NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL

PLANNING RETREAT

MINUTES

MARCH 10-11, 2007

Newberry County Council met on Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11, 2007, for its Planning Retreat. The Retreat was held in the Conference Room at Springfield Place, 2000 Springfield Circle, Newberry, South Carolina, commencing at 8:00 a.m. each day.

Note of the meeting was duly advertised as required by law.

Present: Henry B. Summer, Chairman

William D. Waldrop, Vice-Chairman

John E. Caldwell, Councilman (arrived at 8:40 a.m. on 3/10/07 and

at 9:15 a.m. on 3/11/07)

Mike Hawkins, Councilman

John David Dawkins, Councilman

Edgar Baker, Councilman

Henry H. Livingston, III, Councilman (arrived at 8:10 a.m. on 3/11/07)

Wayne Adams, County Administrator

Gary T. Pope, County Attorney

Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council

Debbie Cromer, Finance Director

Media: Cindy Pitts, Newberry Observer

Others attending: Major Todd Johnson, Sheriff’s Office (8:00-1:00 on 3/10/07)

Sheriff Lee Foster (1:00-4:00 on 3/10/07 & all day 3/11/07)

On March 10, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. Mr. Summer called the meeting to order and reviewed the 2006 goals.

Matters discussed included the following:

(1) Mobile homes/junk cars.

(2) Jail user fees.

(3) Clif Scott with the South Carolina Association of Counties discussed rules of procedure with Council. Council suggested moving public comments to the end of the agenda.

(4) Representatives from Alliance Consulting Engineers reviewed and updated Council on the master plan for the Highway 773 and I-26 industrial park.

(5) Sale and/or management of county properties. Mr. Hawkins moved to instruct the County Administrator to investigate getting advice and moving forward with the sale of the property including the parcel in front of Piedmont Technical College. There being no objection by Council, Mr. Summer declared this to be done by acclamation.

(6) PARD Grant for Maybinton Ballfield. The consensus of Council was for administration to proceed with applying for the grant with it to be used for either the restrooms or fence.

(7) Illegal immigration. The consensus of Council was to take no action at this time.

(8) Alternate Sources of Revenue.

(9) Road Ordinance.

(10) Citizens Advisory Committee to be charged with looking into the reassessment process and expenditures in the current budget. An organizational meeting is to be set up as soon as possible.

Meeting recessed at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, 2007.

At 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, 2007, Mr. Summer called the meeting back to order.

(11) Council met with representatives from the Newberry County Soil and Water Conservation District to discuss thinning of timber in Lynch’s Woods and a building to house the Soil and Water Conservation District and Clemson Extension. Several persons spoke in opposition to the thinning of the timber.

Council also requested that the County Administrator work with the Soil and Water Conservation District to establish rules for the park and that they be put in the form of an Ordinance to enforcement purposes.

(12) Jason Stroiman with Senior Living Investment Brokerage made a presentation to Council regarding the sale of J.F. Hawkins Nursing Home and Springfield Place. Martha Bursinger, Administrator of JFH/SP, and Glenn Wicker, Finance Director, voiced the following concerns regarding the possible sale: (i) retention of current employees and vested employees in state retirement plan; (ii) quality of care for residents; and (iii) possible increase in rates.

Mr. Hawkins moved to go into Executive Session with Martha Bursinger and Glenn Wicker to discuss a personnel matter; second by Mr. Baker. Mr. Adams requested that a legal matter also be added to Executive Session. Mr. Hawkins amended his motion to include the legal matter and Mr. Baker amended his second. Vote was unanimous.

[EXECUTIVE SESSION 11:28 A.M. – 12:00 NOON]

After lunch, Council established its goals and objectives for 2007, which have now been set forth in a Resolution adopted by Council at it’s meeting of March 21, 2007. A copy of that Resolution is attached hereto.

Meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m. on March 11, 2007.

NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL

____________________________________

Henry B. Summer, Chairman

___________________________________

Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council

APPROVED: April 4, 2007