By Stan Welch
Work is expected to begin on Chapman Park in the next two weeks, according to Mayor Peggy Paxton. She told the Town Council that the final contractual details had been worked out and the contracts delivered.
“I expect we’ll see work start very soon, since the contractors have been waiting on the paperwork to get done,” said Paxton. “I think we’ll be seeing real progress soon.”
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In other business, the Council approved a resolution declaring April as Fair Housing Month, and eschewing any discrimination in the provision of housing. April is National Fair Housing Month as well.
Council also approved the transfer of a small parcel of land from the town to Justin and Jamie Emery, in exchange for them having removed a decrepit mobile home from the site and cleaned the area up.
Town Clerk Paula Payton presented a resolution accepting a set of public service values, including among others integrity, honesty, fairness, fidelity, respect and other. The values would apply to all public officials, both hired and elected. It was a result of Payton’s recent attendance at the SC Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute.
Payton also presented Council with a memo expressing her gratitude for being allowed to take the three days of training and listing some of the plans she had as a result, including updating the Town’s website, reviewing all ordinances, and putting a system in place to collect business license fees from contractors working in the Town.
The Council also continued to wrestle with a proposed burning ordinance. Town attorney Carey Murphy raised several concerns he had, and other members of Council did also. They Council has been struggling with the issue of outdoor burning for several months now, and appears to be no closer to a solution.
Murphy presented a copy of the US Forestry Services regulations for burning, but conceded that burning inside municipal limits is exempted from them. He also presented DHEC regulations.
The Council instructed Murphy to make several changes to the proposed ordinance. Among those changes: leaves could only be burned during the time between November 1 and March 31, when leaves are on the ground. They could only be burned between nine a.m. and five p.m. on the first and third Saturdays of each of those months.
The Council will consider the revised ordinance at their May meeting.
