Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Anderson County Council on Tuesday gave unanimous initial approval on second reading to a resolution forbidding county use of Flock Surveillance Cameras by the county.
The county’s previous contracts with the 10 cameras in operations at boat ramps and parks are either expired or about to expire and will not be renewed. Anderson County Councilman Greg Elgin said some of these are already shut down.
Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride also favors the ban.
McBride said the Sheriff’s Office has no Flock cameras on the roadways, but that there are some owned by Homeowners’ Associations and businesses in the county, including Lowe’s.
The City of Anderson has 16 Flock cameras in use.
Council also gave final approval for tax incentives for a project committed to building a industrial spec building. major industrial real estate projects in the Southeast, including a Class-A 408,000 square foot speculative industrial facility located at 1810 Easley Highway. The project would bring $34 million in capital investment.
Anderson County Economic Development Director aid Burriss Nelson said the spec building is likely to bring in new industrial jobs and increased tax revenues. The first-year new taxes will be $113,000 with a 30-year economic impact of $38.5 million.
The company is a division of Gray, a real estate development entity associated with Gray Development (a division of Gray, an integrated industrial design-build and construction corporation).
To meet the reported growing demand for industrial space, council approved on second reading tax incentives to bring more speculative buildings to the county.
The Kansas City-based Jones Development is planning a 400,000 square-foot building project, code named St. Nick, with a capital investment of $26 million. As part of the project, JD Anderson SC LLC, construction will work with the developer in a partnership with the county for a new sewer line.
The public/private partnership will reduce costs and provide a sewer line for economic development in the area near the 300 Masters Boulevard site. The new line will free an additional 60 acres north of the property for development.
Also approved on second reading, Project Elrod, which is not far from the new Oak Hill Elementary School would bring a $70.1 million investment in land for the purposes of two new industrial sites. The council worked with local school board, law enforcement and fire departments in vetting this site.
Council also gave final approval to upfit the county’s hazardous-materials program and hire a full-time hazardous-materials program manager reporting directly to county administration, with a salary of $70,000, plus benefits, which would be funded through the county’s general fund.
Businesses and individuals responsible for incidents requiring a hazardous-materials response will now be liable for actual and reasonable response costs. Revenue collected under the ordinance will go into a dedicated fund for the team’s operations, training, equipment and administration.
