By Stan Welch
West Pelzer Town Council acted on a number of matters Monday night, including approving a plan to create an enlarged public parking area between the former NAPA auto parts store and Chapman Park. The plan would involve paving the existing dirt lot, creating eleven angled parking spaces, and a one way drive aisle from Main Street to the Town Hall parking lot.
Mayor Blake Sanders told Council that the approximately twenty thousand dollars needed for the project is on hand with the county, as the result of a previous appropriation to the town by District Seven Councilwoman Cindy Wilson.
Council authorized Sanders to negotiate a ten to fifteen year contract with the current property owner, and to present the contract to the Council for its review at the next meeting.
The Council also approved a list of streets to be submitted to the Anderson Country Transportation Committee to be considered for paving. The list of ten streets does not include fourteen streets already slated for paving, either as the result of a one time windfall in funds received by the ACTC, or as a part of the ongoing sewer project.
Council also clarified and consolidated the guidelines for the distribution and collection of water and sewer bills. The resolution passed made it clear that post dated checks will no longer be accepted, although checks, cash, money orders and debit/credit cards can be used.
Failure to pay bills in full by the fifteenth of the month will result in a fifteen dollar late fee. Customers must clear their balance every sixty days, and, in the absence of a prior arrangement with the town, failure to pay a bill in full by the 25th will result in interrupted service. Once a meter is locked, all fees balances and a fifty dollar reconnect fee must be paid before service will be restored.
Mayor Sanders and Town Clerk Paula Payton explained that there are more than a dozen customers currently hundreds of dollars in arrears, who have not paid a bill in full for months. “They are renters, and, frankly, they are taking advantage of the situation. Our citizens are not the cause of this problem, and should not be affected by the terms of this resolution.”
An agreement to have the town’s victim advocacy program conducted and administered by the county sheriff’s office was approved. The Town will transfer approximately $48,000 in designated funds to the county sheriff’s office, which will then perform the duties of the victim’s advocate.
Approximately three thousand dollars each month will go to the ACSO, as it is collected by the town’s court.
Chief Clardy said that small towns across the state are making similar arrangements. “The expense and trouble of trying to maintain this required program on our own is just overwhelming. This will take a big load off my department, and the town clerk and clerk of court. The county has advocates available around the clock, which is the best possible situation, since crimes, as we know, occur when they will.”
Chief Clardy also received several cartons of stuffed animals which were collected by the children of Eastside Baptist Church. The stuffed animals are often used by law enforcement to comfort children in traumatic situations, such as fires, accidents, abusive situations and other circumstances, and to establish communication with them.
Mayor Sanders also raised the issue of the town’s contract with Waste Industries, and the company’s wish to amend that contract to include a fee of $100 a month for its pickup of organic waste at the sewer plant each month.
West Pelzer and Pelzer would split that increase.
Councilman JimmyJeanes stated that the company had signed the contract, and should be expected to make some sort of accommodation to offset the increase.
Sanders agreed, but added that the company did not realize the nature of the waste to be picked up. “They just didn’t know what they were getting into. But I will be glad to have that discussion with them.”
Jeanes then moved to table the matter until the next meeting, to give Sanders time to speak with the company’s representatives. The vote was unanimous.
May 7 is the date for the town’s scheduled leaf and limb pick up. Leaves must be bagged and limbs no longer than four feet long.
Council also gave first reading approval to the proposed budget for FY2016 – 2017.
(See related story elsewhere in this issue.)
