NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL
WORK SESSION
December 14, 2005
Newberry County Council met on Wednesday, December 14, 2005, at 1:00 P.M. for a work session.
Present were: Mike Hawkins, Chairman
William D. Waldrop, Vice-Chairman
Henry B. Summer, Councilman
John David Dawkins, Councilman
Andy Morris, Councilman
Edgar Baker, Councilman
Leonard
B. Sossamon, Jr.,
Gary
T. Pope,
Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council
Absent: John E. Caldwell, Councilman
Media: Cindy Pitts, Newberry Observer
Heather Hawkins, WKDK
No representation from Whitmire News
Also attending were: Nancy Owen, Auditor; Judy Floyd, Treasurer; Melony Fellers and Georgia Attaway, Assessor’s Office; Harold Ruff, Harvey Kinard and Iris Rodelsperger, members of Fairgrounds Commission.
Notice of the work session was duly advertised as required by law.
Mr. Hawkins called the meeting to order.
The following matters were discussed:
1. Fairgrounds Commission.
Harold Ruff
discussed the need for the continuance of the Fairgrounds Commission and read a
letter from Mike Loveless, Clemson Extension Dairy Agent for
Mr. Pope is to revise the Agreement between the Fairgrounds and the County.
Mr. Baker moved to set up a committee to meet with the Fairgrounds Commission; second by Mr. Morris. Vote was unanimous.
2. Property Taxes.
Senator Ronnie Cromer presented an outline of the property tax proposal as it now stands before the Senate and the House.
Mr. Hawkins expressed his opposition to a constitutional amendment.
Mr. Morris was opposed to raising only the sales tax.
Mr. Summer was concerned over how freezing property tax would affect the county’s indebtedness.
Council requested that Senator Cromer investigate the possibility of exempting counties from sales tax. Senator Cromer advised that no one would be willing to add another exemption at this time.
Council requested that something be put in place and tried for several years, but no constitutional amendment.
3. Magistrates.
Senator Cromer reported that Mark English had resigned his position as Magistrate. The following persons have been appointed: Ron Halfacre and Gordon Johnson (Whitmire).
4. Junk Ordinance.
Mr. Pope presented Council with a revised version of the junk ordinance and reviewed the revisions.
After considerable discussion of experimenting with this ordinance for one particular zoning district, Mr. Morris moved that Mr. Pope generate a new document for review with changes and address the notification issue working with Nancy Owen and draft a second ordinance dealing with mobile homes and abandoned structures; second by Mr. Baker. Voting for the motion: Councilmen Hawkins, Waldrop, Dawkins, Morris and Baker. Voting against the motion: Councilman Summer. Motion passed by majority vote.
4. Naming of Road in Industrial Park.
Mr. Morris moved
to name the road
5. Expired license tags.
Mr. Morris brought up the issue of expired license tags. Ms. Owen advised that when she requested new employees that was not the intent. One employee was hired to work with local business personal property taxes and the other with rental property. She did not ask for an employee to go from parking lot to parking lot to check license tags.
6. Executive Session.
Mr. Morris moved to go into Executive Session to discuss two legal matters; second by Mr. Baker. Vote was unanimous.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION 4:16 P.M. –
4:45 P.M.]
Mr. Morris moved to return to regular session; second by Mr. Baker. Vote was unanimous.
Nothing to report.
Work session adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
NEWBERRY COUNTY COUNCIL
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Mike Hawkins, Chairman
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Susan C. Fellers, Clerk to Council