Fountain Inn! I would like to introduce myself for those of you who I haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet. My name is Shawn Bell and I’m the new City Administrator for the City of Fountain Inn and I’ve hit the ground running working to improve our municipal government. It is an honor for my wife, daughter, and I to be joining such a wonderful community. Look for this to be a reoccurring, monthly column to stay “Inn the Know” about the City of Fountain Inn right here in The Simpsonville Sentinel.
Our small-town feel and charming downtown amid a rapidly growing urban region gives Fountain Inn a unique identity compared to some of its neighboring municipalities. We too are growing, but we as a community will need to plan accordingly. I believe with the impending construction of a high school in our city limits, we will have to work diligently with Greenville County Schools, SCDOT, and the Greenville County Legislative Delegation Transportation Committee to ensure that traffic flows and people are safe.
With the additional rooftops and all the families and pets that come along with them, citizens new and old will be expecting a higher quality of life than our government has provided in years past. I believe we as a municipal government will need to place a greater emphasis on improving parks & recreation, arts & culture, special events & festivals, and our Swamp Rabbit Trail connections.
However, in order to fund these types of ventures, the City will need to continue to broaden it tax base. First, I believe downtown development should always remain a top priority as it is the lifeblood of Fountain Inn. Second, the Upstate economy is booming and we need to be more proactive in developing suitable sites for industry. Lastly, our main commercial corridors still have lots of fantastic sites available for retail growth. The City must work with our strategic partners to attract, recruit and incentivize retailers to our market.
Under the direction of our Mayor and City Council, other aspects of our municipal government that I will be working to address for the foreseeable future are improving employee recruitment & retention, increasing transparency, improving public services such as sanitation and debris pickup, maintaining our fantastic public safety departments, improving internal and external communications, and beautifying our community.
I have always made availability and accessibility top priorities wherever I have been in public service. I operate an “Open Door” policy not only for our employees, but for our citizens as well. I encourage anyone with an issue, a complaint, a compliment, or a suggestion to please feel free to contact me. If I’m not available when you call or stop by City Hall, please leave your name and phone number and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve Fountain Inn in this capacity and I believe the potential for the “Diamond Tip of the Golden Strip” is endless.
Shawn Bell is the City Administrator of Fountain Inn. For more information, go to www.fountaininn.org, call 864-862-4421, or email shawn.bell@fountaininn.org.♦