By Betsy Finklea
Dillon mayor Todd Davis recently gave his state of the city address from the historic James W. Dillon house.
The address covered two areas: quality of life and a water/sewer/infrastructure summary.
Davis said in the City of Dillon where they really focus is quality of life. He said they look at what they can bring to people to make life more enjoyable, primarily for residents, but also for visitors.
Davis said the Wellness Center is a major asset for the city and many things are going on there. A new exercise class that they are offering is spinning. Davis said this class has really taken off. Davis said that one does not have to be a member to participate in things like this.
Last year, the city added a walking track, which circles the Wellness Center. Recently, they completed paving the track. Davis said the track is a nice place to walk or run. The cost to do this is approximately $31,000. Davis said it doesn’t come cheap, but it is another enhancement that they tried to make for everyone who comes there to give them activities and put them in an environment which is second to none.
Davis said the things they do at the Wellness Center today in Dillon they probably could not do before they had the Wellness Center. He said before the Wellness Center they had no place to accommodate 200, 300, or 400 people. Davis said now they have a very state of the art facility where they can do this. Davis said the Wellness Center is heavily used. He said whether one has an event for 10-20 people, 100 people, or 300 people, there is a place for you at the Wellness CEnter.
Several events are held at the Wellness Center. The weekend before Thanksgiving, the third annual Holiday Goodness was held. Over 500 people were in attendance. There were over 50 vendors and over 300+ visitors. He said in prior years there was no place to hold something like this.
One event that Davis is particularly impressed with is the Father-Daughter dance, which has been held in the gym there for the past few years. Over 600 people attended last year. He said the event is growing every year, and in years past, there would have been no place an event like this.
Another event is the Breakfast With Santa, co-sponsored by the city and the Kiwanis Club. He said about 125 children attended. He said the Wellness Center is the perfect place to hold an event like this.
Davis said they continue to have exercise classes and personal trainers. The Wellness Center has meeting rooms, projectors, and WiFi. They also  have a non-cooking kitchen. “We’ve got it all out here,” Davis said.
Davis said they keep the cost down because they want people to use the place. Davis said he did not think there had been an increase in membership fees since the Wellness Center opened, and he wanted to maintain that. The Wellness Center is funded through the hot meals tax. Davis explained that when one purchases a meal at one of the restaurants in the City of Dillon that he/she pays  two cents on the dollar more. This two cents goes to fund the Wellness Center.
Davis said about 60 percent of the funds comes from people who are traveling through Dillon. He said citizens share the cost with people coming through.
Approximately $40,000 a month is raised from this tax or about $480,000 a year. The Wellness Center is financed over 20 years. The city pays $235,000 a year on the note. It will be paid off in approximately 12-13 years.
Davis said they take $70,000-$120,000 out of the same account for cost over-runs and things that come up like the walking track. “It takes money to operate this place, but I think it’s well worth it,”  Davis said.
Davis said he would be hard-pressed to think of where they would be today without this facility. He said the Wellness Center is “one of the best things the City of Dillon has ever done in its history.”
Davis said small communities are only as strong as their recreation programs. He said the City of Dillon is very strong in recreation. He said the city has a history of being extremely successful and running a successful recreation program. Approximately 550 children participate in some recreation program. Davis said they had over 200 volunteer coaches in the past year. He said that he is on the record for thanking all of the coaches who volunteer their time. He also commended the city staff for the great job they do with recreation.
Davis then moved on to the water/sewer/infrastructure summary. Davis said the city’s budget is approximately $7.2 million. The General Fund is about $4 million. The water/sewer/infrastructure is about $3.2 million. He said many cities of their size are getting out of the water and sewer business, but they do not want and do not have to do that.
Davis said they have two projects that are being funded by CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) money. The two grants will be used to replace a water line in the J.V. Martin area and for a water and sewer line replacement in the Stewart Heights area.
The J.V. Martin project will affect 137 customers, and the cost will be $445,000. This will be completed by early spring.
The Stewart Heights project will affect 100-120 people and will cost approximately $456,000. This project will begin in late summer or early fall.
Davis then spoke about the Perdue line. He said the people on Deerwood Avenue have felt and seen the problem that they had. He said the line was corroded and the pipes had to be replaced in phases.
Davis said a great deal of repair work is taking place at the Old Mullins Highway and Jackson Street. He said there were multiple wrecks at that location, and SCDOT is making modifications. He said he agreed with anything to save lives. He said it had put some burden on the people in that direction and traffic had to be re-routed. Davis said the city decided to replace the sewer line while SCDOT was there.
Davis touched on the splash pad and pool discussions and the possibility of a bond referendum. Since this address, the city council  has decided not to pursue a bond referendum at this time.
Davis also spoke about their successful facade program. He said this will make downtown visually more appealing. A tenant can spend money to improve their building, and the city will match it up to $500 as long as funds are available. They have allotted $5,000 to the program so far, and Davis said funds go quickly.
Davis said in economic development the city is one part of the total ball. He said the city tries to do the best they can with their part.
Davis said rural counties in the Pee Dee as struggled and Dillon was no exception. He said they are doing things to make Dillon the home for businesses who want to expand or who want to bring new businesses in. He said the best thing that the city can do goes back to quality of life. What do we have to offer people who come to invest in our city? He said they are trying to address this with the Wellness Center and the golf course.
Davis said the city is committed to the golf course, and he thinks they will stay committed to the golf course. he said 4,500 rounds of golf had been played since they took over. Davis said over 20 tournaments are play there during the year to benefit different charities and organizations. he said the golf course is more than just for golfers, it is for the community.
Davis said they have had some expenditures at the golf course. He sad they rented brand new golf carts and overseeded the course. He said the golf course hasn’t looked better since he came to Dillon and was a testament to the hard work that the city staff has done at the golf course.
Davis said they will be able  to gauge more how they are doing when spring comes and the weather improves. He said he thinks it will pick up.
Davis said if the city lost or gave up the golf course, it would hurt to lose the golf course just like it would the Wellness Center.
Davis said even if citizens don’t play golf he thinks the citizens should be glad the city has stepped up and taken on this project. He said the county has helped out with funds.
Davis said in economic development, the city supplies the guts. He said inside the city, the city provides the water and sewer, and outside the city, Trico does an outstanding job of supplying the water. He said if there is no infrastructure, industries are not going to come and not  going to make  an investment here.
Davis said the city has the lines and the capacity and has invested in the capacity to handle businesses coming here. “We’re ready,” said Davis.
Davis said things are looking up in the city. Harbor Freight Tools is expanding, and the spec building is being constructed on the west side of I-95. He concluded by inviting the public to come out and tour the historic Dillon House.