Tree work to cost town $33,000
By Stan Welch
Five minutes into their meeting, the Pelzer Town Council went into executive session to discuss a contractual matter involving the hiring of Greene Finney LLC, an accounting firm that will be compiling a monthly accounting of the town’s financial status and its transactions. The summary will be available to the public and is expected to greatly reduce the amount of work needed to prepare for the town’s annual audit.
Upon reconvening in regular session, the council voted quickly and unanimously to employ the firm, at a fee of four hundred fifty dollars a month. The most recent audit of the town’s finances cost fifteen thousand dollars.
The council then gave second reading approval to the 2020-2021 budget, which remained unchanged since the budget workshop held earlier this month. The budget, totaling $1,135,607 is a balanced one.
Council then approved the purchase of a new sixty one inch SKAG lawnmower, for $9,521, as well as a used 6 X 14 trailer that will hold both the new and the existing mower, as well as the hand held lawn equipment.
The council then approved reopening the town hall , with some provisos about possibly limited hours, and a restricted number of customers in the building at any given time. The details of those restrictions were not defined.
Three bids were read for the tree work in monkey park, and they were for significant amounts. The low bid was for $64,250 from Moreman Tree Service. Mayor pro tem Will Ragland proposed altering the amount of work to be done, and said he had broached the subject with the low bidder. The trimming of low limbs to raise the tree canopy and open the park up was abandoned for the time being, and the bid was reduced to $33,000.
Councilman Eddie Waits raised the question of whether the new, reduced proposal should be rebid or not. Ragland asked town attorney Richard Thompson about it, and he advised that if they accepted the low bid with the understanding that the limb work would not be done at this time, it should be alright.
Ragland then announced that only one bid had been received for replacing and refocusing the lights on the ball fields, as well as the project to brand the town. Both bid windows were extended until June 26 to seek other bids.
A meet and greet with the candidates is scheduled for July 2 at 7 p.m. and the next council meeting was moved to July 13 after candidate Gary Pridemore reminded the council that the 14th is the date of the municipal elections.
