Winter Small Business Workshops at Camden Library Branch
Camden, SC – (December 19, 2025) City of Camden Community Development Coordinator Katharine Spadacenta continues the winter small business workshop series again in 2026, in partnership with the Kershaw County Library. These four workshops throughout January and February are meant for small business owners, entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, and any member of the public wishing to attend. Workshops will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. All workshops are free to attend in person at the Camden Library Branch, 1304 Broad Street.
January 13 – Small Business Tax Workshop – Struggling to understand what tax liability means for you and your small business? Small business consultant Jeffrey Cooper will lead participants through a discussion of what you need to keep record of and what different business structures are responsible for when it comes to the IRS. Bring a notebook or a laptop to this workshop.
January 29 – Increasing Cash Flow, Managing Debt – For self-employed and sole proprietors, your money is often your business money. Learn strategies to make your money work harder for you and build lasting wealth. Health and Wealth Educator Kryshonda Torres leads this workshop.
February 10 – Proper Protection – For sole proprietors and self-employed, this workshop will equip you with knowledge to confidently safeguard your income, family, and legacy. Health and Wealth Educator Kryshonda Torres will guide you through essential life, disability, and long-term care coverage options in this workshop.
February 26 – Marketing on a Budget – Making sure people know where to find you and keep your business top of mind by using social media tools that give your business the most bang for your buck. Bring a laptop or tablet to this workshop, led by Community Development Coordinator Kat Spadacenta.
For more information, visit www.experiencecamdensc.com.
Camden, SC – The City of Camden is excited to announce the installation of a state-of-the-art Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, set to begin next week. This initiative will enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and responsiveness of the City’s utility services, including water, sewer, and electric meters.
What is AMI? Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a modern technology that enables two-way communication between utility meters and the City’s central system. Through secure wireless signals, AMI allows for real-time data collection, providing both the City and residents with up-to-date information on utility usage.
“Implementing the AMI system is a significant step forward for Camden,” said City Manager Matt DeWitt. “This technology allows us to provide more accurate billing, respond faster to issues, and give residents the tools they need to manage their utility usage effectively. We’re excited about the positive impact this will have on our community.”
Benefits to the Community The implementation of the AMI system will bring several important benefits to Camden residents: • Accurate Billing: Real-time data ensures precise billing, eliminating estimated charges and discrepancies. • Enhanced Leak and Outage Detection: The system can quickly identify unusual consumption patterns, aiding in the rapid detection and resolution of water leaks. AMI will also provide electric outage and power quality information to alert City employees to potential issues. • Improved Customer Service: Residents will have access to detailed usage information, empowering them to make informed decisions about their utility consumption. • Operational Efficiency: The City can monitor and manage utilities more effectively, leading to better resource allocation and service delivery.
According to Jack Thornsberry, Director of Public Utilities for the City of Camden, “the AMI system will allow the City of Camden to greatly enhance customer service, accuracy, and transparency of meter reading data for our customers. The City and customers will be able to drill down and analyze electric and water consumption at their homes and businesses.”
What Residents Can Expect Beginning next week, City crews will start installing AMI meters throughout Camden. The installation process is designed to be seamless, with no need for entry into homes or businesses. All water meters are located in exterior pits or vaults, while electric meters are mounted on the exterior of homes and businesses. • The first wave of the project will focus on water meter installations, which are expected to take place over the next several months. • Electric meter installations will follow in early 2026. • Residents should experience minimal disruption during this process.
Looking Ahead Once complete, the AMI system will position Camden as a leader in modern utility management, while giving residents more tools to manage their household and business utility usage.
The City of Camden is selling property it has deemed as surplus. There are eleven properties for sale. Ten of these properties are in the city limits, and one is outside the city limits. Offers will be accepted until July 25, 2025. The following properties are for sale:
• 718 York Street • 807 Church Street • 810 Campbell Street • 1095 Old River Road • 1095A Old River Road • 1099 Old River Road • 1101 Old River Road • 1115 Old River Road • 1210 Gordon Street • 1319 Lakeshore Drive • 2129 Fishing Lane
City Council recently amended the City ordinance for temporary signs to allow them in the right of way in residential areas only, provided they are 3 feet from the curb.
Temporary signs are prohibited in the public right of way, including medians and areas between the curb and sidewalk, in business districts, and on any street sign, utility pole, and light pole in the city.
The ordinance is included here, with the amended language italicized: 157.109. TEMPORARY SIGNS The following conditions shall apply to temporary signs. A. Temporary signs shall not exceed three square feet in residential zoning districts and 32 square feet in nonresidential zoning districts. A. Temporary signs shall be removed or replaced every 30 days, unless otherwise stated in this section. B. Temporary signs are prohibited on public property, street signs, utility poles, light poles, and in the public right of way, including medians and areas between the curb and sidewalk, unless the right of way adjoins the yard of a residential use adjacent to the right of way and the sign is more than 3 feet from the edge of the paved roadway. C. Temporary signs shall be limited to one per street frontage. D. Temporary signs shall not be illuminated. E. [RESERVED] F. Banners are allowed with a permit only in the CBD, GBD, LBD, OI, IND and CMU zoning districts.
Banners must be attached to a building and cannot exceed 32 square feet.
Only one banner shall be allowed per building.
Banners are allowed only if the combined square footage of the banner and all other signs does not exceed the maximum square footage allowed for building signs.
Excitement! Excitement is what I feel in taking the reins as Camden’s new mayor. What a great honor to lead the city I love so dearly. First, thank you to all my friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens for trusting me in this new role. Second, I pledge to each of you that I will do my utmost to be the best mayor in America and to help make Camden the best City it can be.
We all should know how lucky we are to live in this great City, where neighbors still know neighbors, people still treat others with respect, and families can grow surrounded by love and support. My goals as Mayor are to continue the good traditions we have and make changes to improve our City even more. We can do this!
Camden has been blessed with strong leadership, including our outgoing mayor and council. We owe them our thanks for their willingness to take on tough matters simply because of their love for our City. We also owe our thanks to our City employees for their dedication and hard work.
Here are a few of my top priorities to get working on right away: recruit new grocery stores to our City; explore innovative ways and modernization efforts to stabilize customers’ utility bills; engage with our citizens to guide development within Camden and preserve our heritage; make Camden a top destination for weekend visitors and tourists, help small businesses grow and prosper; the homelessness issues that have arisen in our downtown. Of foremost importance is improving the communication between our City government and our citizens.
There are other issues to take on, too many to list, but they include improving employee morale, cleaning up our City, modernizing facilities, removing large truck traffic downtown, and making our streets more walkable. I am committed to tackling these issues facing us with the support of our community.
Here are a few concrete steps I plan to implement immediately: regularly issue a newsletter to Camden’s citizens, updating them on what’s happening in the City; create a Mayor’s Cabinet of select nonprofits in the community to coordinate and provide critical services; the appointment of task forces made up of citizens and Council members to make recommendations on specific areas that need improvement in the operation of our City.
Growth is coming to Camden and we don’t have to be beggars anymore; we can be choosers. Together we should determine what Camden’s future will be and what environment our children and grandchildren experience. We hold a sacred trust to the generations that follow us to make Camden a better place than we found it.
Finally, I have decided to donate my Mayor’s salary back to the City of Camden, for the specific purpose of rewarding employees who go above and beyond the call of duty in their work. This decision is not to say that the Mayor and City Council members do not deserve a salary – in fact they deserve more than they receive for all the work they do. However, I am in a unique position after having served in many roles in our state and community and feel like it’s time for me to also give back in this way. My hope is that our City employees take this decision as a manifestation of my commitment to and confidence in them.
The African American Cultural Center of Camden will start Black History Month by hosting a “Let’s Talk About…” symposium on Saturday, February 1st at 1:00 pm in Liberty Hall at the Revolutionary War Visitor Center, 212 Broad Street.
The symposium, “Artists: Gatekeepers of the Human Experience” will feature ethnomusicologist and associate professor Dr. Birgitta Johnson of the University of South Carolina School of Music. Dr. Johnson will explore the field of musicology, its function in society, and what musicologists do in the cultural context, and how that has changed over time.
Light refreshments to be served following the symposium. Registration is not required, but encouraged by calling 803-432-2421 x1153 or emailing kspadacenta@camdensc.org.
The African American Cultural Center will also add additional hours beginning in February, open Fridays from 1:00 to 4:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, at 517 York Street. An exhibit featuring some of Camden’s notable African Americans throughout history is on display, and will be added to throughout Black History Month.
The African American Cultural Center of Camden encourages an understanding of and an appreciation for the history and culture of people of African descent through discussions, exhibits, tours, lectures, and genealogical activities. A basic tenet of the African American Cultural Center is that we all are connected and have shared links through places, people, passions, and stories, making a stronger, more united city, state, region, and nation. The African American Cultural Center preserves documents and artifacts which reveal the stories and legacies of the Camden community of African descent.
