Cayce City Council met on July 8 to view a presentation about the city’s drainage project and to approve new City Manager Michael Conley’s contract.

Council received a presentation from American Engineering Consultants about the ongoing Cayce Avenues Drainage Project. The project seeks to reduce issues with flooding along Knox Abbott Drive and in the Avenues of Cayce. A $10 million grant was acquired by the city for the project.

The project has three phases, beginning with the first phase near Brookland Cayce High School and moving towards Guingard Park. Pipe will be laid between the two locations along Indigo Avenue, State Street and Honeysuckle Avenue.

Work has been underway near Brookland Cayce High School since last month, and is estimated to be finished in the area by the beginning of the school year, according to the presentation. The next phase will see crews working on State Street and Indigo Avenue laying 100-foot increments of pipe and then filling the stretch back in, as well as an outfall and retention pond at Guingard Park. Both roads will have closures during this phase, according to the presentation.

Work will continue at the park for around a year and take up only a small portion of the space. Part of the park’s trail will remain closed until work is complete.

A portion of State Street is already closed, and a detour has been established on Axtell Drive and Lafayette Avenue. Councilman Tim James questioned whether the increased traffic on Axtell Drive and Lafayette Avenue had been addressed. He proposed that the detour be limited to local traffic only.

“If you have 50 cars that go in front of your house every day, and suddenly you have 1,050 cars, it’s a dramatic increase,” he said.

Director of Business Development Ali Walker said that signs can be placed if council decides to limit the traffic. No decision was made during the meeting.

The final phase will see the pipe laid on Honeysuckle Avenue and work completed at Guingard Park.

Cayce residents can stay informed on the project through both the project’s site, and by signing up for real-time text and email updates through the site.

In other news

Council gave first-reading approval for city contractor 3D Works to clean up and demolish a pavilion in Granby Gardens Park. The pavilion was damaged by falling trees during Hurricane Helene in late 2024.

City Manager Michael Conley said the $35,000 clean-up would hopefully allow the site to be reimagined in the future.

Christina Nelson, membership and events coordinator for the Greater Cayce West Columbia Chamber of Commerce, gave a presentation to council on the methods the group uses to promote tourism to the city.

Nelson said that social media and digital marketing are most successful at promoting tourism, and the campaign’s goal is to get locals to visit Cayce instead of somewhere out of town. The group has also set up events in Cayce that have drawn in thousands of people to the city, according to Nelson.

Council also entered executive session to discuss the contract for City Manager Michael Conley and to discuss the exit of the former city manager. Council approved the contract after leaving the executive session.