City of Orangeburg seeks railroad cleanup

City Council agreed last week to develop a resolution and send pictures to railway officials asking them to fix the issue.

“I don’t look upon this as being a good corporate citizen,” Councilman Bernard Haire said during the council meeting.

“Norfolk Southern has to do a better job than what they are doing as it relates to helping us make the city beautiful,” he said.

Haire noted that crossties can be found at the intersection of Zan Street and Magnolia Street.

“They have been there over maybe four or five years,” Haire said.

The debris takes away from the efforts Claflin University and South Carolina State University are making to beautify their campuses, he said.

“If they look toward the railroad track, they are eyesores as it relates to all the debris that has been left with this last project,” Haire said. “It is not getting better.”

Haire said he’s been informed a third party has been contracted with Norfolk Southern to do the cleanup, but it still needs to be done.

He asked city attorney Michael Kozlarek what the city can do to get the problem resolved.

Kozlarek said the city put forward a resolution in the past and sent a letter to another rail provider who was not performing work in a timely manner.

“Beyond that, I would be very hesitant to give any legal advice about action to be taken in open session,” Kozlarek said. He suggested council move into closed session if members sought more information.

Two years ago, city council passed a resolution asking CSX to expedite repairs at the crossing located between Glover Street and Folly Road.

The resolution helped expedite the work on the tracks.

Haire noted the city has an ordinance related to litter.

“Are we contemplating doing anything as it relates to sending out fines when they do not clean up these properties?” Haire asked.

“We have not looked into doing that,” City Administrator Sidney Evering said.

Evering said the city has talked with the rail company several times over the past year. The company is in the process of replacing more than 22,000 miles of rail line.

“Orangeburg, because of its central location, that particular area is being used as a staging area for the rail line that will be replaced between Columbia and Charleston,” Evering said.

The company has assured him that “they will remove the ties ASAP, along with cleaning up some of that discarded material,” he said.

He said this particular cleanup should be done within two weeks. However, the rock piles will remain due to its being a staging area.

The company will have to come back again in the fall and use the area for staging until the project is complete, he said.

“A great deal of patience has been exercised,” Evering said. “I have gotten concerns from citizens in your district.”

Norfolk Southern Senior Communications Manager Connor Spielmaker said, “We’re working closely with local leaders on keeping it as tidy as possible, and had people out this week working toward that.”

Haire suggested sending photos to Norfolk Southern’s board chairman of the debris.

“It seems like the persons we are communicating with, we are not getting the job done. Maybe we need to go up higher on the chain of command,” Haire said. “Personally, I don’t think the message is getting to those persons in the higher chain of command. I think that is what we need to do. We really are not getting anything done.”

In related matters, Orangeburg resident William Green said he has spoken with the S.C. Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern about beautifying the area near Chestnut Street and CVS.

Councilwoman Liz Zimmerman Keitt noted the city does have beautification plans in place for the Magnolia Street and Chestnut Street intersection.

“We are working and our administrator is on it,” Keitt said.

Outside of Norfolk Southern, Green also requested the city place crosswalk signs throughout the Russell Street corridor.

“As downtown Orangeburg is developing and growing, we need more safety signs on Russell Street,” Green said.

Green also requested the city place rose planters on Russell Street that bloom for up to seven months a year.

“There is actually no color on Russell Street at all,” Green said. “It is all green.”

Green also requested the city put signs up in city parks reminding dog owners to pick up after their dogs.

Councilman Jerry Hannah thanked Green for his comments.

“We want Orangeburg to continue to grow and to continue to look good,” Hannah said.

In a separate matter, council was informed the city has received a $500,000 Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Community-wide Assessment grant.

The grant will allow the city to do brownfield studies to determine if there are any ground contamination issues in the city.

“If there is, hopefully this can be a stepping stone for us to receive additional grant funding to mitigate any assessment sites,” Evering said. “This is a huge grant and we are looking forward to utilizing it.”

“I am definitely glad to have it because we have to move that service station down there on Railroad Corner,” Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said.

According to city officials, a consultant will conduct an inventory of potential sites and develop a list of at least 16 sites to screen.