MARLBORO COUNTY — During a special meeting of the Marlboro County Council, discussions largely centered around the Marlboro County Aquatic Center and a requested change order, G72, in the amount of $171,852.14, now needed due to correct storm water runoff concerns.
Projected to cost $3.2 million, the aquatic center project has been underway on North Marlboro Street for more than two years, with leaders breaking ground on the project in March 2024. Following a vote during May’s special called meeting, the motion to pass the change order failed in a 4-3 vote, leaving the project’s completion somewhat in limbo.
Finance Director Wesley Parks said the project budget was originally $3,75,000, but on May 11, 2026, a third application was made by FBI Construction, Inc. and certified by CPL Architects and Engineers PC to include a pay request change order in the amount of $171,852.14 to the initial contract sum of $2,784.65, making the new projected total expense for the project $2,880,317.14.
“In order to provide for the increased contract costs, I’m requesting the reallocation of proceeds that were in the 2025 GO bond (General Obligation Fund) for the fairgrounds, restroom, fencing, and ticket booth,” Parks said.
Land clearing began in January of this year on the project and other visible constructions have been ongoing at the site in recent weeks, leaving some council members questioning why this crucial and expensive change to the design is only now recognized as necessary.
Fielding the question, Marlboro County Administrator Tony Clyburn answered, “When this budget was approved, there were some things that happened that were beyond CPL control and ours, being we had an approved permit from the state to go ahead and begin work. Well, the city came back and said, ‘No, we’re not going to be able to roll with that.’ So, the city brought on some changes that made the engineers have to go back and redo the drawings with the backflow retention pond and all that kind of thing that cost us an extensive amount of money.”
According to Clyburn, and Bennettsville City Administrator William Simon Jr., original construction plans for the project did not address concerns stemming from the plan’s storm water retention pond layout, causing the city to issue a stop work order on the project after construction had begun and forcing a costly redesign of the proposed layout.
When asked if the city of Bennettsville requires a permit to start any building projects, Clyburn answered in the affirmative, adding, “We didn’t have all our, we didn’t do it to start with. No, we if the city requires us to have a permit, they should have plans to move forward either to not give it or either allow us to move forward from the very beginning. That’s the way the permit processes should work.” He continued, “We were under the impression that we had all the permits that were necessary. The city comes back and says we need to do certain things with the water runoff. And it cost a lot more than anyone thought it would cost.”
A major point of contention for both county and city officials is the aquatic center’s proposed water slide.
Council members pointed out the swimming pool slide was a key design feature of the original plans and a highly anticipated one by the community. Officials clarified the cost comes to approximately $210,000 and money is not currently allocated in the budget for the expenditure, though cost effective alternatives are currently being sought to address the issue.
Feeling blindsided by the news, another bone of contention discussed was the lack of transparency surrounding both council and the public’s ability to receive regular updates and communication from the project administration about changes to the project scope and budget.
Council also lamented the projects’ continued delays and pointed out other key amenities for the project, such as the aquatic center’s water slide, pool house, pool heaters, and a splash pad are still missing from the project’s proposed design.
Following the council’s failure to approve the significant financial changes to the projected design, Clyburn assured leaders’ discussion will continue with the project’s contractors to find an affordable way forward.
The county’s planned aquatic center is expected to accommodate approximately 200 people once it is completed, a date originally planned for the fall but is now unknown. City leaders say staffing will also need to be found when the facility is ready to open.