Eutawville Mayor Seeks Way to Fix Playground, Reopen City Park

The park has been closed since city officials learned and confirmed that the park’s central play area had been damaged and was no longer safe for children.

“We are concerned that if children go into the park, they will climb in and fall and get hurt,” he said.

Municipal authorities tried to invoke the “lifetime guarantee” on the game, but encountered difficulties because the seller had been affected by Hurricane Helene.

Then the company agreed to send replacement parts and allow the city to find a third party to repair the playset without voiding the warranty — but only if the city agreed to pay higher shipping costs at $800.

Weatherford thought it was excessive, so “I asked a licensed contractor…can they repair it for now so it’s good enough for the kids to play on?”

Then, “we’re going to start working on a grant to totally replace it,” he said.

Furthermore, council examined a proposed municipal budget of $1,596,496.53 for 2025. The City’s fiscal year coincides with the calendar year.

Weatherford informed property owners that the city’s budget does not require an increase in the tax rate.

“You will see an increase in (Orangeburg) County taxes, but it has nothing to do with the city,” he said.

Councilor Richard “Chaz” Miller asked if the budget proposal included salaries for three police officers. Weatherford assured him that was the case. The council then voted unanimously for the first reading of the budget.

Next, a public hearing will be held on the budget. Details were not yet available as of this writing, but the city is required to provide them in a newspaper announcement before the hearing.

If precedent is followed, the hearing will most likely begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10 at the community center located at 409 Porcher Avenue, with final approval at the monthly council meeting immediately following at 6 p.m. Details can be confirmed. with City Clerk Casey Hill at 803-492-3374.

As of this writing, Eutawville has only one police officer — Chief Sean Hopkins — but he and the mayor said they are in the process of reviewing two applications and conducting interviews.

Weatherford reported that this year’s Halloween Trunk-or-Treat was the largest ever, with 22 trunks offering treats and more than 300 visitors. Ashley Miller was recognized and thanked for organizing the event.

The annual Eutaw Village Festival drew a good crowd, especially since there were several other major events in the area this weekend, officials said.

The highlight of the festival was the King Kat Catfish Tournament.

“It was very interesting,” Weatherford said. “I saw a really big catfish.” One team walked away with a new boat and cash prizes of $20,000 for first place and $2,000 for the biggest fish.

The mayor said planning for a possible Christmas parade and/or other holiday event is in its early stages.

City Councilor James Nutt apologized “to the people of this city” and asked them to “forgive me for the arguments we’ve had” after proposing to increase water rates to fund the fight against mosquitoes.

The mayor responded, “James, thank you for trying to do something to help the city. I understand and I hope we get there. … We could take another path.”

Critics had agreed that mosquitoes were a problem and that Nutt’s intentions were honorable, but they had raised various objections to his proposed methods of raising funds and providing the service.

Councilor Harry Brown said there were still potholes to fill on Dawson Street and missing street signs to replace around the city. But that will likely have to wait until state and county maintenance crews repair severe flood damage to roads and bridges in central and west Orangeburg County, he said .

Some complaints about sidewalks have been heard. Weatherford said the state is responsible for maintaining the sidewalk, but the city can — and does — spend hospitality tax revenue on weeding along the busiest roads.

Renovation of the old jail will have to wait, the mayor said. The city’s grant application was rejected. But the city will reapply in the next round or go to another funding agent, he said.