The Town of Pelzer recently accepted two grant awards which will help identify infrastructure needs for the Town and address drainage problems in the lower mill area.
The town will also be resurfacing the gym parking lot and is planning additional improvements at Bill Hopkins Field.
Council decided to not pursue grant funding for the Hospital Building renovation.
Mayor Smithwick said the Town decided not to apply for a $200,000 SC Historical Preservation grant to renovate the historic building. The grant would require a $50,000 match by the Town and renovations would have to meet historic property guidelines.
Smithwick said they plan to do some stabilization work on the building until funding to renovate the structure can be obtained.
The Town is in the process of accepting bids for the replacement of a 30-foot sports lighting pole and six metal halide (MH) sports field light fixtures at Bill Hopkins Field. There are also plans for renovations to the restroom facility at the ballfields and the Monkey Park restrooms.
At their August 11 meeting, Council approved two grant awards amounting to $386,900.
Council approved resolution 002-2026 accepting a Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) award in the amount of $200,000. The purpose of the grant is to fund a town-wide engineering and planning study to identify infrastructure needs, develop future capital improvement projects and improve the Town’s eligibility for future state and federal grant opportunities.
Council also approved Resolution 003-2026 Accepting the FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant Award in the amount of $186,900.
Mayor Smithwick advised Council that the grant will provide funding for the Lower Mill Drainage Study project. The study will include engineering, surveying and design work for drainage improvements. Drainage planning will include evaluation of flooding concerns, identifying potential mitigation opportunities. The grant will also support future infrastructure improvements in the Lower Mill Community area.
Council unanimously approved Resolution No. 004-2026 withdrawing from a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Planning Grant.
Mayor Smithwick explained that the newly awarded BRIC-funded drainage study project addresses work previously contemplated under the HMGP Planning Grant and requires a smaller local match contribution. He said staff assisting with the grant recommended withdrawing from the HMGP Planning Grant and using available resources toward the BRIC-funded effort.
Council unanimously approved Resolution No. 005-2026 authorizing the purchase of a skid steer.
Mayor Smithwick said that the purchase of a skid steer was included in the current fiscal year budget and several quotes had been obtained. Smithwick said the equipment would support maintenance and operational activities throughout the Town. The skid steer will be purchased from Bobcat of Greenville in the amount of $69,100.
Council unanimously approved Resolution No. 006-2026 awarding a contract for gym parking lot resurfacing. Mayor Smithwick said that bids had been solicited and reviewed and that staff recommended awarding the contract to proceed with the project. The resurfacing project is intended to improve parking conditions and address maintenance needs at the facility. The bid in the amount of $4,500 was awarded to Elite Paving Services.
During the August meeting, Council went into executive session to discuss a property dispute and a contractural dispute. There was no additional information provided to the public.
Upon returning to open session, Smithwich stated that no action was taken and no decisions were made.
In the police report, Mayor Smithwick said there were 74 traffic stops, 179 contacts, 6 calls for service and 6 arrests made in July. Arrests included active warrants for methamphetamine possession, distribution of methamphetamine and related narcotics search warrant and a shoplifting warrant.
Note: The Pelzer Planning Commission will hold a public hearing October 7, 2026, to vote to recommend a proposed ordinance to council concerning vacant commercial buildings. The meeting will be held at 6 pm at the Pelzer Gym.
