S.C. counties narrow list of ARPA projects

Listen to this article

This story first appeared in the April 4 print edition of GSA Business Report:

Beating out Charleston and Richland counties, Greenville took the lead for ARPA funding allocations in 2021 with nearly $101.7 million.

The competition wasn’t even close with Richland County trailing behind at $80,756,312 in American Rescue Plan Act funds and Charleston County coming in a close third at $79,910,793, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Spartanburg County was also in the running for the top five highest ARPA budgets at $62,114,487, just behind Horry County at $68,776,083.

Here’s where the GSA plans to spend that money:

Greenville County: $101,691,896

Greenville County estimated that its revenue took a hit of close to $31.4 million since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic until Aug. 31 of last year.

As a result, the largest slice of the $101 million allocated to the county will go toward the county’s general fund as revenue replacement, which can be used at the county’s discretion, according to county spokesman Bob Mihalic.

Earlier this year, Mihalic said that number would add up to around $32 million, followed by $10 million for affordable housing. Conversations with and interviews of community partners were underway to determine other COVID-19 related needs throughout the county.

“Residents have lost lives, employment, incomes, housing, educational opportunities and more while our local government has provided reliable and constant services throughout this difficult time,” said the Greenville County Recov- ery Plan, written in August. “However, all of that has come at a cost.”

According to Mihalic, the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority is spearheading a plan to preserve and create affordable housing. That plan will be presented to the County Council once complete.

Spartanburg County: $62,114,487

On March 3, Spartanburg County Council passed an ordinance prompting staff to present proposals for ARPA-funded projects, first to councilmembers and then in a public hearing.

Two weeks later, the first project was up for discussion: a $4.5 million high-speed broadband expansion to between 3,500 to 4,000 unserved and underserved residences and businesses in the county, according to a council resolution.

The 300-mile expansion is expected to bring 100/20 Mbps speeds to areas designated by the S.C. Office of Regulatory Staff including the Southern and Northwest regions of the county, according to County Administrator Cole Alverson. Projections dictate that the cost of wiring in each building should cost between $1,000 to $1,100.

The county eyes underserved neighborhoods in the Reidville, Stone Station-Cross Anchor, Gowensville, Fingerville and Pacolet areas for the rollout, which Alverson expects will be subsidized.

“The way that we have approved and that we’ve seen it work in other communities is that we would seek through RFP (request for proposals), a partnered utility who would actually do the rollout, and we would seek a funding partnership where they have private dollars going into the product, and then the county would subsidize through its $4.5 million, the equivalent of something like $1,000 to $1,100 per passing,” he said.

Alverson also predicts that the $10 million earmarked for revenue recovery from the first $31 million tranche will be used toward road and bridge projects, as well as strategic water and sewer buildouts.

“And then they’ve also asked us to spend some time working with partners to develop a package around small and minority business support,” he told GSA Business Report. “And so we’re really doing some foundational work there to come up with some new strategies and some new opportunities we think the council may be interested in pursuing.”

Anderson County: $39,344,517

Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns called ARPA funds a “god-send” during the pandemic.

The funds are helping bridge the gap of lost revenue and initiate infrastructure projects that “we possibly wouldn’t have been able to get to,” he said.

Many of these projects are about to leave the runway. Others are in the bidding process. Most expand sewer infrastructure to regions the county foresees becoming hot spots of current and future growth.

“Exit 14 comes into mind, which is an exit on the interstate [85],” Burns said as he surveyed Lake Hartwell and Green Pond

Landing in preparation for the Bassmaster Classic. “It’s really one of the main gateways into Lake Hartwell into Anderson.”

Another project on tap is a joint water treatment plant with the town of Pendleton and city of Clemson. Leftovers will be used to buttress Upcountry Fiber’s $15 million, 2,800-mile broadband expansion into low-access enclaves across Anderson.

“So a lot of our money is going to things that will benefit the county for years,” he said.

The county also set aside hazardous duty pay for county employees or essential workers, and extended support for the Anderson Free Clinic and Anderson Interfaith Ministries’ drive-in food delivery system.