This Week In Landrum……
This Week in Landrum
From the City Administrator’s Office — Monday, May 4, 2026
A Note from the Administrator:
Talk to almost any small business owner in Landrum and, sooner or later, the conversation turns to process. Sometimes it is frustration — with a permit, an inspection, a tax filing, or a form that feels longer than it needs to be. But almost always, in the same conversation, that same owner will tell you about the systems that keep their own business alive: the books they reconcile every month, the inventory counts they do on Sunday nights, the checklist the new hire follows on day one, the camera over the register, the contract they make every customer sign. Good operators understand, often the hard way, that process is not the enemy of getting things done. Process is what allows things to keep getting done when you are not in the room.
Local government works on the same principle, with two important differences. First, we are not spending our own money — we are spending yours. Every dollar that moves through City Hall belongs to a taxpayer, and that fact alone raises the bar on documentation, transparency, and consistency. Second, we are built to outlast any individual. Mayors, councilmembers, administrators, and staff all come and go. The ordinances, the minutes, the financial records, the policies, and the workflows are what carry the City from one chapter to the next. When those are sloppy, an entire community pays for it years later. When they are clean, the next team inherits a running start.
That is why so much of what we have been doing this year may look, from the outside, like internal housekeeping — and why we keep coming back to it in this newsletter. Publishing agendas and packets a full week before meetings is process. Completing the Classification and Compensation Study is process. Updating the business license fees and procedures to align with state law and best practices is process. Transitioning the clerk’s office without a gap in service is process. None of these are flashy. None of them cut a ribbon. But every one of them is the local-government equivalent of the small business owner finally putting a real accounting system in place, writing down the recipes, or training a second person who can open the store. It is what separates an operation that survives leadership changes from one that does not.
Accountability is the other side of that same coin. A small business owner is accountable to customers, lenders, employees, and the IRS — usually all at once. We are accountable to residents, to Council, to auditors, and to the law. In both cases, accountability is not a punishment; it is the discipline that earns trust. When we say a packet will be out a week ahead, residents should be able to count on it. When we say a fee was changed for a specific reason, we should be able to point to the analysis. When something does not go to plan — as happened with this week’s packet release — we should say so, explain why, and fix it. That is the standard I want this organization to be measured by, and it is the same standard the best small businesses in town already hold themselves to every day.
As a reminder, I am serving in this interim role part-time through September while continuing my law practice in Tryon. I am generally in the office at City Hall on weekday mornings.
What Happened This Week
• Coffee with the City at Bojangles from 9–11 a.m. on Thursday, May 9. Great conversations and input from the public. Mayor Briggs, Councilman Ashmore, Tricia, and April got to speak with several citizens.
• May 12 Worksession and Council Meeting agendas were published. Our new goal is to get these agendas and packets published one week before each meeting. This was our first test run with the new process, and we didn’t make that goal this week, but we are adapting and look forward to the fully electronic agendas being published a week in advance of the June meetings. As a reminder, the meeting agendas along with supporting materials including staff reports and recommendation memorandums are uploaded and available to the public. These are often lengthy documents and will not be printed, so citizens are encouraged to review them before and during meetings on their own electronic device.
• Onboarded two new Police Officers who will be sworn in Tuesday night at our Council meeting!
• Follow-up coordination with staff and partners on the Saluda Grade Trail, building on last week’s Rails to Trails Forum, with focus on what Landrum will need at the trailhead and along the corridor for safety, parking, and visitor experience.
• The City of Landrum joined the Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District in honoring the life and legacy of retired Fire Chief Joey Brown, who recently passed.
• City and LFRD staff met with School District One staff, architects, and engineers for ongoing review of the proposed site plans for the new school coming to our area. This is an exciting opportunity and there has been and will continue to be significant coordination between local, state, public, and private partners on this endeavor.
• The City received word that a major conservation project is close to completion in the area, and we cannot wait for our local, state, and regional partners to be able to announce it! This will be a great opportunity for the area to preserve our natural habitats.
• On Wednesday Landrum Police Department assisted Polk County Sheriff’s Office with a vehicle pursuit through city limits. Polk County continued the pursuit out Hunting Country Rd., back into North Carolinas, where the driver crashed and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
• Continued one-on-one outreach with business owners working through this year’s business licensing process. The conversations are productive, and we are tracking the friction points that come up so we can keep refining the customer experience.
• JJ spent Friday in the field with Revie and Scott planning for the long road ahead this summer with right-of-way maintenance, stormwater control, and park projects.As a reminder, I am serving in this interim role part-time while continuing my law practice in Tryon. I am generally in the office at City Hall on weekday mornings.
What Happened This Week:
• Coffee with the City at Bojangles from 9-11 am on Thursday May 9. Great conversations and input from the public. Mayor Briggs, Councilman Ashmore, Tricia, and April got to speak with several citizens.
• May 12 work session and Council Meeting agendas were published. Our new goal is to get these agendas and packets published one week before each meeting. This was our first test run with the new process, and we didn’t make that goal this week, but we are adapting and look forward to the fully electronic agendas being published a week in advance of the June meetings. As a reminder, the meeting agendas along with supporting materials including staff reports and recommendation memorandums are uploaded and available to the public. These are often lengthy documents and will not be printed so citizens are encouraged to review before and during meetings on your own electronic device.
• Onboarded two new Police Officers who will be sworn in Tuesday night at our Council meeting!
• Follow-up coordination with staff and partners on the Saluda Grade Trail, building on last week’s Rails to Trails Forum, with focus on what Landrum will need at the trailhead and along the corridor for safety, parking, and visitor experience.
• City and LFRD staff met with School District One staff, architects, and engineers for ongoing review of the proposed site plans for the new school coming to our area. This is an exciting opportunity and there has been and will continue to be significant coordination between local, state, public, and private partners on this endeavor.
• The city received word that a major conservation project is close to completion in the area, and we cannot wait for our local, state, and regional partners to be able to announce it! This will be a great opportunity for the area to preserve our natural habitats.
• Continued one-on-one outreach with business owners working through this year’s business licensing process. The conversations are productive, and we are tracking the friction points that come up so we can keep refining the customer experience.
• JJ spent Friday in the field with Revie and Scott planning for the long road ahead this summer with right of way maintenance, stormwater control, and park projects.
What We’re Working on Now:
• Preparing staff briefings for the upcoming Council work session and Business Meeting, including the Classification and Compensation Study Report.
• Staff meets with the South Carolina Main Street Program and the Municipal Association of South Carolina this week to bring us one step closer to bringing the Main Street program and its valuable resources to our community.
• Transition planning continues in City Hall to ensure a smooth handoff of clerk responsibilities, with no interruption to Council support, records management, or public-facing services.
• Ongoing improvements at Brookwood Park, including continued equipment repairs. Work on the large play unit steps and barrier is in progress, and a new ADA-compliant swing was installed.
• Ongoing discussions with the property owner of Northside (Simmons St.) Park regarding clearing title so that a new lease can be entered and park improvements can take place. At this point, the City cannot take any further action with the property, until the family is able to clear title through the probate courts. We stand ready to assist in any way possible and look forward to preserving an important part of the community once the legal issues are resolved.
• Final evaluation of IT service providers, with a recommendation targeted for the June agenda now due to the volume of matters on the May work session agenda. This is a critical need and deserves considerable consideration so that the city can best serve our residents in the future.
• Drafting and review of the City Administrator recruitment pamphlet, anticipated for Council review this month with the position possibly posted later this month or June.
• Continued evaluation of existing and needed ordinance updates and additions with the City Attorney.
• Continued internal improvements to workflows and processes to ensure we are being accountable, transparent, and adopting recognized municipal best practices.
• Deputy City Administrator April Williams will be in the field with Revie and Scott this week getting up to speed on how our long-range planning can be better coordinated with our existing and future infrastructure needs.
Looking Ahead:
• Tuesday May 12 @ 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.- Upcoming City Council work session and Business Meeting
• May 15th- Camillie Corn’s retirement; please join us in thanking her for her service to Landrum.
• May 30th- Dark Corner Classic Car Show N. Trade Ave. 10:00am-3:00pm
• June 9th- Budget Presentation Workshop and Public Hearing
• June 24th- Final Budget Presentation and Adoption
• Continued follow-up engagement on the Saluda Grade Trail. More information at saludagradetrail.org.
• Every Saturday: Landrum Farmers Market — come out and enjoy the season!
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
Tricia Taber, PR/Marketing/Communications Director