Special to the Herald
SPRINGFIELD – Dozens of citizens filled the Ebenezer Middle School cafeteria May 12 for the Effingham County Commission District 4 town hall.
Citizens received updates and offered input on a variety of topics, including Staffordshire Subdivision drainage, DRT concerns, Lowground Road, the incoming water intake plant and much more.
Led by County Manager Tim Callanan and Board of Commissioners Chairman Damon Rahn, the gathering was a spirited two and a half hours of questions from the public and answers from Callanan and various county staff.
Regarding DRT, Callanan gave a brief overview of DRT’s history in the county, along with some of the recent problems. Callanan said county agencies such as fire and rescue, and emergency management have responded to incidents at the plant such as spills, fires, and odor complaints.
Callanan assured the crowd the county is monitoring DRT and is taking some proactive measures.
“I have been to two meetings with the director of EPD in Atlanta on this issue alone, along with several conference calls, as well as the EPA officials, who have a little bit more resources than EPD in dealing with this,” Callanan said. “I can tell you, just for communication with it, that there is an active enforcement case right now that is under disposition and investigation by EPD.”
Callanan added that DRT has been cited for code violations as recently as last week. He also said that when DRT is confronted about various issues, such as odor, it tries to deflect the blame on another nearby entity such as the wastewater treatment plant or the paper mill.
“One of the things we're looking at doing is creating a steering committee, just so nobody can question the results,” Callanan explained. “We're going to get members of the public. We're going to get members from the school district, from the municipalities, county emergency services, environmental groups all together to hire one firm who will then come in -- and there are actual firms out there who can do this -- that can source the order when the instances occur.
“We'll do it over a six-month period. This way, there'll be no questions as to what the source is, and every time there's an event, we're able to properly cite (them),” Callanan said.
Regarding stormwater flooding in Staffordshire, Callanan recounted that the problem stems from the neighborhood’s original builder who didn’t build the ponds to an adequate capacity; and didn’t include a way for the water to drain out.
The county is doing a two-step process to fix the problem. The first step is for the county to acquire a right-of-way; then add a series of pipes and ditches that will channel the water to stormwater drains on Blue Jay Road and Effingham Parkway; and on to Dashers Creek and the Savannah River.
Lowground Road, Callanan said, is about to get a major upgrade – from a dirt road with lanes barely wide enough to include a line in the middle – to an asphalt-paved road with 11-foot lanes and six-foot shoulders (two feet paved plus four feet unpaved). Stormwater drainage along Lowground will also be improved.
Construction on Lowground is slated to begin in early 2027, but Callanan added that the road is being patched with a layer of chip seal to smooth out potholes and keep the road drivable.
A few residents questioned Callanan about truck traffic and he reiterated the county’s recent ordinance regarding which roads are truck routes and which are not.
“This is the struggle that we have, is that moving vehicle enforcement, we can't do anything about that. That’s the sheriff's department,” Callanan said. “But we want to create a mechanism so this can be reported to the sheriff, so that he can send people there. If (trucks) are doing what you're saying they're doing -- which I have no doubt that they are -- then they're certainly violating the truck ordinance.”
Other topics of county interest that Callanan updated the audience on included the eight pending improvements on Blue Jay Road, roundabouts on Effingham Parkway and Blue Jay Road; proposed widening of Hwy. 21 from Hwy. 30 in Port Wentworth to Ninth Street in Rincon; renovations at all county parks, upgrades and additions to the county animal shelter, the county’s plan for pedestrian and bike paths; and finally, renovation and preservation of the Springfield Central High School campus.
Callanan, Rahn and senior members of the county’s administration staff answered numerous questions during the event and remained afterward to engage in one-on-one conversations.
Effingham County encourages civic engagement, which allows it to facilitate communication, gather feedback and build trust and transparency as it addresses community concerns.
Watch the recording here: bit.ly/3FaFM4o.
Review the PowerPoint presentation here: bit.ly/3SHf9qE.
