Council - Regular Meeting

Amen. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Um, everybody has a packet on their deaths. The I kind of condense the uh final report from the Archer uh company. Um, you've had this. This was uh originally emailed to you in January. Uh, and then it was presented at the February meeting. I think Councilman Bradley received it in February after the election. Um, and so I'm just kind of refreshing it. It was brought up in the uh work session last week to uh to discuss this uh a little bit closer. I think uh Councilman Hall wanted to specifically address police salaries and that's why we brought it up again. Um as if you look on page on the second page inside front cover uh that was kind of that overall uh view the implementation scenario summary. Um and we've kind of narrowed in on scenario two as the the most likely. There's no way to I don't see getting $59,000 uh over a single year and realistically not getting 283, but that would get everybody on the scale of the minimum

salaries and um if they're already on the scale to the next level. Um and so the base salary change would be 8.2%. Uh again, that doesn't get everybody to the the average, but it just does get them on the scale. Um [clears throat] and so again, this is just information. I'm just going to kind of go through it again. Uh the different uh appendes or exhibits that they had were kind of breaking down the different positions uh and how that salary uh works in the market. Um I got my Um so I just kind of consolidated on the board the different departments and staff ranges. Uh everybody is below except for wastewater which we have most of our staff pretty much right at and slightly above the stat the range. Um the department head is below but uh that is the only uh department is the wastewater plant staff that is above. Um and so that kind of summarizes some of the different ranges from the departments. Um if you notice it's on the seventh page. uh they had left it had gotten cut off somehow, but I went in and added the town clerk, finance director, the wastewater, and then the water maintenance positions on that just to kind of show the current the market reference point and the uh percent difference. Um you know, as you move further into it, you know, we get into the pay grades. Um the study established paygrades for all of the positions. Um when you get to exhibit six, which is a little bit further back, you you start to see it

broken down by the pay grade. So that is uh starting at at grade three and working its way up. So it it breaks out all of the different positions um classification titles, range minimum, market reference point, and the range maximum. And so that is based off of that study that uh analyzed basically agencies in Lexington, Richland County uh and then also a Sluda County agency. Um so that was again presented previously. Uh but it goes all the way up to an E1, which is the town manager, but really the recommended pay grades are uh the 3 through 20. Uh, and so would it breaks down the the different ranges from throughout the area. Um, and if you go to the next one, which is exhibit 7, it does the exact same thing, but it's in alphabetical order. So, if you want to look by position alphabetically, you can do that as well. Um and then that um the last page is just again breaking down the uh annual salaries recommended market average midpoint and the recommended range market reference point. So um just kind of reenting that information to you again. Um, you know, we have talked about uh last week uh reviewing uh permit fees, increasing that to to generate more revenue. We've talked about uh business license increase to generate more revenue and then also presented uh millage information to you as well. Uh in order to implement this, there would have to be some type of millage increase. And I don't recommend a full implementation in year one. I don't know that we could bite that much off. So, um, you know, I do. [sighs]

So, the the number on page two that 283.

Yes, sir. Uh, and it also includes uh some positions on the utility side which we have had some recent adjustments. when we had a staff member leave, we did a few adjustments in the utility maintenance, but the very bulk of that is general fund numbers. And so, yeah, you're you're really looking at closer to 350 to have probably 350 to 375 range to implement that um in the general fund, which would be where business licenses, permitting fees, and the the millage increase would come from. And so it's got to be at least broken out over two years. Um I I know we had a a pretty good discussion last week about the business license and and we have to discuss that further as we move forward. Um hopefully y'all got you been doing some homework to to look at that and compare to other places. Uh I as I mentioned before, I'm not an advocate for 100% on the business license. I do think a declining scale is um is the right thing to do, but adjusting that scale. Um several of the options that were presented last week could generate, you know, probably in the 100,000 range from permitting and business license adjustments, but that still leaves a big gap to to generate through tax increase. Yes, Steve. Um so, uh as as Councilman Hall had mentioned last week, um he specifically addressed the the police salaries. Uh police is is certainly our largest department and also has some of the widest u ranges on low pay. If you look at the the the monitor again, it's the

staff range is about 24 to 40% uh below grade um with the the chief the department head being 34%. That was based off of chief Amy's salary when he when he left. Uh but if you look at the street department, they're at 34% 30 for the department head. Fleet is 35 and 24. Fire department, the the firefighter salaries are better 11 to 23. the chief is is much lower. Um finance department that is just the clerk at 23. Um then planning which includes business licensing, permitting, code enforcement ranges from 19 to 31%. HR is at 36%. Uh it uh 43%. Uh the town clerk finance director is at 37%. Utility billing uh ranges from 26 to 44. Um and then again waste water uh is actually a little bit above on the staff and 11% below on the department head. Utility maintenance uh 5 to 14% with the 6% for that crew leader. Uh assistant town managers at 51% uh below the the average and utility director is 30%. So um that just kind of gives you an overview of where we stand. Again, uh, Councilman Hall had mentioned police and had requested, uh, some information and HR and and the major from the police department were able to pull that together. That's on your desk and and Dave is prepared to u answer any questions about that if you if you have any. Uh, the the request was for hire date, current position, start date, hourly rate, current salary, years of service, and years in position. Um, does anyone have any questions in particular about the police department salaries? Again, all the names were

removed for that purpose, but but that gives you top down. Um just you know I know that uh Councilman Hall that also mentioned last week talking about uh merit raise verse uh cost of living. Uh we do annual uh evaluations. Those were conducted in February this year with staff. Okay. Correction.

Okay.

In a in a in a perfect world, the cola is part of it. Yes. Cola and step is the the perfect world and that's that is what is designed for. We're talking our budget somewhere 22. Well, Councilman But I I believe you make a good point which kind of goes to the fact that the assistant town manager is 51%. I didn't put mine on there. Utility director is 30%. Uh however, the police officer jobs, the the police officer, the firefighter, the street employee, those jobs are essentially the same. And and we're we are losing those positions to those departments.

Chip, you got an extra copy that I could have perhaps? Yes.

Yeah, we we have been averaging about 3%. Uh the last several budgets have been three. Prior to that it was 2%. Uh to my knowledge in my experience which has been 15 plus years straight we have not had greater than 3%. We we started 3% around right after COVID. So we we've probably been doing 3% for the last four or five years. So that's the same material. Yes, it is. Um I did not print that out. Uh it was in the pack that you received back in January and February. Uh it involves Lexington County, Richland County, uh Lexington, Irma, to West Columbia, Casey, uh the airport, city, Columbia, uh I believe Saluda County, uh Sheriff's Department was also part of that and and then there were several state agencies. Well, you know, let's face it, for police officers, we are competing in a very large market. Uh, and probably at a disadvantage, in a lot of ways, revenue being one and cost to our citizens per officer on the road. Um, and other jobs, uh, you know, actually we're competing locally, uh, for a lot of the jobs in in in here. Uh, I can't I don't know of a single position here that we're competing against the University of South Carolina or possibly, you know,

um, yeah, security officer for the airport. But I'm I'm just police officer police and fire. Okay. Yeah. But then you also have I'm saying that the police net is much we're competing in a much bigger area. U, we do compete against highway patrol or whatever. Uh yeah, the highway patrol is controlling a whole a whole different level of policing. Yeah. So is so is Lexon County, but they take some of our offices. I believe uh Councilman Freddy can tell you about Lexon County's patrol responsibilities. Correct. Councilman, I don't know how familiar I am with them after it's been a couple decades.

30 years. Oh, okay. But [laughter] at one point in time, exactly. Uh, I know that we're out of line. Uh, but those numbers are Wait, are we out of line for a town our size or are we out of line for bigger municipalities, bigger police forces and bigger shards, one of them? We got too much confidence in the smaller area.

So, and our our police officers have to work the same number of hours. They have to have the same just listen.

Let me say something. They have to work the same number of hours. They have to have the same training that these other places have to do. True, it might not be as many people in town, but those district those places have a lot more police on the street. Percentage-wise, we probably have more per officer than some of those bigger places, more citizens that they have to look out for. So, it it all boils down to the same thing. they're police officers, whatever, whether they're highway patrol, whether they're in Colombia, they all have to do the same thing. And they and we have they have to compete for them for that. And the same thing with other jobs

that we have in town, we have to compete. We pay the bottom of the barrel, we're going to get the bottom of the barrel to work for us. Is that what we want? When you when you make that choice as a police officer, you know you're going to a smaller bar. You know you're not going to get pay. It's like when you move to a small rural community, you know what you know what you're getting into when you do that. It's not fair for the citizens to pay um big city prices for small city services. We're not saying big city. That's what you compare yourself to.

Well, you can look at the years of service and see how low it mean because the turnover is what's killing us. But the turnover is not all about I bet it is. Have you seen it? Have you done exit interview? No. Have you seen it? No. Because they won't do it. But if you do an excellent interview, I guarantee you that salary may be three, four down and not number one because people understand. Well, I mean I I see where you look, but let's know let's talk to some people that he loved and see if they left some money or some other reason. Well, I you know, I think that gohead,

you know, with with the police department, I think some areas, and I'll just use like West Columbia because I'm there so much. They have three or four officers doing I mean, we have three or four officers doing what they I'm back. We have one officer doing what they have three or four officers doing in a smaller boat. That is Sorry. In a smaller bowl, they have less calls. Well, So they they have people they have extras to go on calls that we don't have

and and perhaps perhaps we don't understand the data that's being presented. The the data is not to get to the highest salary. It's to get towards the average. We're not saying they need to be paid as well as the highest paid organization in the area. Not that's not the goal. The goal is to get them even on the scale, which is still 20% below the average. So if you've got the 10 different agencies, and you average that out, we're we're 30 or 40% below that average. Are we are we talking about apples to apples, we're not talking about state troopers. We're talking about

Well, if this is towns the size of Vanamberg or or Allenale, then we need to be competing with Vanamberg and Allenale. We're not competing, but we're not competing with Banberg and Allen police officers. We're competing with Lexon and County.

My concern is go ahead and that's where we are. Let's look at the police department and let's look at the others.

10% increase for the others. All right. and over until we can really take a look at a much closer state. What were you saying all

I'm just saying we have we is we need to bring the police department up maybe two in a two-year it may take two years to bring it up. All right that that I'm I'm giving my concern is the other positions. All right. The step program, uh, if we take the step program, uh, you are encouraging without great supervision and management. Nothing inferred, but you're encouraging mediocre people to stay and just do what's necessary to keep their job. There's no without a merit system. What incentive does anybody have to do anything other than come to work in the morning and because they've got to do 50 reports? Do 50 reports, not 51.

Well, the only thing any employee needs to be measured against is their job description. Do we have job descriptions? Yes, sir. Okay. Yes, we have all the job descriptions were updated as part of this program and uh like I said, we have done evaluations. They were completed I believe in February and the previous was I think it was November of 24. So a little over a year. Would you like a copy of the job description? So I'll walk to the car and get you a notebook. It's okay for now, but I'll get it from you after. Sure. Okay. Yeah. Um again I don't think anybody would object to uh the steps being tied to job performance as far as having a a satisfactory

merit system. Yes. And that is not I don't think that's the problem. I think uh I think most of the employees would embrace the opportunity for that step system to be implemented and

well and and and by in exchange that they are being evaluated fairly and honestly by their supervisor and and are I don't want to say rewarded but for lack of a better vocabulary rewarded for for that hard work and dedication. Um are we perfect? Is every employee exceptional? No. Nobody nobody is making that case. But I do believe that the vast majority of our employees are good hardworking people that are are giving a lot to this community. So I'm just going along that.

So if if you want to tie to represent the people in their best interest and their be a good steward of their and I noticed my uh my wall banner disappeared. It got folded. All right. a good steward of of their money. So, I have to look at both sides of the coin. Um, the step system, by the way, is a two-year system. So, how do you how do you handle annually? Do we actually have a performance review uh a formal performance review form that we use a formal evaluation form? Yes. Yes. Annually? Yes, sir. Every employee gets a evaluation annually. They sit down.

Yeah. their their supervisor conducts a annual evaluation. Yes. And you look at the overall I don't necessarily look at everyone but my staff does. I know Cricut reviewed the vast majority if not all of them. Okay. So uh again I I don't think the employees would have any objection to the steps being implemented as a meritable process. I don't have a problem with that. So y'all, I've worked under the STEP system my entire career. And when I know what's coming in the next year or two based on this year's salary schedule, that absolutely factors into my decision to continue with my position or look elsewhere.

Correct. 100%. We we just teach. Okay. The problem with some of this is you folks don't live in the real world. I mean, you don't I mean, it it's you want to single out the police department and we got all these other people. You think that's not going to cause dissension? You going to raise the police department, not raise the others? That's going to cause dissension in the ranks, folks. Mr. Mayor, did you listen to what I said?

I did listen and you said let's concentrate on the police department and do the others later. That's exactly what you said. Put a 10% like a 10% for the others and then look at implementing the plan. Well, I don't think you can do for one what you don't do for the others. We have responsibility to every employee that we got. We also have responsibility to the voters.

We get to the point of where we take care of one and we don't take care of the others. We ought to all be voted out of office. we shouldn't be able to stay here because that is not what we're elected to do. You have you want to be good stewards with the money, but you also are responsible for having good employees to take care of the town. And you have to treat good employees fairly. That's what you do. Pay them a decent salary. We don't pay a decent salary across the board. That's obvious. None of our people except for one department are on scale. None of them. We 30% below on every

I question the scale. I simply questioned the validity of the scale. I'm not Well, that's all we have to go on because we can't help. We're out here where we are. I mean, and most people are going to be going to these other places that are closer when they leave. So, we are competing with those even though they're bigger. We have to be competitive. No, we absolutely are competing. I mean our police department with Lexon County Sheriff's Department. And not only that, not only that, the other departments as well. Not only them, the utilities, they can go somewhere else and they can make more money. Who can blame them for not going? Yes.

It's our fault if we don't keep them where they can be competitive and earnest a earn an honest living. It rests on us. It's our fault. Nobody yet. I think our street department is in in a big need. I think our street department Well, I'd like to propose that whatever we do for what we do for all. I agree with what you just said because that will cause a cension. I think so. Um and then you'll have turnover in other departments you hadn't been having. That's right. So, uh, we just got to figure out what we can afford to do and let's do it and let's do it. [clears throat]

And if it takes three years to get it, at least we can show a good faith effort that we're trying. And as long and that's all we really need to do, I think, is to is to try to make it better. I think most will understand if we work a little bit, try to get it there. I don't I don't think we have to go out and do it all at one time. I don't think we can. I mean, you know, I don't want to have to pay that kind of tax increase either cuz we all pay taxes and we don't want to pay them, but we all have to pay them

and we don't want to go out there and and put the burden on our constituents that they don't want to pay them either and we'll have a revolt there. So, you got to you got a double-edged sword. That well that brings me to the question of paying the third highest taxes in Lexon County Batesburg Leville area. How did we get into this situation? Now are we talking municipal taxes or schoolboard taxes? Okay. All right. We're doing something if we're doing something in in Batesburg Leville

that the rest of these small towns don't do. We're paying for a fire department. We support a fire department. That's where the difference is. That's why ours is there. None of these other small towns in the area are paying for their fire service. That comes from the county and they and so we that's about what 23% 23 minutes 23% higher to for us to support the the fire department than it is in say Swansy or all those places where the county spending for their fire. Well, see that better explains it. That's why if we were get what what cost of living raise we getting and that's right in line with every everybody else in the county but somehow we've got just

well during co during co u we actually did not give raises we gave a lump sum bonus uh a percentage bonus uh that came two days that came from the feds well but that's that's what we gave the employees in L. Oh, I agree. I know the county. Yeah.

And and one last note I I guess before we can move on is, you know, while we were comparing bigger departments and and certainly uh administratively you have a higher span of control and maybe different responsibilities. Um, you know, you can look at the the fire department, you can look at our fleet department. They do multiple jobs that are outside of that scope. You know, our firefighters, for instance, a oneperson crew. They are not just a firefighter. They are the engineer. They're going to be the first one on scene making command decisions. They are are way more involved than just a firefighter at Lexon County. So, um, where they're on at least a crew of three. So, there are expectations for different departments. fleet. You know, this past uh last week they were out putting up flags and banners in preparation for culture festival. They do street sweeping. So, they do a lot of jobs that are outside of just fleet and maintenance of equipment side of a mechanic. Uh and and street department is certainly uh in that same boat. They're not just picking up limbs and leads. They're going and cleaning rental facilities and bathrooms and they get stuck kind of with any manual labor that needs to be done that's just outside of the norm. David, can you get the guys to go do XYZ? Uh so the the size does factor into they've got to be a a Swiss Army knife and do a little bit of everything. Uh, so I did want to stress that that while a police officer is a police officer, I think our police officers probably do a little bit more than just a police officer that's an entry- level guy at West Columbia. Uh, they might end up doing more investigation on the scene where we only have one or two investigators that are able to do that detective work. So, uh, the that job description is much broader for our staff, I believe, than for others,

but in a smaller pisto. Oh, absolutely. I agree. It's a smaller fish bowl. That's why they doing more. But they still have to eat the same amount. That little fish has got to eat, you know, they got to Yeah, but you're not the reason why you don't have a a police officer in Lexington or Columbia doing some things that these officers do is because it's a bigger area. They can't do. We're a smaller community.

Well, and and and I think you're making the point that I'm I'm trying to make. You're making the point that yes, you go to Colombia, that police officer, they're doing traffic. I'm just doing traffic all day long or I'm doing, you know, crimes, but I but there's an investigator that's going to come and do more. Our police officer can make a traffic stop, but then the next hour they're maybe at a a domestic violence, but you also have a different volume of the murder kills here versus what's going on in the Columbia election. But somebody still got to do it when it happens. Exactly. But it don't happen this often. That's what I'm trying to say. So when it's not happening, then you're doing something else. Okay. Well, that just makes sense to do something else.

I think we all agree.

We're not arguing that one. The part we are that we are arguing about is whether we given them enough to compensate whether they can make a good living. That's what we're talking about. us. We're not arguing about whether they performed their jobs. Most every employee we got goes above what they're supposed to do. There's no question in my mind. You see them out doing things that you go in another town, a bigger town, you're not going to see them doing the things that they do. That's great. We have that because we're a small town. We're a close-knit community. And that's the way it is. We all do things that we you wouldn't happen to do in other town. But that's part of living here. If I wanted to live like I lived in Columbia, I'd be in Columbia. I want to live here because I like living here.

And that's why people police here. Well, they like partially true. But we need to compensate them where they can make a living. Steve, I'm not doubting. I'm not I'm not It's not fair for us to sit back and not pay them because we don't think that they should be paid the same because they work in a small town. We're beating the dead horse. I've already

Well, but to answer Councilman uh Bose's uh Turner, excuse me, Councilman Turner uh concerns even I'll granted that we get a 23 mil break. But if we deduct the 23 mills from the 93.4 mills, which was 98, but 93 at the current time, that's 70 mills. We still are uh in the top three. All right. Swansy uh of course and Swansy is a disaster. Uh and the city of uh Colombia at 89. Um Casey is 62. Uh Mills U Gilbert is five. The town of Lexon looks like it's uh 23 or 24. Pione is uh 18 mills. Uh Springdale 58 mills. Urmo does not have a property tax whatsoever. West Columbia is at 66 mills. U all right. So we're still uh ranking the top three out of the 15 entities. But again, it is relationship to we're in a a borderline and uh actually we're in a declining population and declining tax base. Uh may not be actually visibly declining but the increase is not as great as most of these other municipalities. So our tax base has not kept our tax base has not kept pace with uh other communities that are in a position to change.

Well, I I don't want it taking I'm the biggest advocate here. that you pay employees work. I mean, I think all these employees need to be brought on to where it's a they can make a living% issues on homes that this thing has got way out of whack with needing seven police cars, new fire truck, you know, needing uh equipment for

um this for public works to even take care of the antiquated system that we have now. I mean this and underpaid employees. It just seems like we're in a bad situation and I don't want to raise taxes on anybody, but we have to pay these employees to where they we just got to figure out I think we got to scrutinize everywhere we can. Yeah. It's not a question if it's a question of how much and from where. Right. Yes. We got to go with it because we do have to have the money. We have to have the police cars and that's not this this sitting council is not the problem that we created. It's a problem that we inherited. Yes.

It is a 30-year-old. I resemble some remarkable problem. Well, one one thing I would like to mention, pardon me, just going back to your point, you know, and and Dave and I are are both born and raised here that is fading away in the fire in the police department. Our numbers are are declining. So you don't see as many Wallace Oswalds that grew up here that police here for 40 years or 46

46 pardon my my math but uh you're not seeing that Batesburg leaves were born and raised staying here and and being okay with that underpaid I guess Dave and I are the exceptions and we're still doing that but you know there are plenty of people that get in a car and you ride there's Columbia police car that parks on Main Street because I think he lives upstairs over Twin City Wasa there's multiple Lexington County West Columbia cars that are in town because they live here, but they drive to work in a a town- owned vehicle with town gas that they're they're they're living here, but police and elsewhere because that for me now.

Yeah. You made my mind before that we don't have homegrown people that are okay with it like it is or has been. It it it's changed. Miss Miss Betty, I cut you off. Okay. and we and we nobody's arguing that we shouldn't pay people. Okay. Well, so existing in the existing budget, we're we're you know, we're matched up. We're we're paying those numbers that we presented that those current salaries and so what and you weren't here last week when we talked about, you know, a permit fee increase. I saw a bit of anction.

Okay. Okay. And so we we were talking about permit fee increase which would generate some revenue. Uh business license, you know, that's something I think there was consensus of changing some of that to increase that revenue as well to try to spread that out so it's not a direct tax increase on the citizen, but spreading that to some of the new and some of the other areas. Uh one of the things that we talked about also last week, if you recall, was uh impact fees on on public safety. And so if we can generate the the the public safety impact fee that goes back to what Bo was talking about with uh the vehicles, the police cars, the fire trucks, that would be for capital expenses. And that could remove some of that capital expense from the millillage, the taxes that are being paid by the citizens and shift that more to the impact fee to reallocate some of that money. So it would free up some of the the regular taxes that we currently generate and and put some of those capital expenses on impact fees coming from new construction. So I know that Major had a a comment he wanted to add. So you know addressing a couple concerns that I've heard y'all bring up without step raises without the steps to go forth. Um when you bring someone in, we just recently hired someone with nine almost nine years experience. Uh he wanted to leave. So when we bring them in and we try to pay them commensurate to what they make without any type of band or scale to put them on, then we have to adjust other people's pay to try to make it work their while to get that person to want to make the decision to come work in Batesburg Leville. with the steps and the scales that are there that would alleviate that because you're bringing them in at this at this hay band and then on that scale you can adjust them based on their experience. I

can absolutely assure you that at the police department, the evaluations are being done fairly and appropriately for the folks that are doing the work because captain and I did everybody's or touched everybody's and went over everyone's before they came over here to town hall and they were they were fair and adequate. touching your point 146 days ago. The reason that one reason other than I lived here and I want to live here and I want to work here is stuff just doesn't happen in Batesburg Leville and we don't have to do a lot of police stuff. But 146 days ago that changed and I don't care where you work when you have to do your job the ultimate job it changes things. It changes your mind on how you see things happen. It doesn't matter if you work in West Columbia. It doesn't matter if you work in the city of Columbia. It doesn't matter if you work in Allenale. It doesn't matter if you work in Barnwall.

What are you talking about? I had to doing your job being a victim of violence as a police officer. Okay. But that's but that's happened twice in the past year. But you're saying that crime to be a problem?

No, not saying crime's getting to be a problem. Those people aren't from the community, but it's coming through here. And we need to make sure that we provide our folks with the incentive because you can see here on this the sheet that I provided at your request is we have current seven openings, but it really feels like 10 because we have three that are pre-academy that can't take action as law enforcement. So, we're really 10 of 26 road slots short.

Okay. If I may insert a word here, the step system, as I think Councilman uh Sprdley will tell you, is totally different than a merit system. All right? A merit system provides for salary growth based on your actual performance. A step system as defined, a step system is automatic. All you have to do is come to work, do enough that whoever supervises you says don't come back and and but it's yours. It's guar it's pretty it's a guaranteed step. Uh in a true step system and that's the way I took it. Every two years we're going to move somebody up automatically whether they are under u probation or whatever. A step system says you put two years in the term, you get a $2,000 raise. You put two more years in, you get a $4,000 raise. You put two more, it's now six over where you started only because you show up to work. It's not a merit system. Now I think you concur that merit of performance reviews and a a gentleman of you want an officer who is doing his job to get an increase. You want a officer who's doing excellent puts out an excellent work. You want him to do even better than what he's doing. So therefore it's a merit increase. If you do better than just being average, you get something. I'm not saying no increases. I'm saying nothing guaranteed and automatic just simply because you keep the seat warm. All right. And merit systems. I'm sorry. That's what that's what a step that's what a step system that is what a step system does.

Well, Councilman Hall with the evaluations and promotions. Okay. All right. not um compensate for the it it it should equal out the merit system so to speak that the step system is going to automatically put there but then through evaluations well one thing that the step system that you don't take in consideration of what you're talking about surely to goodness with two years of experience he's going to be able to perform the job or he or she should be able to per perform the job better with experience

and you're paying for experience and that's what industry does. They pay you can't get away from the step system because you don't like it. It's the way the world works this day and time. Okay. ju just from a different perspective. It it equal it should equal out uh per se. All right. But a merit system is still an incentive to do something. The step system is keep the seat warm.

But even if if the step system is in place without being tied to merit, the merit system is still active. The merit system, the per the performance evaluations are still being done. And if we're paying our folks adequately and commensurate to their counterparts in other agencies, we're documenting their poor performance and they don't stay retained. You don't keep someone who is dead wood on in in your in your stack. Well, you don't have to anymore because you're That's right. you're gonna be able to get somebody competitive. That's right. And well,

so would you prefer to give your an officer's an increase on an annual basis or on a two-year basis? Well, I think the study was annually. I did not understand the steps to be annual. I be annual. Yeah, I be annual. I understood it to be annual. Mis misinterpretation. Okay. And and I have I have an opinion.

That's right. That's right. And I just wanted to kind of give you a perspective from from our side of the of the boat just in our little world of the police department. And it's, you know, it's hard. You know, our guys, we're we're seven short. We feel like 10. They're maintaining that sub three minute response time.

Mhm. every month this year. Just like the average for all 12 months last year, they're still doing what they're supposed to be doing. They're doing it better than any of these other agencies that we're competing against. So, not only when they leave here to go to those agencies to make more money, they don't have to work as hard, which is the point that the town manager was trying to make. They're not having to they don't have all of the responsibilities that that our guys have. Our guys have extra responsibilities right now because we have those 10 holes that we we have to try to put a finger in and plug every day. So, it's it's tough.

It really is. the other duties as assigned. Yes, ma'am. That's right. Yes, ma'am.

And we're we have seven vacancies for the for road officers. Seven vacancies for road officers. And then if you see out there on the right beside lines 18, 19, and 20 or excuse me, 19, 20, and 21, they're they're pre-AC Academy or at the academy. So that really feels like for the for the six folks that are flopping shifts back and forth, it's it's just the six of them running those those calls for service every day. And we've got an investigator trying to pick up the big stuff and and where when we implemented investigations into our ranks and shifting folks around so we could provide that service so that the citizens would have a better service from the police department. you know, that that takes we don't have the staff to put in there to make sure that that the road officers don't have that responsibility anymore. So, they're still wearing that hat and they're still having to do what what they're doing. And and they're not complaining about having to do it. They just it's just it just hurts us. Well, the ones that of us been there for a long, a few of us that have been there for quite some time, it hurts our it hurts our hearts because we know we're still sticking it out trying to fight for the town and do and then they're going over to West Colombia. They're going to West Columbia. They're going to Casey and they're making $15,000 more starting out. And it doesn't matter about their experience. They're starting at the bottom with as a zero experience officer making that much more than what we're paying here. And it's tough.

It's tough. And they're given a car, so it doesn't really cost them anymore to get there. That's right. It used to be It used to be take on vehicles. That was a big thing. Uh when I started here, 18.46 years. November, I'll start my I'll have 19 full years in. And uh when I started here, we were hot boxing cars, meaning I would drive my personal vehicle to work. I could I'd hop in a car that somebody else had already had their honey in for 12 hours and it was nice and warm and sometimes stunk and well I'll let you draw your own conclusions there. Sorry. So we were on the same shift so we didn't have to slide car but but yes ma'am

yes ma'am we have take home cars and so does everybody else and and you right and and and we try really hard to make our folks happy you know and it's evident because they still they I'm telling you you're not going to go anywhere else in Lexon County and get a sub 5 minute response time on average like we provide and ours is sub 3 minutes and that's what been for January, February, March and it was 2.66 minutes for the year 2025.

Right. Yes, ma'am. Oh, absolutely. So, you can attract people, but we want to be able to attract people.

And absolutely. And and I know that it is unfathomable to try to get all there at one time. I know that that's that's just not fair to everybody. It's not. But if it's 2 years, even if it's begrudgingly 3 years, um you know, that's better than nothing. And we are and and the employees are going to see that everyone is putting their best foot forward to try to do something and recognize the the discrepancy. And that and that's all we're asking. And I just wanted to Jay gives you the big overview and I just wanted you to hear it from the department level. So that and and that was and I'm and I'm glad that the 23 hours that we had notice to get that letter done for that at Councilman Hall's requests. I'm glad we did it because it does show right there in black and white and yellow and gray and that of

right that I don't even know what they are even though I used them. Um it it shows you a real feel of what it's like for us every day when we go to work, you know, how short we are and where we're at. So are you trying to say the council in other districts can't text the station and say my neighbor? No. No. Is that what you say? Above and beyond.

Well, but you know I mean it doesn't matter. I mean, when people build those relationships, you know, it doesn't matter what what person they are. I know I know your medicine woman, but yeah, that is a perk of working here in Batesburg at least. When you build those, it's hard to know when you're been here your whole life and everybody knows who you are before you walk in a room. It's like when I haven't been wearing a uniform for the past 146 days. Oh, you're off today or that I mean that's the number one question that I got except from the you know the people that I'm closely tied to and I'm like yeah I'm off today and you know I'm off all the time. So, but but you know, but the people that come here from outside of town to work here, that's what that's what makes them happy when they are here is because they get the text from the the friendships that they build and develop while they're working and they pass it on. So, they can help they can help their friend out and it's a personal it's a personal touch.

I want to say this, I was born here 76 years ago. I would have guessed a day over 23 years. But I can say I never I worked in for 27 years, but I came back here because I felt safe. Yes, ma'am. And I still influx of new still trust.

So, we work really we work really hard to try to keep it as safe as we possibly can. It's that outside group that that comes in. We we can't control that. But I'm telling you, 146 days ago, life changed differently and it it hits a little, you know, you trained for it your whole career, but it changes and it hits different. And it's happened and and we had two incidents within a month. They weren't from here. They were from out of state, both of them. And you know, it makes a difference, but but uh you know, we had to be trained and prepared for. That's right. That's right. Thank you.

Yes, ma'am. Thank y'all for listening. My question is that what is council prepared to do everybody everybody um fire department police department we need more money across the world on that um that raise taxes how much is it going to cost everybody to a 20 to 25 or no more than that I I'll have to option number two is going to cost you about 400 to 450 maybe before I I I again some of that is um on the utility side. So,

and I think everybody knows that I'm very much in favor of letting business license and share a majority of that burden. I think we can we can let every business in town do like I did. I forgot I forgot to pay my business license on time and I paid the penalty and so we can get every business in town to pay the penalty and we'll it'll help out a little bit longer license and um are we talking about impact fees for the new development for public safety? But that's uh at least a year off. Are we talking about doing? But yeah.

Yeah, that that is definitely you're gonna have I mean are there is it going to impact the upcoming fiscal year? Stretch. This was a good year, but we talked about a threeyear thing. Yeah. So I'm just asking I'm looking for revenue. So we we're going to do because those new people will tax the police and fire. If if we can change the impact fees and do do what we need to do and start charging impact fees for police and fire and roads and everything that we have to do.

It takes what it'll take us years a month to two to get to get the ordinances passed. Well, I think the first step would be we we've got to post an RFQ to to hire a company to do that capital improvement plan. Show where we going to use the money and how we going six more months. Um hopefully it will not take one has been the current one is not completed. That's right. And we authorized that in January. January.

So you're so time frames uh things move uh very very slowly. Uh but to give you an example, our largest business license um currently should be running about 73,000. If we go to a zero discount rate, which a lot of communities do. They're they're varying, but zero discount rate. That business license would bring in uh 46 to 150,000 uh more than more than my argument with business license and discount rate.

For those of us that are small businesses, we get no discount and we're paying the big guys who can afford it. We pay small businesses are paying a bigger cut of the pie of our pie. Mhm. Than the big pl the big boys have to pay. And that's not fair

to penalize the small guys. The big guys that the town ought to be trying to help and encourage to come here and establish. But you know, we're benefiting the big guys by the way we do it. And I don't think that's right. And of the question 25 of the 25 or 30 businesses that benefit discount rate only about five of them are locally owned. So I mean you're talking we're talking about the Taco Bells. We're talking let's let's not talk names. Let's try to not talk. Excuse me. All right. Those um corporations limited service restaurants.

So So would it be possible? I mean, I don't I don't know where to start. Do we I'm just talking about ownership, not what they contribute. Well, do we talk about a new business license?

So, so yes, I think we're talking about modifying business license and and that was, you know, one of the com, you know, conversations from last week. And so, you know, that one scenario I threw out where we we adjusted the declining rate. Certainly, it can be adjusted even more. Uh it could be raised higher, could be eliminated. Um I I think all of those are on the table. Um as we discussed, I don't think that's going to happen before July 1. I think we need a little bit of time for for council to evaluate

the uh benefit of the fact on business licenses they come in and we can change it up until January 1 or February 1. Naturally, the requirement is whether or not you can get the modified rates inputed to MASC or and I assume we could handle it overnight in our own system. But those revenues will be coming in in the next fiscal year. If we if we went from 10 10 to 555 this year, that would increase significantly the revenues in the current fiscal year. And then the next year we phase them out. Also the business owners know it's coming

cuz it would be we just the business cycle license cycle just started for the new year May 1st. So you got we got anything we do can impact the next fiscal year. Yeah. But but we we I don't think there is any way we can have that ordinance passed prior to July 1. That would be later in the fall. Uh, I would not want to wait to Yeah, I would I would think that we need to make sure we get adequate and do the research that we need to do, but I think we definitely should change the way business licenses are done. I think I think the big boys need to pay a little bit more what they pay. Yeah, I think our discount rates are all

How much money do you transfer from um enterprise [snorts] to um general general or vice? It's 5% franchise fee is that transfer. There's also the transfer where they're helping pay for salaries. But they pay 50% salaries for finance, HR, manager, uh, for those. So there's two different pots. There's a franchise fee, then there's that. Is it any money that goes from general funds to enterprise? Okay. Because the reason I was asking is because if we um we looking at um commercial rate for water out of town

and I was just thinking about that that revenue. I don't know how that revenue is going to be needed to update our infrastructure. Yeah, we might be able to take some of the if you look at if you look at a map of what lines are running where in our town and our potential for annexation. U everybody usually thinks of Columbia when a 24in line burst. Uh I think we probably have what five or six blocks of 12 in line in town. A very limited number of you got a big line that goes out to JB Martin. So that line coming from the old water plant out to JB Martin is is a 12 I believe

that's a direct line. Uh it actually goes to the Leville water tank and then it kind of goes down Terrace Way but everything in Batesburg gets 8 in I believe it's a 10 inch on on West Railroad from the old from the water tank at rgel going up towards which would have been Burlington.

Do do we have a map showing the lines? Do we have a layout of the size lines going through the town? So yes, we we have uh that is that has been enhanced with that valve study. Um and so that will all be on GIS through Lexon County shortly. It's going to be all digital. So we've got a lot of paper maps. Um but this will be getting everything the big stuff, not all the smaller lines and main lines. Yes, you can but you can look at a general idea uh in the look at the 2008 comprehensive report

and there is both sewer a map of sewer and map of uh flood and I don't think it's changed significantly it's just grown some all of that is still in the ground obviously how many old 2in lines are left where you're trying to supply a city block or two city blocks I don't think the downtowns have 2 in. I think the downtown's 6 in for the most part. Uh that that downtown Batesburg historic district is is I believe 6 in. There were some 2in lines in regional that went on the out street.

Yes, there there are there are a fair number of 2-in lines that are supplying residential streets. Yes. But the the business districts are typically at least 6 in. At least that's my experience from our side. Was there not a GIS map that was uh done for water and sewer and stuff about five or six years ago? So that I think it might have been Samson that did it. There was uh so we had work done on mapping of sewer uh with as part of the uh infiltration and inflow study uh and there was some mapping done with that that was

u GIS and then also with overlay of the paper map. So you can go to the website and you can you know might have to search a little bit through some paper maps on the digital setup. uh the GIS on the water side was not done at that time. The the water project uh that all was obviously designed in the last five six years. So all of that is uh digital and and available and the uh the same company Hazen and Sawer was doing that valve assessment.

Yep. And so Hazen has integrated the the recent valve study in with the u the water plants or the water project. So all of that is seamless and they also have water modeling. I remember that RFQ when it came out. Okay. Yeah. So the our firms went in for it too. You didn't get no I know the reason. Okay. Yes. Before we move to the next thing. Yes sir. I think we need to talk shortly. Let's get food. Okay. All right. We'll take a about a five minute break. Michael, you want to

All right. All right. So, we are we're back for part two. Uh, so this was something we had on the work session agenda a couple months ago. Um, and it was discussed for a few minutes and then was decided to bring it back up later. So, um, so we're going to talk about the procurement ordinance. um our procurement policy. Um what I put on your your uh table earlier was the uh MASC model ordinance. Uh our ordinance is 14 or 15 pages long. This is much more concise. Um Councilman Knox had reached out to Rob at Masc got this and so she [clears throat] had done a lot of the leg work on it. But um this has been adopted by many of the municipalities around and Ocean RA has done it. I was looking at theirs. Um the main thing that it addresses is the uh rate discrepancy. Uh if you look at the the TV monitor and the current policy, which is from 1996, department heads can are authorized to up to $500, town manager $1,000, and then council approvals needed on expenditures over $1,000. There are some exceptions and then [clears throat] bids are required for uh the expenditures or bids are you know getting three quotes uh above a thousand. Uh so in this proposed it it's bumping it up to 2500 for department heads, five for the town manager council approval needed for 5,000 more uh and then bids required at that point. Um so it's in keeping with the same spirit just bumping those numbers up. it's been 30 years and had not uh been updated along the way. What the mayor and I talked about was for future purposes every couple years making sure we're reviewing it and it may not require an adjustment every two years but at least paying closer attention to it. Uh a lot

of the ordinances done shortly after consolidation were uh there was a lot of ordinances that were new and brought in from outside to bulk up the ordinance book and haven't really been looked at closely since. So uh procurement is one of them. Um just to kind of touch base on a few things, those numbers are are in section 1-04 on page two purchasing authority. Uh so it goes into some detail on that. Um what is on the board is our existing policy parameters and then you've got uh section 1-4 that it shows the current one. Um so again for the exceptions just so you're aware I know I mentioned it but the exceptions in the current policy you know exclude um uh emergency vehicle repairs uh legal and professional fees or any payment of or refunded [clears throat] order by an appropriate court having proper jurisdiction. Obviously, that's pretty rare, but a couple of things like emergency vehicles is certainly one that we have had numerous of with an aging fleet, especially at the fire department. Um, does anybody have any questions? Again, this was something

the rationale what's the rationale of going increasing the authority by factor of 500%. What was the rationale behind that? the cost of doing the cost of buying stuff in Nevada now. Well, the purchase power of a 1996 dollar is now worth $210. That's a far stretch from a factor of five. Just asking what the rationale was.

The rationale is all right, I'll give you the perfect example. Just this week for the town, the guys from the utility department came to my place and asked me if I had a 1 in [clears throat] [cough] testable backflow prevent. Testable meaning it's anybody that's on commercial things, you have to have a testable meter where they can go there and you have to pay a certified backflow tester to go in and test it. The businesses have to do that up at M Rancho. Not me, R Man Rancho, but up at

Felipe Felipe's new place. They paving and they broke the one that was there off. No one in town had it. So I told them I'd go down there and get one. And I said, "You won't test them." And they said, "Yes, a one in." The one that was there probably cost $25. The one to replace it, had I sold it for what I was supposed to sell it for, would have been 517, but I did not sell it for that price cuz it didn't cost me that price. So, I gave the town a break on it and, you know, get it under the $500. But it's something that simple that had that place out of water that we couldn't get in town. That's how much things have gone up. And it and it's that way across the board. You just things things are more expensive. $500, $1,000 for the kind of stuff the town's buying. It's not realistic. It's just not realistic at all. When all the other we work for for state parks in my business, they all have these numbers, the 2500 without having to get bids. If you go above the 5,000, then they have to get it. You have to be at the job. And so this this is just what everybody else is doing. The way things are today since co prices of stuff's gone crazy.

And in our business, um I'm gathering things probably up 200% the last 10 years. I mean, that's 200% on something. It's, you know, a Coca-Cola it was two years ago. Everything is is up about that much and 96.

So another item that was an optional uh thing is on page four. Um it is under the section for 2.02 invitation to bid. Uh this was something that uh again was an optional uh thing and if council wants to remove it that's that's certainly fine. Um in addition the director which is the department head may allow the lowest local bidder defined as a bidder maintaining a place of business physically located and operating within the limits of Batesburg Leisville whose bid is within 5% of the lowest non-local bidder to match the bid submitted by the non-local bidder and thereby be awarded a contract. again just showing a little bit of uh difference to uh the local uh business. Uh so that section nine is is related to that. And so that's just you know it is not a requirement that you you do business with with the local person. Uh but it allows that opportunity to do so.

You have the opportunity on there. Yeah. I mean, you're you're allowed to have a valid reason why you accept it. And I would assume the council can say the valid reason is there are local business and we want to do pay more for that. Typically codified into I would have to look. Why would you have to? I mean, you can do it now. Yeah. Uh I I don't know that you have to do it. Again, it's an optional thing. Um it it was one of the options that was yeah that we have

my concern is you're doing away with a purchase order system no longer require blanket purchase orders. [clears throat] Correct. Checks and balances or just not here. Um [clears throat] in what way are you referring to? Well currently we have a purchase order system. This doesn't reference the need for purchase orders for anything under $5,000 or is it? And and so yeah, purchase orders are not used regularly for small items as blankets are though. Um I mean you're talking about like for chemical purchases.

No, I'm talking about a local hardware store has a blanket purchase order number. Well, yeah. We we have a line of credit that essentially line of credit or a purchase order. It's not purchase orders. I've never had a purchase order from anything they've gotten from me. Yeah. Yeah. We we are not actively you I mean back up following the current ordinance. So Okay. All right. Then we're not doing away with it. We're just uh we're reflecting reality. No, we're just uh documenting the fact that it's not

we we utilize purchase orders. And I know that I saw one from the police department the other day uh for larger items but not [clears throat] for the smaller items as it is. So uh you know for our checks and balances as you mentioned every invoice is reviewed by the department head and coded uh for the line item verifying [clears throat] that that product was received and and that is the the checks and balances. Um, and then on the back side with the check writing, it's also Cricut does the vast majority of it. Thankfully, [clears throat] she took that over from my duty. Um, but she also reviews those uh invoices when they come through and and reviews every invoice, signs off on it, and then we also have two signatures on the check. So, I think we do have an adequate checks and balance system.

Just asking questions.

Yes. So Cricut will go through uh she'll give folders for general fund enterprise hax. She'll go through the invoices and and and review them as well. And then she will initially Yeah. So each invoice has been reviewed by two people in addition to whoever made the purchase. I mean obviously you know certain employees can go to ACE and pick up supplies just like the crew that went to pick up that meter. you know, they they have certain uh flexibility there, but then the department head is the one that is going to review it, make sure that that's what we received, and there wasn't any I I know that we caught one one time where a person had bought a a soda. You know, it it was probably just an innocent mistake. They were getting a soda and it got rung up with the stuff and it got caught and they reimbured the town for it. Uh so it is reviewed.

Who uses the credit card? So, we have uh Cricut and myself have a credit card. There's one in the finance department, one at the police department. And so, they can be checked out by department heads for whatever. You know, there are things that require credit cards, online purchases, whatever. But credit cards, Office Depot. So, yeah. I mean, I don't even know if there's a signature often times when you go and swipe the card. Okay.

Uh but they have to bring that itemized receipt. It has to be an itemized receipt. Uh and again goes through that same review process just as you have the invoices where they're requesting in check. And so that invoice is cut in check. But then for credit cards you would have to bring that itemized receipt back for the for the documentation for paid. And again, it's signed off by the department head and also gets reviewed. Um, you know, there there's not a whole lot that really needs to be touched on. You know, one thing that is in there is emergency procurement. We rarely use that, but there are times when in the past if there was um a big storm, you know, the hurricane, you know, making some purchases for generators, things of that nature, uh those can be done. Um and it does touch on soul source. So, you know, that's their only only means to get something. Um you know, we'll be using since it's water meter. So, you know, we're not going to be bidding other meters necessarily, but it will be uh that sole source. Uh design build services in section 2.07 is another one that was uh an optional addin. Uh design build is typically, you know, if you're working with one company, they can design whatever project is and build it out. So, it just provides that as an option.

Yes. Yep. the same. You sometimes will have an engineer design it and somebody else comes in and build it, but you could have a design build as one. And mayor, was there anything else you wanted to to mention in there? on the thing is items that are in the budget.

Yes. Yeah. So, um you know, just as a reminder, yeah, if it's in the budget, um and this is applicable now, if for instance, if a police car, you know, we're hoping that one day we get to the point where a police car is in that capital line item annually. Um, as long as the procurement policy is followed with bids or in that case, state bid. Um, if you do state bid, you don't have to go get prices. They've already bid it out. Uh, in that case, it's in the budget. It's uh procured by the policy. It does not have to come back to council for a vote. But that's that's already the case. That means we've already approved it.

It's already been approved in the budget. Voted on the budget. it was approved with Monday.

Yeah. And the use of, you know, a a third party, you know, there state bid is the main one, but um there are others that bid it out. I think Florida Sheriff's Association is one. Uh we used HGAC, which used to be used to stand for the Houston Galveastston area council, but now it's it's a national thing. So, [laughter] we use that for the purchase of the fire truck. So you you can do a a variety of those and I'm I'm drawing a blank on what that what's that word or they've already bid in the process. They they've already done the procurement um bids for that. So there there are several different options. State bid is what we use. [clears throat]

Was that NASPO? Um, that wasn't what I was thinking of, but yeah, that that is uh the national GSA. Yeah, you you can go GSA, which government services. Um, does anybody have any questions? Do we have limits for the use of those cards that you're talking about? Like if it's over a certain amount, you can't use the card. You have to purchase order or something. Well, it still falls under the procurement. So, they can't go swipe it for 10,000. So it would still be 2500 for the the department head, 5,000 for the manager in that case, but they still have to follow the But we have a daily for the bank.

Yes. Yeah. Obviously, obviously the bank's not going to just give us a blank check, but uh usually the biggest charge is in June when we pay for the MASC conference. So we sometimes make sure we got all the the balance there. So which by the way, that's coming up soon. We we will be getting information y'all to be getting information from MASC and we'll be getting information if you want to attend in July in Greenville. First reading on this be next week. That's what I would recommend. Yes. Go ahead and move it forward. I know y'all are closed on the 11th, but we're still going to meet.

We're still going to meet. Um I did put the 25th as a work session and I had several people point out that is Memorial Day. So, we'll we'll push that one maybe to Yeah, I think everybody wants that one off. Most people don't have the Monday after the poultry festival holiday marked on their calendar, but um that is one for the town. Yeah. Memorial Day. So the backstory was it it the Confederate Memorial Day was a town holiday for a period of time, but you know, it was more beneficial for it to be the Monday after. It's a lot better. Yeah. What you got to do

and and there are so many staff members that are working the weekend. So So when we do the May, what will we move it to? Uh would would the Tuesday the 26th work for everyone? Thank you. So May 26, is that a a good date? That's three weeks from today. 26th. Okay, Chip, you good? Doesn't matter. You're tuning me out. Would May 26th be good for a work session? See? All right. I'm I'm good, sir.

All right. There's nothing else on the agenda. Without objection. Let's go. The comprehensial plan map does not show water lines less than 6 in.