Clarendon County residents are being encouraged to attend a public hearing Thursday night to help shape how future federal community development dollars are spent, following low turnout at a similar meeting in Sumter earlier this month.
The Needs Assessment Public Hearing will be held Thursday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m. at the Clarendon County Administration Building, 411 Sunset Drive, Manning, and is open to residents from across the county, including the towns of Manning, Paxville, Summerton and Turbeville, according to the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments.
The hearing is part of Clarendon County’s required Citizen Participation Plan, which governs how residents take part in planning projects funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the HUD HOME program and related economic development initiatives.
Esmonde Levy, government services director for the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments, said the process is designed to ensure projects reflect community priorities rather than assumptions made without public input.
“These hearings are where citizens tell us what matters most to them right now,” Levy said. “Housing, infrastructure, water and sewer systems, public safety, economic development — those priorities come directly from residents who take the time to participate.”
At the meeting, attendees will be asked to complete a community needs survey that allows them to rank and rate issues such as infrastructure improvements, housing needs, elimination of blighted properties, public facilities and community services. The survey also covers topics ranging from job training and transportation to stormwater drainage and affordable housing options
Levy said the surveys are a critical component of the grant application process, which typically begins in early spring.
“Applications for CDBG and HOME funding are due in March, and the needs assessment helps demonstrate that proposed projects are tied directly to what residents have identified,” he said. “The more community input we have, the stronger those applications are.”
While infrastructure needs may not always be visible to residents — such as aging water systems or pump stations — Levy said public feedback still plays a vital role in guiding long-term planning and identifying areas where additional engineering or study is needed.
The hearing will review Clarendon County’s Citizen Participation Plan and provide an opportunity for public comment. The plan outlines how residents can stay involved throughout the life of a project — from identifying needs, to reviewing proposed projects, to receiving updates once projects are completed.
Residents who are unable to attend the public hearing may still participate by completing the Community Needs Survey online. Levy said surveys are accepted year-round and help build data that supports future funding requests. The survey can be accessed at www.santeelynchescog.org under the Government Services tab by selecting Government Services Forms and clicking Community Needs Survey at the bottom of the page.
Officials stress that without citizen participation, funding priorities may be shaped primarily by eligibility requirements and administrative input rather than direct community voices.
“This meeting isn’t just a formality,” Levy said. “It’s an opportunity for people across Clarendon County to help influence what projects move forward.”
For more information about the hearing or the Citizen Participation Plan, residents may contact Amber Wooleyhand, grants coordinator with Santee-Lynches RCOG, at (803) 774-1979.
