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organizations, they really want to work together. That makes a big difference – the Chamber, the Partnership for Tomorrow, Economic Development Corporation, Greer Relief, the Soup Kitchen. Everybody works together. Somebody has a festival to raise money and everybody pitches in. It’s just a great community. Everyone that I have dealt with on all those committees truly wants to see Greer proper and want to see Greer be a good place to raise their families.
Jim Fair
Mayor Rick Danner reads a proclamation commending Greer Commission of Public Works General Manager Nick Stegall.
Jim Fair
City Council honored Greer CPW General Manager on his retirement – that becomes official Friday.
"I am real proud of our compressed natural gas filling station here and our efforts to convert our vehicles and promote that whole idea across the state."
Nick Stegall
Retiring Greer CPW General Manager
The proclamation presented to Nick Stegall, retiring Greer CPW General Manager.
Q. You have developed a new relationship with Santee Cooper that offers an attractive loan.
A. I am proud of the cooperation we have received from Santee Cooper. The fact that they were willing to loan us $3.5 million at no interest for 5 years was a big help. That’s a fairly new partnership for us working through PMPA and Santee Cooper to providing our supplemental power needs. They will start doing that in January. They are already working with us.
Q. What is it that makes the Greer entities so cohesive?
A. We work together well. Take a festival, like Soiee’t Relief Barbecue. Two years ago everyone got together and said ‘here’s what we’re going to do and here’s the space that is available. A guy owned the property said ‘sure, go ahead and use it. I might sell it in a few years from now but go ahead and use it.’ The first year they (barbecue competitors) couldn’t believe how everything was so organized. The city will call us and have a festival and say it’s dark over there. We will bring a generator and fuel it up and set up in the park. You do what you’ve got to do to make it work.
Q. What historically did you learn about the Greer utilities?
A. It was neat to see how everything evolved and we learned some things from that process. Now the whole sewer system is tied together. Back when it first started they had, what they called Imhoff tanks. What we discovered was it was like most sewer systems evolved. Those tank-like structures were put on several different crates and Imhoff tanks pretty much removed the solids and the liquid part went on into the creek. Over the years the pump stations were tied together and all that was taken to the wastewater plant for treatment.
Q. Does the board need to be bigger, like five members?
A. I don’t think so. Not in the case of Greer CPW. When you look at the success we have we’re fortunate to have commissioners on our board who have done a good job. I don’t think one questions what we do or the benefit we have. I think we have the right size board.
Q. Where is CPW and Greer’s growth?
A: CPW will have to grow around the airport. Residential is growing on the other side of the (I-85, south). It’s picking up again. We’re seeing a lot of interest in larger new residential projects. There are some over Village Hospital. There are some over by 291 and Abner Creek area. (Northern) is picking up. Some property has changed hands out there. They have started building houses again at O’Neal Village and Blue Ridge Plantation.
Q: What about north, toward Blue Ridge?
A. That is just a long way to carry wastewater up there and I think people like to be close to the interstate. There are many retirement communities up there. Maybe we will see some growth in them. That’s the way it was going before the economy slowed down. It’s so convenient to be down in this area. If you need anything it’s a little bit of a drive (from Blue Ridge area). It’s beautiful up there, no doubt. It’s gorgeous up there, and that’s why a lot of people want to live there.
Q. What lies ahead for the new general manager for the next 5-10 years?
A. I think his challenge will be growth. The airport is doing so well. And just the geography of Greer being located close to the interstate between Greenville and Spartanburg and Charlotte and Atlanta. I think the new manager will be challenged to meet the new growth demands. One reason the commission has been so successful is they have always been willing to have adequate reserves and enough water, wastewater and gas and electric service to attract industry. It doesn’t strain our system when a large industry comes in. He will have to meet the demand growth but keep that cushion of capacity so we can serve a large industry.
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