Decries Act 388

By Stan Welch

The Anderson County Council meeting Tuesday night could best be described as deja vu all over again, in the words of Yogi Berra.

Greg Skipper, of the Calvary Home for Children, informed the Council that South Carolina has more than four thousand children in need of foster homes, with two hundred fifty five in Anderson County alone. The agenda then became repetitious as first Councilman Frances Crowder and then Councilwoman Gracie Floyd repeated their budget concerns; concerns last heard two weeks ago at the last Council meeting.

By Stan Welch

Anderson County Council gave second reading approval to the 2016-2017 budget as proposed, despite several recommendations from the District Two Council member.

In a segment of the agenda set aside for Councilwoman Gracie Floyd’s thoughts on the budget, she raised the issue of a one cent sales tax to help defray the costs of roads and bridges. She quickly muddled the issue, however, by repeatedly confusing the one cent tax, which would be a local option sales tax, with the revenues dedicated to roads and bridges, with the two cent hospitality tax.

Authorizes restrictions on three roads

By Stan Welch

During their meeting Tuesday, Anderson County Council approved an ordinance which will allow the elections commission to conduct the municipal elections of the town of Pelzer in odd numbered years. Council also authorized the County to obtain a loan from the Catawba Council of Governments to be used in cleanup efforts at the Toxaway and Pelzer mill sites.

First reading approval was given to a proposed ordinance sponsored by Councilwoman Wilson to restrict heavy trucks from Hopewell, Cheddar and Breazeale roads. A public hearing of the matter will be conducted at the next Council meeting.

There seemed to be little, if any, thawing Tuesday night of the frosty atmosphere that prevailed at the last Council meeting.

By Stan Welch

The Anderson County Council moved briskly through an agenda filled with ordinances dealing with topics ranging from rezoning to providing economic incentive to potential industries considering locating in the county.

Approximately thirteen acres were given final approval for rezoning to a planned development status, while another vote assured future enforcement of reporting requirements for civic and charity groups receiving public funds.

By Stan Welch

Anderson County Council started early Tuesday night, with an investiture ceremony prior to the first meeting of the year.

The meeting, at which Pastor Bill Rigsby, of North Anderson Baptist Church, spoke and administered the oaths of office, was followed by a reception. Councilman Mitchell Cole, from District Three, was the only new addition to the Council.

Council then convened and one of their first acts was to adopt a resolution recognizing the newly formed Mill Town Players theater group from Pelzer for its accomplishments in the arts. Chief among those achievements was the group’s winning of the South Carolina Theater Festival.

Anderson County Council

By Stan Welch

The most anticipated agenda matter for Anderson County Council during their meeting Tuesday, which involving the interim status of County Administrator Rusty Burns, was delayed until the next meeting.

The cause for the delay in taking action on the recommendation of the personnel committee, which met last Friday, was the absence of that committee’s meeting minutes in the packet provided to the Council before the meeting.

The minutes were not included because the personnel committee met last Friday, almost simultaneously with the preparation and issuance of the agenda. As Councilwoman Cindy Wilson pointed out, it was virtually impossible to include those minutes. “The meeting may have still been underway. The timing just wasn’t there.”