NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL

MINUTES

DECEMBER 14, 2005

 

 

The Newberry County Council met on Wednesday, December 14, 2005, at 5:00 p.m. for a regular Council meeting.

 

Present were:    Mike Hawkins, Chairman

                        William D. Waldrop, Vice-Chairman

                        John E. Caldwell, Councilman (arrived at 5:11 p.m.)

                        Henry B. Summer, Councilman

                        John David Dawkins, Councilman

                        Andy Morris, Councilman

                        Edgar Baker, Councilman

                        Leonard B. Sossamon, Jr., County Administrator

                        Gary T. Pope, County Attorney

                        Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council

 

Media:              Heather Hawkins, WKDK

                        Cindy Pitts, The Newberry Observer

 

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

 

Mr. Hawkins called the meeting to order.

 

Mr. Dawkins had the invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Adoption of Consent Agenda:

 

Mr. Morris moved to adopt the consent agenda; second by Mr. Baker.  Vote was unanimous.

 

Additions, Deletions and Adoption of Agenda:

 

            Agenda Item #1 was postponed.

 

            Agenda Items #6 and #7 were moved to Agenda Items #1 and #1.5, respectively.

 

There being no further additions or deletions, Mr. Baker moved to adopt the agenda as amended; second by Mr. Summer.  Vote was unanimous.

 

Public Comments:

 

            No comments from the public.

 

1.         Report on Ethics Commission opinion approving proposed actions of the Forfeited Land Commission.

 

            Mr. Pope reported the Ethics Commission issued a written opinion that the proposed sale of certain Forfeited Land Commission properties to the wife of a County Councilman was ethical, above-board and everything was proper because the Councilman had no individual control.  The members of the Forfeited Land Commission are county-wide elected officials who serve by statute on the Commission, and the wife of a County Council member would not have any special privilege or any special advantage over a member of the public.  Mr. Pope requested that a copy of the letter from the Ethics Commission be made a part of the official minutes.  There being no objection, Mr. Hawkins ordered the letter to be made a part of the official record.  (Copy attached).    

 

1.5       Report from Nancy Owen on the new policies and procedures adopted by the Forfeited Land Commission to go into effect on January 1, 2006.

 

Ms. Owen presented the Procedures for Disposition of Lands and Bids for Land from the Forfeited Land Commission and requested that they be made a part of the official minutes.  There being no objection, Mr. Hawkins ordered the policies and procedures to be made a part of the official record.  (Copy attached). 

 

Mr. Morris requested that the policies and procedures be put on the website.  Ms. Owen will work with Tom Barber on accomplishing this.

 

2.         An Ordinance establishing manufactured home regulations and licensing requirements in Newberry County.

 

            Mr. Dawkins moved for second reading; second by Mr. Morris.

 

            Mr. Morris questioned Section 11 dealing with manufactured home park owners having to provide a map or plat showing lots and locations.  Mr. Pope advised this was an ongoing problem for the Tax Assessor because people like to move mobile homes around.  In order to keep up for tax purposes, we need to be sure they get moving permits, and we need to know where they are. 

 

            Since it goes into effect the first of the year, Mr. Morris was concerned that some people may not be able to get a plat or map by January 1. 

 

            Wendy Wise, Delinquent Tax Collector, stated especially in big mobile home parks, mobile homes are moved and we don’t know where they are.  By having this information, we would be able to collect the taxes. 

 

            Mr. Pope recommended that Section 11 be amended to allow that for the first year owners are given until April 30 to file the report and that each park owner will be notified and mailed a copy of the ordinance by the Tax Assessor by January 31, 2006.

     

Mr. Morris moved to amend the ordinance to reflect this change; second by Mr. Dawkins.  Vote was unanimous.

 

Voting for third reading as amended:  Councilmen Hawkins, Waldrop, Summer, Dawkins, Morris and Baker.  Voting against third reading:  Councilman Caldwell.  Motion passed by majority vote. 

 

3.         Committee Reports.

 

            No reports.

 

4.         Appointments.

 

            No appointments.

 

5.         Report from Lewis Lee, Emergency Services Coordinator.

 

Lewis Lee, Emergency Services Coordinator, recommended leaving Friendly Fire Station in its current location.  If Friendly is moved, two sub-stations will need to be built to cover the area.   He did not recommend putting all three facilities at the current Friendly Fire Station location because of the call pattern for the Newberry Rescue Squad and Haz-Mat. 

 

Mr. Lee identified several possible sites for these facilities:  Adelaide Street and Dixie Road (this site will require a lot of preparation work) and property directly behind Piedmont Technical College (no preparation needed).   

 

Mr. Morris moved that Mr. Lee look at co-locating Newberry Rescue Squad and Haz-Mat on the piece of property behind Piedmont Technical College and to work it into a plan with what Piedmont Technical College wants to do as well as the potential for an agricultural center; second by Mr. Baker.    

 

Mr. Dawkins recommended that the site not be limited to the area behind Piedmont Technical College but that the property across the street next to the park be considered. 

 

Mr. Morris amended his motion to include that site and that Mr. Lee make his recommendation at the January 4, 2006 Council meeting.    

 

            Vote was unanimous.

 

Mr. Baker inquired as to status of working together with Laurens County on emergency responses.  Mr. Lee talked with the 911 people and BellSouth and putting it into their system won’t cost Newberry anything.  He has also asked Ms. Debra Beard to figure the cost for in-house equipment.  He has talked with Travis Kinard of Kinard Control regarding a way to notify the fire department in Joanna. 

 

Tommy Hedgepath, Chief of Friendly Fire Department, stated there was a shed on the back of Friendly’s building that could be enclosed to provide storage space for all of their equipment.   

 

Mr. Morris moved that Lewis Lee make a recommending regarding getting everything under one roof at Friendly.  Mr. Hawkins didn’t feel we needed a motion; we just need to instruct the Administrator to do it. 

 

Executive Session:

 

Mr. Hawkins advised that Council voted to go into Executive Session after the work session on two legal matters and there was nothing to report.

 

There being no further business, Mr. Baker moved to adjourn; second by Mr. Dawkins.  Vote was unanimous.

 

Meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.


                                                                        NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL

 

 

                                                                        ___________________________________

                                                                        Mike Hawkins, Chairman

 

 

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                                                                        Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council