COUNTY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
Newberry County Council met for a
work session on January 18, 2006, at 2:00 P.M. in the Conference Room at the
Courthouse Annex.
Present were: Mike Hawkins, Chairman
William
D. Waldrop, Vice-Chairman
John
E. Caldwell, Councilman
Henry
B. Summer, Councilman
John
David Dawkins, Councilman
Andy
Morris, Councilman
Edgar
Baker, Councilman
Leonard
B. Sossamon,
J.E.
Klugh, Acting Administrator
Gary
T. Pope,
Susan
C. Fellers, Clerk to Council
Media: Heather Hawkins, WKDK
Cindy
Pitts, The Newberry Observer
The work session was duly advertised as required by law.
Chairman Hawkins called the
meeting to order and made the following statement regarding last Wednesday’s
Council meeting. Last Wednesday’s
meeting was not conducted as well as it should have been. It was not a regularly scheduled Council
meeting, and we didn’t go through the normal agenda preparing process. Normally the
When Mr. Hawkins looked at the agenda for that meeting, it indicated Council would go into Executive Session, come back out and then hear the report from Carter Goble Lee. Mr. Hawkins didn’t like the way that looked and called Mr. Summer and asked if he agreed the report should be heard before going into Executive Session, and he agreed. Mr. Hawkins contacted all Council members except Mr. Caldwell, who he was unable to contact. Every Council member he asked agreed the report should be heard in public.
When the meeting started, we changed the agenda, and Council voted unanimously to hear the report in public. When we got to that item on the agenda, the consultant with Carter Goble Lee suggested that Council go into Executive Session. He should have said they were not prepared to give a report that night. They had only had one week and had no chance to get results back from the labs. Mr. Hawkins asked for a motion and second to go into Executive Session, and he dropped the ball by doing that too fast. Mr. Hawkins felt if he had slowed down, there were some members of this Council who wanted to vote no not to go into Executive Session under those circumstances. Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Dawkins questioned before going into Executive Session just who was going to be allowed in there. Mr. Hawkins accepted full responsibility for things happening the way they did.
We are not supposed to talk about what went on in Executive Session but Mr. Hawkins explained what didn’t go in Executive Session. Council didn’t hear one word in that Executive Session that couldn’t have been said right here. They just hadn’t had time to prepare their report.
Mr. Hawkins asked Mr. Baker the following questions:
1. Did I tell you I was going to ask you these questions? Mr. Baker said, “you did not.”
2. Have you and I at any time in the last nine months either in a personal conversation, over the telephone, email, fax or any possible means of communication discussed this situation? Mr. Baker said, “no.”
Mr. Hawkins asked other than in this building in a meeting? Mr. Baker said, “No.”
3. Have you and I at any time in the last nine months communicated about this situation through a third party? In other words did I tell somebody to tell you something and then come back and tell me what you said? Mr. Baker said, “not that I know of.”
Mr. Hawkins stated Council really tries to do everything in the open. We try to conduct the public’s business in the public, and maybe that is one reason we have such long meetings. For example, Mr. Hawkins didn’t realize he would be re-elected Chairman.
A lot of people have made a lot about the contractor now sitting on Council. Some people think we are dragging our feet because the contractor sits on Council. Just walk across the street. The last time Mr. Hawkins checked the courthouse was still leaking, and Mr. Baker didn’t do that job. It is not fixed yet. We have had problems out at the jail, and he didn’t do that job. This Council, as we gained information, moved and acted.
Mr. Caldwell questioned why Mr. Hawkins was able to reach all Council members except him last Wednesday.
Mr. Caldwell stated Mr. Hawkins didn’t lobby for re-election as Chairman. Mr. Caldwell felt the Chair should serve for two years because the first year is a learning process.
Mr. Caldwell stated that not only in Executive Session but also in open session Council needs to conduct themselves better than we are. A lot of this has to do with knowledge of parliamentary procedure. The Chairman has been very honest with what he has said because oftentimes he will call for the vote and say it is unanimous, and he never looks down the line a lot of time.
Mr. Morris addressed the editorial in last Friday’s Newberry Observer. The second paragraph starts off, “Once upon a time. . .” This is not a fairy tale, and if you ask the Sheriff and his staff, they would say it is a nightmare. Mr. Morris expected a higher standard of journalism from The Newberry Observer. The editor was more concerned about violations or perceived violations of freedom of information than she was in actually what was taking place. She has not been attending County Council meetings. This was the first time she had been here in the two years Mr. Morris has been on Council.
We expected to have a written report last Wednesday from the consultant and did not know until we went into Executive Session that we weren’t going to have a written report. There was no written report to be passed out to anyone because one didn’t exist.
Mr. Hawkins stated some people thought Council had heard the report ahead of time, and nobody on Council heard anything. Mr. Morris added that he made that statement at the meeting that we had not seen a report or heard anything prior to what we heard that night.
Mr. Hawkins stated this was a challenge but Council was equal to the task and was confident they would handle it.
Council agreed to move from Council Chambers to the Conference Room for the work session.
Carter Goble Lee – Report on
Sheriff’s Building
Joe Lee with Carter Goble Lee
presented their report on the Sheriff’s Building, a copy of which is on file in
the
Mr. Morris moved that the
After discussion as to where the funds would come from to accomplish this, Mr. Morris amended his motion to do this as a supplemental appropriation to the budget; Mr. Dawkins seconded the amendment. Vote was unanimous.
Mr. Morris then moved that the
Discussion ensued as to the funding for a judicial center.
Mr. Hawkins called for the question. Voting for the motion: Councilmen Morris, Hawkins, Dawkins and Baker. Voting against the motion: Councilmen Summer, Waldrop and Caldwell. Motion passed by majority vote.
Executive Session – Personnel.
Mr. Morris moved to go into Executive Session for a personnel matter; second by Mr. Baker. Vote was unanimous.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION 4:00 P.M. –
4:34 P.M.]
No report from Executive Session.
Wayne Satterwhite, Chairman of the Newberry County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Tom Henderson presented the timber management plan for Lynches Woods. (Copies of the information were not provided to administrative staff for the permanent record.)
Council requested that Mr. Pope prepare a first reading ordinance to accomplish the timber management for the February 1, 2006 Council meeting.
Council also discussed the following issues:
1.
a. Council requested that Carter Goble Lee look into the gravel.
b. Tommy Whitehead, Public Works Director, received an inquiry from a county employee as to whether a load of the fill dirt from this project could be emptied in her yard. Council’s decision was that no fill dirt could be emptied on private property.
2. Newberry Rescue Squad and Haz-Mat location. Mr. Morris requested that Lewis Lee review this matter and come back with another site recommendation for Council.
There being no further matters to come before the work session, Mr. Dawkins moved to adjourn; second by Mr. Baker. Vote was unanimous.
Meeting adjourned at 5:50 P.M.
NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL
___________________________________
Mike Hawkins, Chairman
___________________________________
Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council