The Mayor's of Tega Cay SC L-R Seated - Hubert Graham, Ed Weaver, L-R Standing - Tony Tarulli, Steve Hamilton, George Sheppard, Bob Runde

A note from Tega Cay Mayor George Sheppard

It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you that our City’s second mayor, Hubert Graham, passed away last night. Hubert served Tega Cay as its Mayor from 1984 to 1988. While this is a very sad time for the thousands of residents that had the pleasure of knowing him, it is also a time to reflect on what a wonderful man Hubert was and what he truly meant to the residents of Tega Cay. Hubert was a great ambassador for the City, both during and the many years after his time in office. He was a champion of the Pennies for Progress program while it was in its infant stages. His support of this program is just one example of his vision and devotion to the residents of Tega Cay. It is because of his support and his vision that we will have Tega Cay’s first Pennies for Progress project, the future Hubert Graham Way. On behalf of the City I wish to extend my deepest sympathy and sincerest condolences to the Graham Family during this difficult time.

Mayor George Sheppard

City of Tega Cay

Dear Fellow Residents,

As I write this letter to you and think about the early morning on May 11th, I am very thankful no one was serious injured. The loss of material possessions can be replaced or repaired.

I would like to update you on the City’s plan and reaction to Wednesday morning storm. I am extremely grateful for the Tega Cay Volunteer Fire Department, the Tega Cay Police Department, and the Tega Cay Public Works crew. The TCFD was on Tega Cay Drive as early as midnight making sure the Tega Cay drive was open and accessible. The Tega Cay Police Department assisted the Fire Department in keeping residents away of dangerous areas. The public works crews were in the City soon after 1:00 AM to start the clean up. The inbound lanes of Tega Cay Drive were completely closed to all traffic until approximately 3:30 AM. Following NIMS (National Incident Management System) protocol, our Fire Chief Scott Szymanski served as the incident commander as the first on scene, and remained as such until the streets were passable. Once the incident was downgraded, command was transferred to the City’s Operations Director, Charlie Funderburk to coordinate cleanup efforts. Our City’s Operations crews were on site until approximately 7pm Wednesday evening. Workers returned at 7 am this morning to resume cleanup efforts and will remain on 12 hour shifts until all the debris is cleaned up.

On Wednesday afternoon the Grant Duffield, Charlie Funderburk, Chief Szymanski, Tim Gillette and other municipal and county leaders were part of a conference call with York County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) to discuss the situation. According to the National Weather Service representative, we were hit with a straight line wind. The storm had sustaining winds of 90-95 mph, which is equivalent to hurricane force winds. Over the next several days leaders around the county will be evaluating the damage in their areas to determine how much will be spent in cleanup efforts. If the cleanup costs hit the required threshold as set by FEMA, we could potentially receiving funding from FEMA as reimbursement for our cleanup costs.

As previously stated we have our public works crews working 12 hour days to facilitate the clean up. We have also contracted with several tree companies to assist us in the clean up. At this point in time, the need to apply for a city tree permit has been suspended. If you hire a contractor to clean up debris from your home, please make sure they have a City of Tega Cay business license and that they haul the debris away with them. If you are cleaning up the debris yourself, please place it at the back of the curb in front of your home. Please do not place the debris in the street causing unnecessary traffic hazards. You do not have to cut the debris into 4’ lengths and of course the diameter size will not matter either. City crews will collect the debris in whatever size your place it at the curb until May 19, as long as you get it to the curb. During the next week, please refrain from placing bagged items at for collection as crews are trying to concentrate on cleaning up the City and getting all the tree parts hauled away. Crews will resume collecting bagged debris items the week of May 23.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding during the cleanup process. Crews are working as quickly as possible and will get to your debris as soon as they can.

Your Mayor,
George

Grant Duffield has served the city for almost 10 years. His family will be relocating to Columbia SC were his wife will be serving as an associate pastor for a Presbyterian church in Columbia SC.

The Tega Cay City Council has been in communication with the Municipal Association of South Carolina and we have enlisted their help in hiring a new City Manager for Tega Cay.

Mayor Shepard’s satetd in his website notice;

Personally, I have had the pleasure of working with Grant and have known him as a very talented individual….I wish Grant and his family success and happiness in their future endeavors.

Some of the tournament prizes include:

closest to the pin, closest to the line (straightest shot), longest drive, and an all-expenses paid Alaskan Cruise for the hole-in-one prize. We will also have a nice prize for the winning team. Palmetto Bay Designs is also going to raffle off a golf bag for the golfers who purchase mulligans. Each golfer can purchase two mulligans (use one per side) with each mulligan costing $5.

Anyone can attend the After Party. The After Party should be a lot of fun. Dress is casual. DJ Tim Brown scheduled to entertain all night (6PM-11PM), a menu of sliders, veggies, mash potato bar, and pulled Cajun chicken. The party starts at 6 PM and will go until 11 PM.

The raffle drawings and silent auction items will be done at 9 PM and you must be present to win.

The tickets for the After Party will be available beginning Wednesday. Remember, tickets are $30/individual or $50/couple. There are 300 tickets available to sale including the golfers.

Here are a few of the silent auction items.

• party rental from Kids R kids
• 14-person sky box rental along with 20 tickets for any regular season Charlotte Knight’s baseball game
• gift certificates from the Croquet Club- two certificates for two hours of play for 4 people and two certificates for one free annual membership
• a family consultation with Kane Family Chiropractics
• a gas grill from Lowe’s Home Improvement
• an autographed Arnold Palmer print
• a condo at the beach for a week or weekend
• a free teeth whitening at Smiles by Design in Baxter
• golf bag from Palmetto Bay Designs
• a certificate for a free Family Membership to the Beach & Swim Center
• * Panther’s Gear and certificates from Town Tavern.

Registration is still open for golf teams. Register now to confirm your spot. Register online a tcmayorscup.com/registration/.

Happy New Year to all in Tega Cay! What a wonderful holiday season we have had. We began with our annual Tree Lighting. This year we were fortunate to have the Fort Mill High School Concert Chorus, under the direction of Mr. Michael Dove, put on a tremendous performance for all who attended this annual event. With snow to cover our hills on Christmas and a wonderful New Years Eve Party hosted by the Tega Cay Lions Club, we certainly have enjoyed winter so far and look forward to good things to come in 2011.

Mayor Sheppard went on to highlight meetings or events in January…

The Special City Council Meeting will be held on Monday January 3rd at 7 pm.

The City’s Public Works Department will be picking up discarded Christmas Trees from January 3rd to January 28th.

New Hospital forum will be on Monday, January 10th, beginning at 7 PM in the ballroom of the Glennon Center. Carolinas Medical Center, Piedmont Medical Center and Presbyterian Hospital will each make a 20 minute presentation to the public.

The 2nd Annual Volunteer Fair will be on Sunday, January 16th from 2 pm- 5 pm in the lower level of the Glennon Center. City

With the Hindu New Year and the traditional American Thanksgiving behind us, Tega Cay can look forward to ending 2010 with many our own traditions.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Mayor for the past year and I will continue to strive daily to listen to the residents and concentrate on making the best decisions for the future of our City. My New Year’s Resolution is to continue to serve you in 2011 in a manner that will enhance our quality of life here in Tega Cay, while making every effort to build our City’s contingency fund.

As the holidays are upon us, the City is full of celebration plans. To start the season, long-time volunteer Fred Cormack will be honored with a tree planted in his memory during the City’s Annual Arbor Day Ceremony on Friday, December 3rd, at 1:00 pm at the Tega Cay Golf Club. Following the ceremony, our Beautification Committee will be hosting everyone with light refreshments in the lower level of the Glennon Center.

Saturday, December 4th, the Christmas Craft Fair will start at 11:00 am in the Tega Cay Golf Clubhouse. Our Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will begin at 5:30 pm in front of the Clubhouse. This year’s Ceremony will feature the Fort Mill High School Chorus and rumors are there will be a surprise visit from the “jolly ole elf”, so make sure to bring your cameras. After the ceremony, please join us in the lower level of the Glennon Community Center where there will be plenty of cookies, hot chocolate, and fun.

The City is always full of beautiful Christmas lights and displays at many homes for everyone to enjoy, so grab your family and friends to join our Police Department for a tour beginning at the Beach & Swim Center on the evening of December 16th, from 6:00- 9:00 pm. Another tradition the Police Department is continuing is the Toys for Happiness drop box at the Police Station. So please pick up an additional toy for someone less fortunate. You can also bring your toy with you to the Light Tour to drop off.

Thanks to our friends at the Tega Cay Fire Department, Santa will be making one last visit to Tega Cay before Christmas Eve. Santa and his helpers will be riding with our firemen around town on Saturday morning, December 18th checking up on all the good little boys and girls, both young and old.

There is no better way to ring in the New Year than joining us in the Glennon Center Ballroom for the New Year’s Eve Celebration sponsored by the Tega Cay Lions Club. Ticket information can be found on our City’s website.

If you haven’t already, check out the city’s new website: tegacaysc.org. The new and improved website is more user-friendly and has lots of great information. Please let us know what you think once you have visited the site.

Please join Penny, Emma and myself in enjoying our beautiful city and the great people who live here this Holiday Season. May you have a safe and wonderful Holiday Season and a Prosperous New Year.

Your Mayor,

George

Mayor’s State of the City Address – July 4, 2010

Good evening and Happy Birthday Tega Cay!

I have been looking forward to this day with excitement and a nervous anticipation.  This celebration gives me the opportunity to talk with you about our extraordinary city.

I don’t have to tell you that the last few years have been challenging, but despite our hardships, our City is strong. The saying goes “adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it”.  I believe that in these times Tega Cay’s strong character has not just been revealed, it is what has allowed us to excel. The character of the people in Tega Cay is demonstrated through their willingness to step up and do what’s necessary.  It shows in our volunteers, our staff and our elected officials’ commitment to working as a team, to meet challenges and their desire to keep looking ahead and planning for a great future. It is because of the extraordinary character of our community, we can say, a great city starts here.

I want to share with you some of the exciting things that we’ve accomplished so far this year, and what I believe the future has in store. I want to talk about them in the context of our government; our businesses and of course, our community.

Good Community Starts Here

Over the past few years, we have seen electronic communication explode. This year the City’s website got a new look and we began actively using Facebook, Nixile (an alert system for weather and other citywide emergency information), and of course we continue to use our email list.  Not only is city staff using Facebook, but be sure to check out the Tega Cay Golf Course

Facebook page for course updates and special offers.   I still don’t completely understand Facebook, but fortunately some of our employees do and they want to know if you have joined the City of Tega Cay “group” yet?

What was once the City releasing information is now two way communication?

Not only can we keep our residents informed and educated, we can get feedback from them.  Through the course of a week, a subscriber may receive several messages about:

• Events,
• Council agendas,
• Job postings,
• Request for bids and proposals,
• Road closings
• News about Tega Cay
• And any other interesting things happening in the City.

Good communication builds community!  If you are not yet connected through one of these lines of communication, please go to our website to join us.

As I mentioned before, Tega Cay never lacks for people who will step up when there is a need. This year, the Community Relations Committee was 85% NEW.  Those new members took up the challenge to put this celebration together and have done an amazing job with an extremely complicated first task.  They have worked countless hours, come in on budget, raised new sponsorship and created new features such as the outstanding Carnival of Fun.

Recently, I read that a volunteer hour is valued at $20.86 nationally.  The value of the volunteer hours this weekend alone is over $17,000.  Not counting committee meetings, shopping, planning, or any other function that went into making this weekend possible.  That is one committee for one weekend in this city.  Every function and event in Tega Cay has volunteers, can you imagine the dollar value that?  The human value? – Priceless.

I for one cannot thank the CRC enough for the work they did this weekend and the weeks leading up to it.

I would also like to thank every other committee and volunteer in Tega Cay for what you make possible for your fellow citizens.

Understanding the importance of volunteers in the city, is why one of the first things we did was set up a Volunteer fair, that enabled citizens to understand our city and how it works.  We changed the volunteer appointment process to better accommodate new volunteers on committees.  We are in the planning stages of adding ways for citizens to get involved and understand how the city government works.

Good Business Starts Here

Although development has certainly slowed and the economy continues to lag, we have had our problems to overcome but we are working diligently to address them. Yet, even in the midst of this economic downturn, the business community continues to discover something the rest of us have known for years.  Tega Cay is an amazing community bursting with opportunity.  I am proud to share with you that, while other areas are shedding businesses, at this time, we have four new establishments joining our community in the Stonecrest/Graystone area.  This is a testament to something we residents have long known – Tega Cay is a remarkable community bursting with opportunity.

As of today we are within reach of our budgeted rounds of golf for the year, the greens are beautiful and although I haven’t had time to play, I have heard as recently as yesterday that the course is and I quote “phenomenal”, “one of the best courses in the Charlotte area for the dollar value”.  We have encouraged residents to bring their family and friends from out of town to play our course with the Mayor’s Card, increasing our revenue with OPM (Other people’s money!).  Bryan and his staff continue to work hard to bring our course where it needs to be including hosting an NFL Alumni Golf Tournament [another one coming in the fall] which brings national attention to Tega Cay.  We have also hosted many corporate and charitable events including recently the annual Bank of America Golf Tournament.

We have also sought and met with the Chamber of Commerce to discuss ways of improving mutually beneficial business relationships here on the peninsula and in the Stonecrest area of Tega Cay.

Good Government Starts Here

This year, we have 3 council members in new positions, while I was on council, as your Mayor I have taken on a different role on council.  We also have two new members.  In any new job, statistically, it can be expected for it to take an individual a minimum of 6 months to get comfortable.  We have 60% of our council getting used to a new situation and the other 40% of council and all of staff getting used to a new team.  Change is challenging for anyone and we are working hard to make this transition.  Transitions do not come without bumps and bruises and we are working to reach smooth ground, of course I would hope that none of us reach the point where we are reluctant to present opposing views, I will admit, the path of least resistance may seem easy, but it is not necessarily right!

I can say I have never worked with a group of people more passionate about a common goal:  the future of Tega Cay.  This is evidenced by council voting to go to two council meetings per month until such time as we resolve long standing issues such as the sign Ordinance, the nuisance ordinance and others.

One of the earliest things we did as a new council was hold the FIRST ever Council/Staff retreat to create cross-communication between Elected Officials and Department Heads.  The purpose was to get to know each other and hopefully open avenues of communication.

We have been working a lot over the past 7 months on issues facing the city:

• We held public hearings with the State Public Service Commission to allow citizens to impress upon state regulators the concerns about their water and sewer rates.
• We have also arranged meetings with SC-DHEC to pose questions to the environmental enforcement agency about Tega Cay water service,
• We have met with residents about the sale of city hall. We have had educational meetings about storm water.
• We have obtained additional grant funding (county funds) to conduct large road improvement projects,
• And increased street maintenance funding within the existing budget to support the community.

Overall, the Staff/council/volunteers have managed to secure over $500,000 in grant funding including grants for Croquet, the Fire department, and the above mentioned County funds for road work.   We also took the time to listen to the needs of the community regarding the LPGA.

Nearly all of our elected officials and appropriate city staff have now achieved NIMS Certification status (National Incident Management System) which is required for Federal aid funding in the event of a disaster.

Committee minutes are now appearing on our website as well as most if not all of the council meeting agendas and attachments for residents review prior to council meetings.

We are in the process of seeking cooperative agreements with York County and Fort Mill to reduce operational costs and improve services; you are now able to pay your TCUD bill online, and we have been utilizing youth in summer programs to support City staff in buildings and grounds operations.

Maybe you have or haven’t heard about the property that the FM School district just purchased on the other side of the Tega Cay sign (better known as the McCall property).  The 27+/- acre property will have an elementary school for 1,100 students and for the first time in FM SD history it will be a partial 2 story building.  We have had conversations about the districts interest in the property being annexed into the city generating utility revenue on property we will already be first responders to in the event of an emergency.  This is Annexation that would add revenue without adding excessive burden.

In another first for our growing City, we have started the process of hiring our first two Full time paid fire personnel.  Advertisements have been placed in the newspaper and on the city website and we are already receiving many qualified applications.  The process will continue for the next several weeks and we hope to hire these firefighters by August first, placing two qualified firefighters in the city during the workday for immediate response to local calls.

Of course we are so glad to know that the County is proceeding with Hubert Graham Way, based on current projections, Hubert Graham Way should be completed by 2013 or 2014 depending on the environmental studies required for the project, greatly relieving traffic flow at the Gold Hill Rd & 160 intersection.

One of the key initiatives that I and Council immediately embarked on once taking office was addressing the long term fiscal needs of our community.  Through careful review of the budget, reassignment of some funds and a fiscally conservative approach including budget cuts, the City should have a contingency fund of over $275,000 by the end of this fiscal year, up from approximately $30,000 at the end of last year [$7,000 2 years ago], an increase of over 900% in a YEAR.

At a time when many communities are struggling under changing economic conditions, Tega Cay has actually managed to improve its bond credit rating from an A3 status to A1.  This is no small feat and a testament to the hard work and leadership of our staff.   To preserve our credit rating and ensure our future financial stability, fiscal rating agencies need to see 16% of annual budget in RESERVE – or approximately $800,000 in our case – a goal we are working to reach over the next few years].

I believe in 2010-2011 we will continue to have our eye on the budget, increasing our contingency and serving the city and its residents to the best of our abilities.

It is important, even in these times, to continue planning for and working toward our vision for the future of Tega Cay:  Financial stability and responsible growth.

I commend those on the Council and staff who have made difficult decisions for the right reasons. I look forward to continuing to work with a good elected and staff team as we build our future. There are many challenges ahead but we are ready.

I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through these partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this good community. I believe Tega Cay has a very bright future; and that “a great city starts here.”

Thank you for your commitment to Tega Cay, and thank you for being here today.

Your Mayor,

George

February 17th 2010

From Your Mayor……..

For many months now, many of you have been asking how our City had become involved in talks concerning a potential LPGA event coming to our course.  The following will hopefully explain how the City became involved and where discussions are currently.

In July 2009, Special Events Unlimited (SEU) sought out and approached the City of Tega Cay offering to facilitate a Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament in Tega Cay scheduled for the fall of 2010.  SEU requested that the City provide seed funding in the amount of $500,000 to bring the proposed $7.2 million event to Tega Cay.  Although the City declined to provide such funding, the City and SEU continued to discuss the potential of such an event.  In September of 2009, SEU’s formal intent to site the LPGA event was made public, even as the Tega Cay Golf Course greens resurfacing project was underway.  

Approximately 60 days ago, I met with former Mayor Bob Runde, City Manager Grant Duffield, David Taylor (Tega Cay Golf Management), and Tommy Stines (President, SEU Promotions).  During this meeting, City Officials reiterated the City’s commitment to work with SEU Promotions to bring a Ladies Professional Golf Association event to Tega Cay in 2010.  While welcoming of such an opportunity, City officials stipulated that any agreement of the City to host such an event would be predicated upon SEU’s ability to furnish letters of intent/commitment from the proposed event’s title sponsor(s).  Mr. Stines indicated that such sponsors would be soon forthcoming and proof of their commitment would be furnished within 60 days of that meeting.

During the aforementioned meeting, Mr. Stines made it clear that SEU had concern about the health and maturity of the new putting surfaces installed on the Tega Cay golf course, going so far as to state that it was his belief that several of the surfaces were damaged and would be unsuitable for LPGA event play.  City and TCGM Officials invited Mr. Stines to schedule a visit by LPGA staff agronomists and turf management professionals to ascertain the health of the newly installed putting surfaces.  Mr. Stines agreed to coordinate such a visit in late December or early January, at which time data could be gathered and analyzed and an educated determination of turf health could be reached.

To date, SEU has provided neither an assurance of commitment from title sponsors.  They have also not scheduled or facilitated a visit by the LPGA to assess the condition of the putting surfaces.  Although no formal notification has been provided to the City by SEU, the LPGA’s 2010 schedule has been published with no event slated for the Tega Cay area.

Your Mayor,
George

This is the first of many steps that I will be making in an effort toward effective communication with the residents of Tega Cay via email. Communication can only work if I hear from you, so please, feel free to contact me at georgesheppard@comporium.net or (803) 396-7706. I welcome comments and suggestions from you.

It has been 2 weeks since I was sworn in as your Mayor. Thank you for the honor and the privilege. As you know, we have many challenges in front of us, but together we can work to face our future in the city.

The first challenge we have is to fill the Council seat I vacated when I was elected Mayor. Please learn about each of the candidates, make an informed decision, and select the person you feel will represent you well on the Council. Election Day is February 9th, so please get out and vote. If you haven’t heard: the poll workers have volunteered their time to save that cost to the city for the special election. I thank them for their commitment and generosity in donating their time!

On Sunday, February 7th a Storm water Q&A session is scheduled at the Glennon Center from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. This will be the first of regular events that will take place when new situations are presented to the residents. If you have questions about Storm Water, please plan to attend.

Getting involved: there will be a Volunteer Fair at the Glennon Center on Sunday, February 14th from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.. The purpose of the Fair is to show you what the various city volunteer committees do for all of we residents. Many years ago, Tega Cay began with volunteers and volunteerism at its core; we still rely on volunteers today. The committee members will provide information about each committee and will be recruiting new members. Without these committees many of the services we have would not be possible. Please plan to attend for information and consider volunteering for one of these city committees.

If you haven’t already, please check out www.tegacaysc.org which is the city’s website. The site has been improved to provide a lot of valuable information about the city and surrounding areas. Please help by making suggestions for future improvements.

I encourage you to sign up for the free Nixle email alert system that you can find on the city website. This is a new free,

web-based real-time communication tool that will be utilized by the Tega cay police and the city to provide Amber Alerts, Neighborhood and Community meetings and events, road closures and more. Recently information regarding the winter weather was sent out to those signed up on the Nixle system. Again, I suggest you sign up for this free service. This is another way your police department and city plan to provide better communications with the residents of Tega Cay.

Once again, I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the City we love.

Your Mayor,

George

The Fort Mill Times reported 37% of the registered voters in Tega Cay voted Tuesday.

Mayor elect George Sheppard will have to resign his council seat. Once he resigns his seat, a special election date will be set to fill George’s council seat which is estimated to be sometime in February.

Tega Cay Mayor

*George Sheppard 1170

Bob Runde 769

Tega Cay City Council Seats (2)

*Dottie Hersey 849

*Stephen Perkins 712

John Dervay 706

Thomas J Fitzpatrick 621

Katie Shive 458

Keen McHugh 112

*Winners