Spartanburg City News

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Community Health Awareness Day at Dr. T.K. Gregg Community Center, April 22 Apr 12, 2023

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It began as a way to bring people in Spartanburg together and removing barriers to health care access, and after a hiatus of several years, Spartanburg's Community Health Awareness day is back this year and coming to the Dr. T.K. Gregg Community Center (650 Howard St.) on Saturday, April 22, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The free community event will offer a wide array of health screenings and health education, and will feature activities for young children, teens, and seniors. This week on the City Podcast, we're talking with JaLisa Jordan, Program Manager for Live Healthy Spartanburg about the return of Community Health Awareness Day and why you should plan to visit.

Hello Family releases first annual report Apr 05, 2023

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It's been a little more than a year since Hello Family—a unique collection of support systems for young children and their families—began operations in Spartanburg, and the capacity-building approach the initiative has brought to early childhood services in our community is already changing lives according to their annual report. The program is a first-of-its-kind approach aimed at significantly improving child wellbeing, boosting future prosperity, and providing quantifiable financial benefits to the Spartanburg community well in excess of its cost and provides free universal nurse home visiting, free evidence-based parent education and support tools, and significantly enhanced early learning opportunities at a full citywide scale Among the group's first year outcomes, more than 85 percent of mothers served by BirthMatters, a free doula service for young, expectant mothers in the City supported by Hello Family, delivered their babies without a NICU admission, and more than 80 percent had a healthy birth weight and were breastfed at birth. Meanwhile, Family Connects, another program supported by Hello Family, completed 236 nurse home visits to assess needs and offer supportive guidance on infant health-related topics. Supported by $1.5 million of the City's federal ARPA funding, Hello Family is a broad community partnership with additional support coming from Mary Black Foundation, the Duke Endowment, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. Today on the podcast, we discuss Hello Family's first year and future goals with Hello Family Director, Kaitlin Watts.

Getting to know Highland Project Manager, Jamie Smith Mar 29, 2023

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If you're at all familiar with complex community redevelopment plans (or you're inclined to listen to podcasts about them) you know that an incredible plan without a strategy for implementation runs the risk of becoming little more than a document of empty promises, a recipe for disappointment and disengagement within a community. However, when a solid plan for sustainable community redevelopment becomes an actionable guide for empowered community leadership and motivated public and private sector partners working together, lasting positive change isn't just possible, it becomes the norm. The story of Spartanburg's Northside community provides an example for Spartanburg and for the entire nation about how that work is done, and community members in Highland are working with the City's new Highland Project Manager, Jamie Smith to put their own stamp on Spartanburg's community redevelopment model, guiding implementation of the Highland Transformation Plan. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Smith and longtime Highland neighborhood leader, Leroy Jeter about the work they've undertaken so far and what we can expect to see next. (And if you're looking for a way to help in Highland right now, Mr. Jeter recommends contacting Shahkem Senghor at (864) 266-5325 to volunteer for an excellent youth football program held at Stewart park.)

A new cohost joins the team Mar 22, 2023

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It's been a number of years since the City Podcast has had a cohost to share the work of keeping our listeners informed on what's going with City government and the broader Spartanburg Community. As we ramp up our podcast production this year though, we're welcoming a new member to the City's Communications and Marketing team who will join us in bringing you conversations with leaders and community members about the work they're doing in Spartanburg. Jes comes to us from Spartanburg County, where she served as as Recyclying Coordinator for 10 years after serving four years as District Manager for the Spartanburg Soil and Water Conservation District. Today on the podcast, we're getting to know Jes and learning about how her experences both as a Spartanburg native and in her previous roles will help guide her approach to sharing information and explaining often complicated policies and programs with our audience.

Discussing options for the City's federal ARPA funding Mar 15, 2023

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It's a level of federal funding not seen for many years in Spartanburg, and for City Council and staff, that means the task deciding how to allocate our community's $16.5 million in American Rescue Plan: Coronavirus State & Local Recovery Funds takes on a generational significance, particularly for our low income residents. To give some structure to that discussion, City Manager Chris Story presented a framework to City Council for how those dollars could be spent at their Feb. 27 meeting. While the final figures will almost certainly change somewhat, the proposal currently would allocate $7.25 million to various efforts around housing, targeting increased homeownership in low income census tracts, boosting the supply of affordable rental units, assisting homeowners with fixed incomes in making repairs, and assisting homeless individuals in transitioning to stable living environments. Another $7.75 million would be used for college and career transition readiness, neighborhood enhancements in low income census tracts, implementing portions of the Highland Transformation Plan, funding the City Fire Department's new headquarters renovation at 450 Wofford St., and modernizing technology for the City Police Department. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Story to get a deeper look at the various ways the City's ARPA funding could be used to benefit our city for decades to come.

New trail extensions near completion Oct 20, 2022

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If you like to get outdoors to walk, run, or bike in Spartanburg, the coming weeks promise to be an exciting time as two popular local trails are set to see extensions completed soon! First, Spartanburg's most used recreational amenity, the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail, is about to see its long-awaited expansion completed, taking the trail from its current terminus near the intersection of Union and E Henry streets through Downtown Spartanburg and beyond Barnet Park to Daniel Morgan Ave. Not far behind, the River Birch Trail, which currently begins near McCracken Middle School and ends at E Main Street, will soon reach to Drayton, terminating at the Mary Black Campus of Spartanburg Medical Center at one point and at the Beaumont Village neighborhood at another. Today on the podcast, we're getting an update on these projects and other local trails development with Laura Ringo and Sophi Schwartzbauer of PAL, and along the way we share some details about this year's Turkey Day 8K, Spartanburg's favorite way to offset a few of those extra Thanksgiving calories!

The History of Morgan Square Sep 15, 2022

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Morgan Square has been the most important public gathering space in Spartanburg almost since its beginnings in 1787. Arguably the birthplace of Spartanburg County after having been selected by four state-commissioned judges as the county seat and site of the the area's first courthouse, the area that would eventually be named for the Revolutionary War general whose statue it houses today formed the core of a new frontier town, stimulating the first wave of Spartanburg's development as taverns, hotels, and general stores filled in the areas nearby. As that frontier town grew and changed, Morgan Square changed as well, with each generation putting its own stamp on the space as the community's needs evolved over time. Even as the square has changed shape and configuration over the years, its position as a focal point for Spartanburg's people has remained constant. For well over two centuries now, Morgan Square has been the most iconic and important piece of public land in Spartanburg County. Today, Morgan Square appears ready for its next generational change, one that will build on its current success and ensure that Spartanburg's public square continues to serve the people who call it home. The newly created Morgan Square Redevelopment Committee held its first meeting earlier month, beginning its work charting a course for Morgan Square's next act by getting a crash course in the history of the space from Spartanburg County Public Libraries Assistant Director of Local History, Brad Steinecke and Wofford Archivist, Phillip Stone. In a fascinating presentation, the pair led the committee through each of the square's various iterations and shared context around the decisions that led to each change. Today on the podcast, we're bringing that same history to you. So join us as we take you on a journey from Spartanburg's beginnings to its present day, and be sure to download the original presentation here to follow along and see how Morgan Square has changed over the years.

Discussing Downtown Spartanburg pedestrian spaces, midcentury to present Aug 25, 2022

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Whether you're getting in some steps at the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail or strolling through Morgan Square after dinner, it's fair to say there are more pedestrians moving in and around Downtown Spartanburg than at any point in living memory, and with historic levels of private development and accompanying new infrastructure showing no signs of abating in Spartanburg's urban core, the pedestrian experience in our city is changing rapidly. So how did we get here? What was downtown like back before concepts like "walkability" dominated the urbanist landscape? How did the national trend towards car-centered suburban development in the mid-20th century affect Downtown Spartanburg and what did leaders then try to do about it? And why were those efforts less successful than everyone in Spartanburg had hoped they would be? On today's podcast, we're sharing a conversation about those questions held during our first-ever live podcast recording, held on August 18 at Fretwell. Joining us for the discussion are Brad Steineke, Assistant Director of Local History with Spartanburg County Public Libraries and Grayson Johnson with Fretwell.

New committee to guide Morgan Square redesign process Aug 16, 2022

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At their last two meetings, Spartanburg City Council took a pair of actions to move discussions of Morgan Square's future forward, first creating a committee to guide a public input process and make recommendations regarding upgrades and then voting to continue to keep W Main Street along the square closed to traffic for the next 24 months while the committee undertakes its work. The committee comprises a diverse selection of city residents and stakeholders including downtown restaurant and retail business owners, City planning board members, experts in local development and architecture, and community activists. In presenting the recommended list of committee members to Council, City Manager Chris Story said that in addition to a diversity of experience and background, the committee also includes a diversity of opinions about what should come next for Spartanburg's most prominent piece of public land. The decision to close W Main Street to traffic was first made in spring of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic drastically curtailed shopping and dining in Downtown Spartanburg, in an effort to encourage visitors to return and enjoy safer outdoor dining options. The pedestrian-only space proved popular, with pedestrian counter data showing an increase in the number of visitors after most pandemic restrictions were lifted, with 13.1 percent more visits to Downtown Spartanburg coming during May and June of 2021 than during the same time period in 2019. A survey conducted by the City last year also showed that of 3,444 respondents, 55.24% favor keeping W Main Street closed to vehicle traffic indefinitely for expanded pedestrian use, 24.28% favor keeping W Main Street closed to vehicle traffic in front of the square on weekends (Friday-Sunday) for expanded pedestrian use and open to vehicle traffic on weekdays (Monday-Thursday), and 18.25% favor opening W Main Street in front of the square to vehicle traffic. After receiving data and feedback demonstrating the fully pedestrianized space's positive effect on downtown visits, Council voted to keep the area closed to vehicles while staff crafted a process to examine potential permanent changes to Morgan Square to make the space more pedestrian-friendly. Now the Morgan Square Redevelopment Committee will work with design professionals and the public to make recommendations to City Council regarding those changes.

Taking a look at the City's upcoming fiscal year budget Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

At their most recent meeting, Spartanburg City Council gave final approval to the upcoming fiscal year 2022-2023 budget in a 7-0 vote. This year's budget includes no significant operational changes and no increases to City taxes or commonly applied fees, but as Spartanburg continues to see record growth and economic development, staff projections account for a relatively modest four percent revenue growth. Meanwhile, increases this year include $1.5 million set aside for increases to City employee compensation, representing most of that projected revenue growth. The budget includes a three percent cost-of-living adjustment for all City staff, with an additional 2 percent allocated for the City's Public Works department. In his presentation to Council, Story said the additional increase is needed to bring department salaries into alignment with the overall job market. Additionally, the budget includes mandatory increases to the state retirement and health care systems covering City employees. Why, at a time of historically unprecedented growth in Downtown Spartanburg, have City coffers not been filled more yet? In an increasingly competitive labor market that sees the City spending a larger percentage of its revenue on employee compensation than it has in the past, what steps are leaders taking to retain talent and ensure that your local government is up to the task of serving a growing, dynamic community? Today on the podcast, we've got City Manager Chris Story with us to help answer those questions and provide an overview of how this year's budget seeks to address those challenges.

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