By Stan Welch
Newly elected Greenville County Councilman Lynn Ballard stopped by the Piedmont Public Service Commission meeting Monday night; and was formally introduced by Commission Chairman Ed Poore, one of several candidates Ballard defeated for the District 26 Council seat.
Ballard expressed his appreciation for the Commission’s work, and his willingness to work with them in the future. He also had warm praise for Poore, whom he said ran a clean and honest campaign. “Ed and I agreed from the start that we would leave the gutter to others, and run a clean, fair campaign. This Commission and the people of this area can be proud of Ed. He did exactly that.”
In other business, the Commission, at the urging of Chairman Poore, voted unanimously to continue publishing an agenda in advance of their meetings, despite a recent state Supreme court ruling that would remove that requirement. “I just think that an agenda should be available so that the public knows, if they want to, what we are doing from month to month.”
The Commission also voted unanimously to give thirty days notice to the contractor responsible for cutting the grass at the ball fields and the fire houses. Chief Tracy Wallace reported that he has spoken with the contractor several times, and was assured that the problem, which is personnel related, would be resolved. Those assurances have gone unfulfilled, and no grass has been cut in two weeks. Some areas at the ball fields have not been cut at all.
The contract requires that the Commission give thirty days notice before termination. Commissioner Rudy Rhodes moved that notice be given immediately, with termination to follow as soon as possible, unless the work was performed up to the standards set in the contract.
Activity at the ball fields and at the community building has experienced the usual summer spike, with the ball fields generating a thousand dollars in revenue in July, quadrupling the amount raised in June. The community building saw rentals increase from $305 in June to $835 in July.
The fire department, despite a drop in activity in July, has nevertheless responded to fifty eight more calls, of one type or another, than they did at this time last year.
