NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL
MINUTES
MARCH 30, 2005
The Newberry County Council met on Wednesday, March 30, 2005, at 7:30 p.m. for a budget workshop.
Present were:
Mike Hawkins, Chairman
William D. Waldrop, Vice-Chairman
John E. Caldwell, Councilman
Henry B. Summer, Councilman (late; arrived 7:55 p.m.)
John David Dawkins, Councilman
Andy Morris, Councilman
Edgar Baker, Councilman (late; arrived 7:05 p.m.)
Leonard
B. Sossamon, Jr.,
Gary
T. Pope,
Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council
Debbie S. Cromer, Finance Director
Representing the news media were:
Newberry Observer – Cindy Pitts
WKDK – no representation
Whitmire News – no representation
As required by law, notice of the meeting was duly advertised.
Mr. Hawkins called the meeting to order and determined a quorum to be present.
Mr. Morris had the invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mr. Hawkins
welcomed the Mayor of the City of
Mr. Dawkins requested the addition of an Executive Session to discuss a legal matter.
There being no further additions or deletions to the agenda, Mr. Summer moved to adopt the agenda as amended; second by Mr. Dawkins. Vote was unanimous.
1. NEWBERRY COUNTY AIRPORT: John Glasgow, Chairman of the Airport Commission, advised the Airport Commission’s recommendation was to go forward with a parallel runway, make the present runway a taxiway and make the safety improvements, all of which would cost approximately $3,000,000, which is the plan favored by the FAA. The State has agreed to do what is necessary as far as the funding to support this recommendation.
Gary Varga with W.K. Dickson, consultants for the Airport, reviewed the plan again and have determined the minimum property required for the parallel runway and have identified the property owners.
Steve Walker with W.K. Dickson addressed the following issues:
1. Fuel farm application has been submitted.
2. Tree survey –
obstructions have been identified which need to be cleared to the existing
runway. Some surveys and deed research
have been done to clarify the landowners around the airport. The
3. Power poles at the far end of the runway towards Shakespeare – right now these poles are not an issue with the approach to the airport.
4. Extend runway toward Shakespeare – Shakespeare is the biggest issue in approaching the runway. Anything over 100 feet will be impacted by the plant.
The property owners involved in acquisition of property would be Shakespeare, Walter Shealy, and Zack Barron, trustee of the Goggins property.
Walter Shealy favors reconstruction of the existing runway because it would have less of an impact on his property but he is for a progressive Newberry and would go along with whatever decision is made. The Goggins property is owned by approximately 8 people, only one of which, Zack Barron, lives in Newberry. There would also be some impact on the Country Club.
The FAA is ready now to approve the parallel runway project. If the County wants to relocate the runway, it will spend its entitlement funds, and will probably be asking for State apportionment money. Currently the State will not support it.
If the County
pursues the reconstruction of the runway, the County must still buy property,
and it must remove the obstacles penetrating the approach.
In order to justify a longer runway, the County must have a minimum of 500 annual operations (250 landings and 250 take offs of critical design air craft). The closest the County can get through the runway justification study is about 3850 feet, and the FAA is not now willing to fund an extension to that length because there is not enough operating at the airport to warrant an extension beyond what is currently there.
The airport now has a utility category runway which is designed to support a maximum weight of about 12,500 pounds, but in the condition it is in now, it probably would not support 12,500. The new parallel runway would be designed to support at least a 60,000 pound single wheel air craft.
Gordon Johnson spoke regarding the condemnation process.
Senator Ronnie
Cromer asked if the $3,000,000 had been set aside for
The last vote of Council was to redo the existing runway and put in a fuel farm. At that time the County was told nothing about $3,000,000 being available for the airport.
Senator Cromer encouraged Council to consider the parallel runway.
Jack Brooks, President of the Newberry Country Club, expressed concern over the impact a longer runway would have on the Country Club.
The FAA wants to know which project to pursue, and the County needs to proceed with acquiring the land.
Mr. Waldrop moved to table, but to consider it at a later date; second by Mr. Baker.
It was the consensus of Council to put this issue on the agenda for the April 20, 2005 meeting to receive input from the public.
Mr. Morris offered an amendment to the motion to authorize W.K. Dickson to proceed with the environmental assessment because it has to be done regardless of the decision of Council.
Mr. Hawkins restated the motion as follows: we are going to hear back from these people at the second meeting in April; we are going to tell them not to go forward with the fuel farm and with resurfacing the old runway, but we are telling them to go ahead with removing obstructions that could cause a problem in the immediate future and to move forward with the environmental assessment.
Mr. Hawkins called for the question. Vote was unanimous.
Adjoining landowners should be contacted in the meantime to determine if the property is available by either fee simple or easement.
Mr. Dawkins moved to recess for 5 minutes.
[RECESS
9:10 – 9:22 P.M.]
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Mr. Dawkins moved to go into Executive Session to discuss a legal matter. Vote was unanimous.
[EXECUTIVE
SESSION 9:23 P.M. – 10:09 P.M.]
Mr. Baker moved to return to regular session; second by Mr. Morris.
Mr. Pope advised that the legal matter related to the reassessment process and procedures followed by the County in so doing.
Mr. Hawkins asked if the action taken last night to change the time of the Council meeting was part of our policies and procedures and if that would take three readings. Mr. Pope advised to make it permanent for next year it could be done by ordinance. A resolution would be more of a temporary nature and goes for the duration of the year. The Council at its pleasure determines when it wants to meet.
Mr. Pope stated this was dealing with Council deciding its schedule, and Council is not required to establish its schedule by ordinance. This Council decides when it wants to meet. The previous Council decided by Ordinance when it wanted to meet. If it is going to go beyond the year, it will need to be done by Ordinance but this year’s sessions could be established by Resolution.
Mr. Dawkins talked with several Council members after last night’s meeting thinking it was a drastic to go from 7:30 to 6:00 and thought dropping it to 7:00 p.m. would be more in line.
Mr. Dawkins
moved to change the meeting time to 7:00 p.m.; second by Mr. Summer. Voting for the motion: Councilmen Hawkins, Summer,
Due to the time, Council decided not to go into the budget workshop.
There being no further business, Mr. Baker moved to adjourn; second by Mr. Morris. Vote was unanimous.
Meeting adjourned at 10:15 p.m.
NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL
________________________________________
Mike Hawkins, Chairman
_________________________________________
Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council