West Pelzer Town Council discussed a drainage problem and decided to change the time of council meetings during their first meeting of the new year.
A culvert on Park St. is subject to frequent flooding. The culvert directs water from Main Street and water from the Gray Mortuary rear parking lot are causing some problems for residents in the area.
Council agreed to change their meeting time from the current 6:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday to 6 p.m. Second reading and a public hearing will be held at the Feb. meeting which will be held at 6 p.m.
Mayor Blake Sanders announced that council chambers in Town Hall will host an art gallery beginning with the February meeting. The art will remain on display for two months and the sponsoring artist will be available to speak prior to council meetings, he said. “We want to make our meetings more of a community event,” Sanders said.
Councilman Donnie Jeanes is working with the West Pelzer Fire Department to have a podium at the fire department donated to the town.
Sanders pointed out that the police department is only writing 4.1 tickets per day and that the town is not the “speed trap” some think it is.
There was brief discussion about the leaf and limb pilot pickup program which is now in its third month. Under the program, debris can be picked up any day during the third week of the month. Residents can call or email a workorder if they have items to be picked up.
Sanders also announced that the town has a part-time opening in the public works department for 15 to 20 hours per week.
The town audit will be presented at the Feb. meeting also.
Town Clerk Paula Payton reported that department head meetings were held January 4 and that Town Hall will be closed Jan. 24 in observance of Martin Luther King Day. She also announced that the Palmetto Business Association will meet Tuesday, January 15 at 12:00 noon at Williamston Town Hall
In the Public Works report, Payton said 19 work orders were completed in December and the ReWa purchase of the town’s sewer system is in the final stages.
Paving patches have been completed on Dendy St., Marguerite Street and James Street.
Payton also presented the Public Safety report. During the month of December, 27 reports were written, 135 tickets written, 31 arrests and 39 warnings. The West Pelzer Fire Department had 14 calls for service and a year end total of 215.
During a special called meeting held Dec. 11, Council approved second reading on an ordinance addressing recovery of costs associated with debt recovery.
