Laurens roads set for repaving, citizen boards restructured

Laurens, South Carolina – Laurens City Council last week heard a plan that will use a combination of Laurens County Transportation and city funds to repair some of the city streets most in need of repair.
“Fortunately, the State Department of Transportation owns most of the roads in the City of Laurens, but there are some we need to maintain,” said Mayor Nathan Senn.
Using $100,000 in funds from the County Transportation Commission and $150,000 from the city’s 2022-23 budget, the streets up for repaving include Kennedy’s Ring, Coleman, Bub Avenue, Reames, Harts Court and Vine, said City Administrator Eric Delgado.
“The price of construction and resurfacing is rising,” Delgado said. “Funds from the city’s vehicle fee registration and the CTC revenue is how we pay for resurfacing.”
The vehicle registration fee at $14, Delgado said, and that amount has not gone up for many years.
Initially, there were 10 roads on the list, but that number had to be reduced to fit within the budget, Delgado said.
Satterfield Construction provided the low bid and will do the work.
The city is planning to revamp all of its volunteer citizen committees, and it’s adding a new City Roads Advisory Committee which will be composed of citizens from each ward. The group will ride the city’s roads and provide city administration with input.
Other boards will be restructured as well, including the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Historic Preservation Commission.
The city website, www.cityoflaurenssc.com, has a link for anyone who would like to learn about and apply to the boards by June 1.
In other news, Senn explained that with the eventual move of Dominick Motors to its new location on Exchange Drive, the City of Laurens will be able to add restrooms next to the splash pad and the car lot’s paved area will provide more downtown parking spaces for residents.
Senn said a potential buyer is interested in developing the former mill site in Wattsville, which could be annexed into the city, but those plans would first be presented to the Planning Commission and city council before any decisions are made.
In other business, Laurens County Disabilities and Special Needs Board director Jason Tavenner thanked Laurens City Council for approving a resolution designating March as Disabilities Awareness Month. The organization is celebrating its 50th year of service in Laurens County.
“This proclamation raises awareness for all the contributions that people with disabilities are making in our communities, whether it be through work, play or all other endeavors,” Tavenner said.

This story originally ran Page 1, in the Wednesday, March 29 issue of The Laurens County Advertiser.