Pelzer Town Council approves new fee schedule – For new construction and growth

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Pelzer Town Clerk Cheryl Bates reported there were 42 work orders completed in December with 22 connects and 20 disconnects. In the police reports, there were 10 traffic reports, 73 contacts, 40 calls for service and 11 arrests.
Town Attorney Richard Thompson updated Council on several legal issues.
Thompson said an order of publication was being published regarding the Church of God property the town is purchasing. The notice will be published over three weeks and if there is no response will be considered served, he said.
Thompson said a legal motion has been filed regarding the pool property which the town is attempting to obtain through the process of eminent domain. Thompson said two things have happened. The Town has filed for condemnation of the property. He said two landowners with interest in the property have filed an action “not to file for condemnation”. He said that Attorney Logan, who is now handling the case, will file to have the landowners case dismissed.
He also said two depositions have been taken from the people who claimed to have bought the property.
Planning Commission Chair Laura Rainey updated Council on the Comprehensive Plan they have been working on. Rainey said the document has been updated and an updated copy is available at the town office.
Council elected Donna Ide to serve at Mayor Pro Tempore.
Mayor Will Ragland updated Council on upgrades to the breaker panel in the gym. Ragland said there have been problems with the panel and two switches will be added, one for the lobby and one for the gym. Council approved a bid quote by Knight’s Electrical Service of $1915.38 to perform the upgrade. Ragland said he received three quotes for the project and Kinght’s was lowest.
Council approved a bid for sidewalk work at 1 Brock St. Mayor Ragland said a new resident who is a disabled Veteran had requested the town repair a side walk in front of the residence. The Town received a bid of $2,200 for their part of the project from Drew Sanders Landscaping. The homeowner will pay for sidewalk work portion which will connect to his home, Ragland said. The mayor said he looks forward to fixing a lot of sidewalks in the future.
Council approved a resolution to request C Fund assistance for paving of several streets in Pelzer. Ragland said the Pelzer had not applied for any paving since 2020.
In a 3-2 vote, Council approved first reading on an increase in the Duke Energy Franchise Fee from 3 percent to 5 percent. The increase will help provide additional revenue for Pelzer which will be used to pay for additional street lights. Councilmembers Donna Ide and Eddie Waits were opposed to the increase.
Council heard a report on a new fee schedule recently approved by the new Planning Commission. The fee schedule is for new construction and development in Pelzer and includes fees for new signs, food trucks, new construction and other related items.
Henry Youmans with Anderson County Planning and Development read a list of the new fees and provided and explanation of each. He said Pelzer’s fees are a little cheaper than neighboring towns and will help cover costs associated with growth.
Council unanimously approved the new fee schedule.
In other actions, Council unanimously approved the establishment of a new Board of Zoning Appeals. The new board will have five members and only meet when necessary to review an appeal.
Mayor Ragland announced that the town will be accepting application through Feb. 7 for the new appeal board. He also said there is one open seat on the town’s election Commission for anyone interested.
An meeting is planned for Jan. 17 with Greenville Water representatives to provide information and answer questions about the pending sale of the Town’s water system to them.