The City of West Columbia will modify services until further notice to protect citizens and minimize opportunities to spread COVID-19 in the community. Taking into consideration the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations on social distancing and the measures being taken across the nation including travel bans, school closures, quarantines, and event cancellations, the City is taking the following precautionary measures while continuing to provide the highest quality of service possible:

Effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020:

• Access to public buildings will be restricted, as necessary.
• Customer Service building access will be restricted.
  • Payment will be accepted over the phone, online, by mail, drive-thru window, and drop-box at City Hall, 200 N. 12^th Street, West Columbia, SC.
  • NO FEES for online and pay-by-phone credit card payments (westcolumbiasc.gov or 866-238-4103).
    • Fees do apply for in-person credit card payments at City Hall.
• Business License renewals can be processed online or mailed in. Staff will then create a bill to be mailed or submitted back to the owner.
• Permits, licensing, and payment assistance will be handled online, by phone, or by appointment only.
  • For new water/sewer service and water/sewer issues, call 803-791-1880
  • For the Building and Planning and Zoning Departments, call 803-939-3183
  • For Business Licensing, call 803-936-6285
• Requests for water to be restored, payment arrangement, and delinquency procedures will be modified. Please call 803-791-1880 or go to the City of West Columbia website for more information.
• City parks and community centers are closed until further notice, including all playground equipment, tennis courts, picnic shelters, and restroom facilities.
• All events held in the New Brookland Room and the Community Center, through March 31, are canceled. Organizers will be notified.
  • For questions, call 803-936-6279.
• Meeting Street Artisan Market opening is postponed.
  • For questions, call 803-936-6279.
• Kinetic Derby Day is postponed until further notice.

Sanitation

Effective Monday, March 23, 2020:

Household Garbage and Recycling will be collected simultaneously. No loose garbage or bags outside of a roll cart will be collected. All garbage and recycling MUST be contained inside of a roll cart.

Route Changes (Beginning Monday, March 23, 2020)

• Household Garbage and Recycling Normally collected on Mondays and Tuesdays will ALL be collected on TUESDAYS
• Household Garbage and Recycling Normally collected on Wednesday and Thursdays will ALL be collected on THURSDAYS
• Yard Trash will be collected on FRIDAYS for the MONDAY/TUESDAY routes
• Yard Trash will be collected on SATURDAYS for the WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY routes

SPECIAL PICKUPS are suspended until March 31.

Municipal Court      

In accordance with the South Carolina Chief Justice’s directive on Monday, March 16, 2020, all court including traffic court scheduled on March 26, 2020, April 2, 2020, and April 9, 2020, is canceled. 

New Traffic Court Dates are as follows:

•          March 26 court date will be May 7, 2020, at 10:00 AM

•          April 2 court date will be May 18, 2020, at 10:00 AM

•          April 9 court date will be April 23, 2020, at 10:00 AM

All other Court sessions will be canceled, effective March 17, 2020, and all sessions will be rescheduled.  All parties to cases other than traffic court will be notified of the new, rescheduled dates. Bond hearings will continue to be held at least once a day as normal at the Lexington County Detention Center, on Gibson Road, in Lexington.

Payment of fines can be done by mail or on the online state system any time before the scheduled court date.

For the latest updates, please visit the City’s website at westcolumbiasc.gov, follow on social media: Facebook/WestColaSC, Instagram @westcolumbiasc, and Twitter @westcolumbiasc, or Constant Contact email blasts.

For general questions about COVID-19, residents should visit the DHEC website, at scdhec.gov/COVID19, or the CDC website, cdc.gov.