By Stan Welch
West Pelzer Mayor Blake Sanders attended the Pelzer town council’s workshop Tuesday night to present his town’s proposal for sharing police services with its sister town.
That proposal was reviewed and approved by the West Pelzer Council during its inaugural meeting in the newly renovated and occupied municipal center Monday night. Some of the highlights of the proposal are as follows. The interim contract is for a minimum of twelve months, with half of the total cost required up front. The cost of operating the municipal court will be split between the two towns. That cost is budgeted for the current fiscal year at just over forty six thousand dollars.
Pelzer will be required to adopt all public safety ordinances currently enforced by the WPPD prior to the agreement being authorized. West Pelzer currently budgets $34,600 in anticipated court fines.
An estimated increase from fines generated by Pelzer would raise that amount by forty to sixty per cent ($13,800 to $20,700). Fifty per cent of any revenues received above the budget increase would be returned to Pelzer. Any property seized in Pelzer would be appropriated to the town in full.
Mayor Sanders said that the benefit of the agreement to Pelzer is obvious; but the proposal would also allow West Pelzer to hire another full time officer, as well as a part time one. Sanders said that would insure that an additional officer was on the road at all times. He assured the Council that West Pelzer’s coverage would not be diminished in any way.
The projected costs of the police services to Pelzer, without factoring in court related costs, is $71,971. If Pelzer accepts the proposal, a public hearing will be held prior to any vote by the Council.
The Council also approved two resolutions. One requests that the Anderson County Transportation Committee consider the total resurfacing of Spring Street during the fiscal year 2018-2019. At Councilman Donnie Jeanes suggestion, the resolution was amended to add Margeurite, James, and Bellevue Streets as well.
The second resolution empowered Mayor Sanders to proceed with preliminary discussions with the owners of the property adjacent to Chapman Park, which is the site of the town’s original town hall. The parcel is described as a thirty foot strip, and is shown on TMS # 2430413001 as lots thirty one through thirty nine Bollinger St.
The town is hoping that the owners, Roger Scott Sr. and William Jeanes, might consider either a sale or the donation of the property to the town. If the property is obtained, the town plans to seek a variety of grants to rehabilitate the building and build a fence at the property line.
Sanders also reiterated that the recently vacated town hall will be upgraded and converted into a community center, to be named in honor of Senator Billy O’Dell. The renovations will include construction of an additional restroom to be available to the public during business hours, as well as an ADA compliant ramp from the back door to the parking area. Ten thousan
