REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL
ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2001 AT 5:30 P.M. AT CITY HALL

Mayor McCollum called the meeting to order and Mrs. Johnson gave the invocation. 

Clerk Watson took the roll with everyone being present.

Mrs. Johnson made the motion to approve the agenda to also include item 3 under New Business to discuss a request from Midland Environmental Consultants. Mr. Steadman made the second. All agreed. The motion carried. 

Mayor McCollum informed the Council that they had received Resolution 2001-2 honoring the life of late Councilperson Vernessa D. Williams. Mrs. Johnson then made the motion to approve Resolution 2001-2 honoring the life and service of Councilperson Vernessa D. Williams to include having a plaque also given in her honor. Mr. Walker made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

Mrs. Wells made the motion to approve the minutes of the January 8, 2001 meeting as received. Mr. Steadman made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

Under Commission Reports:

Mr. Sandifer reported that the meeting with SC Department of Transportation Officials last Thursday concerning the widening of Highway 301 was very productive. He explained that 3.2 million dollars has been earmarked for the project and that progress should be seen within the next few months. Mr. Sandifer explained that the widening of Highway 301 is a top priority at this time and that he hoped the widening of Highway 78 would follow.

Mr. Sandifer informed Council that soccer registration began last Saturday and that Robert and Cindy Hurst would be directing the program again this year.

Mr. Sandifer told Council that new restrooms to accommodate handicapped individuals are being built at the Ness Sports Complex.

Mrs. Wells informed Council that the Sanitation Department has been busy cutting overhanging limbs, which presented safety problems on our streets.

Fire Chief Timmie Taylor reported that the Fire Department’s new engineer, Jamie Towne, has completed his four weeks of training in the department and is presently on duty fulltime.

Under Old Business:

During discussion of the Wrecker Rotation Ordinance, Mr. Sandifer informed Council that he had contacted several owners of wrecker services in our area. He explained that no other ordinance specifies that a physical location in the city is required in order to operate within the city. He told Council that he felt this ordinance was originally designed to protect a designated few individuals by specifying that a person on the list must have a physical location in the municipal limits. Mr. Sandifer then made the motion to amend the Wrecker Service Ordinance Section 7-5-2 deleting the wording “must have a business physically located within the municipal limits of the town”. Mrs. Johnson made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

Clerk Watson explained that he had miss calculated the proposal cost for the recodification of the ordinances and that now Municipal Code Corporation’s proposal would be $6,500.00 instead of $5,500.00 which put them around $500.00 over the proposal of Book Publishing Company. After some discussion, Mrs. Johnson made the motion to stay with the Municipal Code Corporation and to approve the additional $1,000.00 that would be needed to recodify the ordinances. Mr. Walker made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

During the discussion of the New Proposed Personnel Manual, Council decided to have another work session to go over the proposed manual on Monday, February 19,2001 at 10:00 a.m.

Mr. Walker then made the motion to approve the Budget and Finance Report as received. Mr. Steadman made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

Under New Business:

Mayor McCollum informed Council that he had contacted Nora Sanders of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments and the SC Department of Commerce Officials to ask for an immediate response as to where the Downtown Parking Lot Project stands. He explained that he was urgently awaiting their reply.

Clerk Watson explained that DHEC was trying to determine the movement of a gasoline plume from the Big Chick location and they had contracted Midlands Environmental Consultants to do some test borings on the city property where the Highway Patrol office is located on New Bridge Street. Clerk Watson explained this could eventually mean the placing of monitoring wells on this property at which time the City would need to enter into a right of entry agreement with Midlands Environmental Consultants. Mr. Sandifer made the motion to allow Midlands Environmental Consultants to perform the test borings. Mr. Walker made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

Mrs. Johnson made the motion to go into executive session to discuss negotiations incident to the purchasing of property. Mr. Walker made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

Mr. Steadman made the motion to come out of the executive session. Mr. Walker made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

Mr. Steadman made the motion to approve $10,000.00 to complete the handicap accessible restrooms at the Ness Complex with the understanding that  $10,000.00 would be excluded from the Ness Park Budget Line Item in the new year’s budget. Mr. Sandifer made the necessary second. All agreed. The motion carried.

Mrs. Johnson made the motion to purchase .211 acres of property on Bell Street from the W.E. Brooker Family for $4,500.00. Mr. Walker made the second. All agreed. The motion carried.

During the Announcements:

Mr. Steadman explained that the Valentine cakes were from the Bertha Herndon Circle. Council expressed appreciation for the cakes and asked that Cynthia Tucker be sent a letter expressing their gratitude.

During questions from the press and audience:

Bob McCully told Council he applauded their actions to move forward with the Widening of Highway 301 Project. He informed Council this would have an economic impact on our town.

Mr. McCully asked Council to please remember to include funding for additional recreational areas in the southwest area of town as they had promised.

Mr. Bob McCully informed Council that due to the closing of Rhoad Park Street more traffic is now utilizing Midway Street. He explained that a bad section of road on Midway Street where it intersects Chapel Road needs to be upgraded at this time.

Mr. McCully informed Council that limbs on the old Bochette property on Cotton Street needed to be picked up.

Phyllis Overstreet informed Council that she lives on Midway Street and that speeding has become a problem.

Mayor McCollum thanked the audience for their comments.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m.