A Note on Communication, Parks, and Planning
Let’s talk for a minute about parks, planning, and how we communicate.
Over the weekend, I received an email from a resident regarding the condition of Brookwood Park. We connected on Monday and had a productive exchange about the concerns. On Monday we had another couple of calls from citizens about our parks as well. On Tuesday, Revie, Scott, Tricia, and I met at the park to assess the situation in person and develop a plan. By Wednesday, the team was already beginning work.
That is what responsible reporting of public issues and responsiveness looks like.
Revie and Scott quickly outlined a game plan to address what we saw, including aging wood, areas that needed paint, chain replacements, and protective coating work. The team got to work right away, and I expect kids will be enjoying those improvements very soon.
This work comes on top of the regular mowing, trimming, and tree remediation that Revie and Scott are already managing across the city. It is a strong example of how our staff responds when issues are brought to our attention through official channels.
At the same time, it is important to recognize that not every request can be addressed immediately. Our two-person maintenance team manages a wide range of responsibilities, and they must balance new requests with ongoing work across the city. Sticking to a schedule, prioritizing needs, and following projects through to completion are essential to maintaining efficiency and ensuring that work is done properly.
In this case, the team was able to respond quickly, but that will not always be possible depending on workload and priorities, however every need that is officially reported is added to the queue based on priorities and resource availability. That is part of responsible operations for any organizations, public or private.
It is also important to note that these are interim improvements. We are actively evaluating long-term options for our parks system, including Brookwood Park and future park investments. We’re in discussions with citizens about how they can help and be volunteers and stewards of our public spaces. We’re in discussions with Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation and other non-profit partners about how we can better serve these areas.
Thoughtful planning and community partnerships, combined with practical and actionable steps, are how we ensure the city can provide high-quality services and remains accountable to the public while the community is able to engage and be active players in improving the lives of everyone who lives in and visits the city.
I hope the residents who reached out, and others we spoke with at the park, can see and appreciate the work our maintenance team does every day. More importantly, I hope it is clear how willing and eager our entire city team is to work with residents and address concerns when they are reported to us through official channels.
That brings me to an important question: What counts as a “reported” issue?
While social media can be a helpful way to stay informed, it is not a reliable or accountable way for the city to receive and track service requests. It would not be an effective use of taxpayer resources to have staff monitoring Facebook around the clock, and those platforms are not always the best place for clear, accurate, and constructive communication.
Our official social media pages are intended to provide timely and accurate information, not to serve as open discussion forums. That said, we absolutely want to hear from you.
There are several effective ways to reach us:
Send us a message through our official social media pages
Call or visit City Hall at 100 N. Shamrock Avenue, (864) 457-3000
Email requests@cityoflandrumsc.com
Submit a request through the city website at www.cityoflandrumsc.com
Contact City staff or Council members directly using the contact information available on our website
Attend an official city event such as a Work Session, Council Meeting, Public Hearing, or our informal Coffee with the City events
These official channels matter because they allow us to speak to people directly, track requests, respond efficiently, and remain accountable. Like any well-run organization, we rely on work orders and service tracking to understand what issues are occurring, how quickly they are being addressed, and how we can improve.
We cannot do that effectively through scattered or informal communication, and it would not provide the level of accountability that our residents deserve.
At the end of the day, our goal is simple: to be responsive, transparent, and effective in serving the community in immediate issues and long-term planning. The more we can work together through clear and consistent communication, the better we can achieve those goals.
Thank you as always!
- J.J. Sauve
Interim City Administrator
-Tricia Taber
PR/Marketing Director
tricia.taber@cityoflandrumsc.com