Pinewood Lake Foundation May Get $150,000 Grant from Richland County Council

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)–  A Richland County Councilman says they are throwing money at a problem but with little results. One-hundred and fifty-thousand dollars going to Pinewood Lake coming from the excess in the hospitality tax. The issue is some council members are afraid that money has not been spent properly.  

Hospitality tax money is meant to go just to things related to tourism, but the group that was managing the park in 2017, Pinewood Lake Non-Profit Foundation, has used that money for things like $500 unauthorized bathroom cleanings and $22,000 for event flyers back in 2015-2016.

“It’s clear that council needs to hit the reset button on what is happening with this foundation and the park,” Seth Rose said.

According to councilmembers, there has been a clear lack of documentation as to where other hospitality tax money has been spent here. The foundation and park received more than $400-thousand in Hospitality tax since 2015. Since July 2017 they received $83 in hospitality tax money.  However, park-goers say they haven’t seen any changes.

“I’ve been coming out here for a long time. And nothing’s been really done to this park at all. Except the benches and that grill and that’s it. Nothing’s been done. So I wonder where the money went,” Carolyn Eleazer said, a resident in Lower Richland said. 

Since there has been questionable spending from Pinewood Lake Foundation, the council created the Conservation Commission to take over management. The County council has only approved paying for $12,000 in expenses.  

“The only thing out here you can really do is sit on the picnic tables like me, and that’s basically it. I don’t see where that money went,” Eleazer said.

“The Woodrow Wilson and the Hampton House (two other Richland County owned properties) bring in one year what these guys bring in one month. They [Pinewood Lake Foundation] have been investigated, they’re still in compliance, so that means they haven’t done anything wrong, and what The State newspaper did was an injustice, and it was wrong, and it was basically like a lynching for what they’re doing to these people,” Norman Jackson said, the councilman who’s district is where the park is. 

“I want citizens to enjoy the park, but when you’re just occupying a building there and are just getting county funds that’s when you’re in a different realm. And it’s just clear to me what we’re doing is not working,” Rose said.

The council will approve the grant amount, along with the 2018-2019 budget on Thursday.