy to apply for them, but that is what state law requires, she said.

Willie B. Owens called on the Legislature to provide "equity in funding for South Carolina State University," the state's only historically black, public four-year university.

Oscar Butler said state government retirees need "a voice at the table" when their health insurance, prescription plans and other benefits are being discussed.

Referring to county officials' remarks that public schools receive the biggest percentage of property tax revenues, Butler said county officials drive up school tax rates by allowing large industries to pay fees in lieu of property taxes.

He encouraged the delegation to "do away with" the County Board of Education and give their operating money to the consolidated school districts, who "need every dime they can get."

Butler was impressed with Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5's recently published annual report. He urged the district to make sure each of the legislators receives a copy.

"Right now we're doing a whole lot with so little," said Dr. Kalu A. Kalu, a Consolidated 5 board member who is also a parent and a part-time professor at two universities.