This Week in Landrum……
This Week in Landrum
From the City Administrator’s Office • Monday, August 10, 2026
A Note from the Administrator
Over the past several months, this letter has returned again and again to the theme of accountability. The Post and Courier’s Townfall series is one recent reminder of why that theme matters. So is the regional news coverage of misused FLOCK cameras in two Upstate law enforcement agencies. So, in less dramatic form, is every audit that comes back clean, every packet that publishes a week ahead of its meeting, and every ordinance revision that moves through Council with proper notice and public comment. Accountability in local government is not a slogan. It rides on something much more workmanlike: internal controls.
Internal controls are the invisible spine of an accountable government. They are the policies, procedures, approvals, separations of duty, documentation standards, and audit trails that determine whether a City actually does what it says it does with money, with authority, with data, and with public trust. When internal controls are strong, an audit becomes a check-and-verify exercise. When they are weak, an audit becomes a discovery process. The difference between those two experiences shapes how a city is perceived and, over time, how it actually functions.
Landrum has been quietly and steadily rebuilding internal controls across the organization this year. The one-week-in-advance agenda publication standard is an internal control. The Classification and Compensation Study created a defensible, documented HR framework, which is an internal control. On-boarding Acumen as our IT provider is bringing modern access management, backup protocols, and cybersecurity practices, all of which are internal controls. The overhaul of the business license process, the stand-up of International Property Maintenance Code enforcement, the ongoing planning and zoning inventory, the clean transition of the clerk’s office, and the disciplined Fiscal Year 2025-2026 close-out feeding into an independent third-party audit in October are each, at their core, internal controls that either did not exist or did not function well in recent years. None of that work shows up on a ribbon-cutting. All of it shows up in the character and reliability of the organization.
A live example of internal controls in action will be on Council’s work session agenda tomorrow, Tuesday, August 11: a full discussion of the City’s use of FLOCK license plate reader cameras. As I noted in a recent letter, the regional headlines around FLOCK, including the terminations of officers in Greer and employees in the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office after departmental audits detected policy violations, are themselves a case study in why controls, audits, and public disclosure matter. Bringing the City’s own use of FLOCK to Council in an open work session, with the public invited, is exactly how a well-run local government examines a tool it uses on residents’ behalf. Council will ask questions. Staff will answer them. The community will hear both.
One personal note. I will be out of town on other work commitments during tomorrow evening’s meetings. Deputy City Administrator April Williams will lead the work session and business meeting in my absence, and she is fully prepared and authorized to do so. April has been in every conversation that shaped these agenda items, and residents will find her a substantive and steady voice at the dais. Continuity of leadership through absences and transitions is itself an internal control, and one Landrum is investing in on purpose.
As I have noted the past several weeks, we are inside an intentional transition, and Deputy City Administrator April Williams will be sharing, and then taking over, authorship of this letter in the coming weeks. As a reminder, I am serving in this interim role part-time while continuing my law practice in North Carolina. I am generally in the office at City Hall on weekday mornings.
A Note from the Deputy City Administrator
Transparency is an invaluable tool in local government. As JJ mentions, it does show how government operates and highlights the things we are doing well. It also serves as a way to highlight the things that we don’t always do well or when we make a mistake. We are all human and mistakes happen. More often than not, they are unintentional, and these internal controls and public input help us be better. We always welcome discussions. We have several opportunities each month for the public to get involved. All of our public meetings are now scheduled and published, we have Coffee with the City scheduled often, and we are always willing to sit down with you at City Hall.
In addition to our internal controls and steps to improve transparency, we are also encouraging educational opportunities to all staff, council and board members. On Wednesday, several members of City Council, along with myself and Chief Bouwkamp will travel to Columbia for the Small Cities Summit. This is an annual event hosted by the Municipal Association of South Carolina that is directed at Cities/Towns that have a smaller population. There will be opportunities to meet with other communities that are similar to Landrum as well as organizations and groups that can be resources for us. In order to bring the best service and information to the citizens of Landrum, we must always be looking for ways to learn more ourselves.
What Happened This Week
Finalized the August 11 Council work session and Business Meeting agendas and packets, including materials for the work session discussion of the City’s use of FLOCK license plate reader cameras and the first reading of the data center moratorium ordinance. Packets remain posted on the City’s website.
Coffee with the City at Third Space Bakery. Thank you to residents and business owners who stopped by; the conversations continue to shape ongoing work.
Continued Fiscal Year 2025-2026 close-out activities in preparation for the October engagement with our third-party independent auditors.
Continued cross-jurisdictional coordination with Spartanburg County, including on Cardinal Point RV Park and the additional projects near the City’s border that may be candidates for future annexation.
Continued work with the parties involved in the Frolich Property purchase to move the conservation easement toward closing.
Rolling receipt and processing of applications for the permanent City Administrator position.
What We’re Working on Now
Tomorrow’s August 11 Council work session and Business Meeting, led by Deputy City Administrator April Williams in the Interim City Administrator’s absence.
Preparing internal materials for the October third-party independent audit and finalizing FY 2025-2026 close-out.
Active recruitment and screening for the permanent City Administrator, with preparation for Council review of candidates in the weeks ahead.
Stand-up of the International Property Maintenance Code enforcement program, including public-facing outreach on how to come into compliance.
The planning and zoning inventory and assessment, with recommendations expected to flow to Council in the months ahead.
Implementation planning for the new municipal court system, which must be in place by December 31, 2026.
On-boarding of our new IT provider, Acumen.
Green space conservation opportunities, including the Frolich Property easement finalization.
Coordination with School District One on site plans for the new school.
Engagement with the South Carolina Main Street Program and the Municipal Association of South Carolina.
Maintenance and improvement discussions with Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation District.
Standing by to assist the Northside (Simmons St.) Park property owners as they clear title through the probate courts.
Evaluation of existing and needed ordinance updates and additions with the City Attorney.
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, August 11: Council work session and Business Meeting. Work session discussion of the City’s use of FLOCK cameras; first reading of the data center moratorium ordinance. Deputy City Administrator April Williams will preside. Full agenda and packet on the City’s website.
October: engagement with our third-party independent auditors begins for the FY 2025-2026 audit.
Coffee with the City: Cardinal Coffee & Bistro, August 27, 2026 at 9:00am
Continued follow-up engagement on the Saluda Grade Trail. There will be a Saluda Grade Trails Public Meeting on Tuesday, August 18 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at the Cunningham Market Pavilion at 221 West Rutherford Street. More information at saludagradetrail.org.
Every Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Landrum Farmers Market.
BZA meeting scheduled for August 18, 2026 will be cancelled as there are no items on the agenda.
Planning Commission will hold a meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Landrum Rail & History Museum, located at 211 North Trade Avenue is open every Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Questions or concerns? Reach us at 864.457.3000 or requests@cityoflandrumsc.com. We always want to hear from you.
Respectfully,
J.J. Sauve, Interim City Administrator
April Williams, Deputy City Administrator
Tricia Taber, Communications Director