County Council - Regular Meeting

2025 and the time is 6 pm. We do have a quorum of council present. We'll start with the pledge of allegiance followed by the invitation by Councilman

Guy to the Republic. Everybody that that would would you please uh stand with me and recite the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Guy. All right. First item on the agenda is number three, which is the approval of minutes. 3A is October 20th, 2025 council meeting minutes. I'll make a motion we approve the meeting minutes of October 20th, 2025. Second. All right. We have a motion, a second. Is there any discussion? Call for the question. Those in favor raise your right hand to say I. I. All in favor? Next is 3B, which is the October 24th, 2025 special meeting special called uh minutes.

Make a motion to approve the October 24, 2025 special call meeting minutes. A second. Motion and second. Is there any discussion? Call for the question. Those in favor, please raise your right hand and say, "I." I. All in favor? Next up is 3C October. That's the October 30th, 2025 CPST workshop minutes. I make a motion to accept the CPST workshop minutes. Second. Have a motion and second. Is there any discussion? Call for the question. Those in favor raise your right hand to say I. I. All in favor.

All right. So, that brings us to citizens comment. We have four people signed up to speak tonight. Um, I will call your name and if you'll come forward, if you'll state your name again, give us your address. Um, I will remind you you have three minutes to speak and um, we'll begin with David Morton. Uh, David Morton, 3857 Road, Richburg, South Carolina. So, I guess we're about five or six weeks, maybe a little bit more, I'm not sure, into the investigation of uh the board uh and being dissolved for the Richburg Fire Department. So, I guess I was going to see is there is there any new information as far as the citizens? We haven't heard anything. Has anything been found against the any of the board members or T at this time? Do we know? So, so at this time we're not able to we don't it's our policy not to do a back and forth. So this is this is your time. There'll be a later time during our meeting where there'll you know there's always more discussion about the topics on the agenda.

Okay. All right then. Uh so I guess if if it's questions then I need to wait and sign up for another sheet. I I just had another question as far as if the board was dissolved pending this investigation. If the investigation comes back and there's no wrongdoing anywhere, would the board be reinstated? the the Richburg Fire Horde. So, you give us your questions and then as we do our meeting, we we've heard your questions.

Okay. Uh, one last one. Uh, there was a uh a grant that was awarded to the Richburg Fire District for a life pack 15, like a supercharged defibrillator, provides CPR assistance and such. And I'm hearing that the county, I guess, has declined that grant. And as that's another question, just want to know why you would decline it at this time. And and I know it's probably saying that the board's under investigation, but right now it's the county not controlling all the finances for the for the Richburg Fire District. So I just don't understand why it would be declined. So that's it. Thank you very much.

Yep.

All right. Next up is Roxan James. Roxan Yarmal James 2314 Old Richburg Road in the big town of Richburg. We're growing every day. It's a wonder place to live here in Chester County and I'm excited. Of course, this is November. A lot of activities going on. I'm here to propose that you delay the reading today of Ordinance 202522. You could table it, bring it back up later in November before the 60-day emergency ordinance expires. But that's your choice. It's your vote. But I have a petition here by the citizens of Chester County, especially citizens of a Richburg fire tax district that I am a taxpaying member of. My petition says that I would like you that I am opposed to ordinance number 202522 and it is my wish that we delay the vote today. May I give my petition with signatures to your clerk?

Yes, please do. Thank you.

So, I realize I've made a bit of a mistake. So, this is actually the public hearing signup sheet that I'm working off of instead of the citizens comments. Um, so am I correct on that? Were there any citizens comments? All right. So, I think the best way to proceed here would be for us to um close out citizens comments. So, no citizens comments. So, we're going to move on into our public hearing um which is 5A, which is ordinance 2025-22 approving, confirming, and ratifying the removal of each member of the Richburg Fire Protection District Board devolving administrative authority of the district on the county council. Authorizing the county administrator directly to administer the district as part of the county. amending portions of the Chester County Code of Ordinances to conform to such changes and to provide for other changes. For example, division 16 sections 2-732 through and including 2-736 and providing for other related matters. So, we have four people signed up to speak. We've already heard from Sir David Morton and Mr. Roxen's James. Would y'all like to speak again during the public comment or are y'all All right. So, so, so thank you. So, again, just like citizens comments, we this our policy is not for back and forth. So, we heard your questions, your your your comments and your questions. If you would like to come forward and do it again, you're welcome to, but we did hear you the first time. So, that I I put you under the citizens comments of the public hearing. So, Miss Roxan, are you comfortable, too? All right. So, thank y'all for for that. All right. So, next person up is Robin Dodson, come forth.

Good evening, everyone. Um, Robin Dodson, 3631 Hernandez 29729 in Richburg. and uh my husband and I have recently recently been talking and we have a a few things that we want to mention. Um I want to thank you all for your service to the county and hardship and controversy can be the order of the day for many local elected bodies and anyone willing to take that responsibility should be esteemed and I hold all you in esteem. I I mean I'm hold all of you in high esteem. Uh my husband was on the school board in the early 90s and he would he told me it says it's the most abuse you can take for free being on a school board. But for you county council it's the most abuse you can take for $9,000 a year. My husband and I have never been really directly involved with the Richburg Fire Department, but many of people that we go to church with um work with the fire department and um we just are very fond of everyone. And my point uh is that all public entities should be able to stand investigation by authorities and uh the allegations that have been made um haven't been proved and um I'm just very disappointed in the actions that have been taken by everyone um in our government here today um trying to um disband the board without um any results for what you've what has uh been purportedly uh the alg ation. Mr. Melton, our esteemed fire chief, uh, has been a friend of ours for decades and

we want to stand by him and we have friends on the council who are very close friends and have watched him grow up. and uh to lump him in the same category as um our former county uh supervisor and former sheriff I think was patently false. There was criticism of our church union ARP for holding a meeting um and I feel like um we wanted to hear about what was going on. We had so many questions. The use of churches um for public meetings has taken place since before the Revolutionary War. So I feel like we were very um it was okay for us to do that. I'd like to ask you tonight that you delay the reading of 202522. I think because uh a lawsuit is pending. The the judge will maybe rule tomorrow. I don't exactly know what that um what that is on the court docket, but I'd like for you to delay the reading of this because um so far no allegations are founded and I just feel like it's the right thing to do and I would like to ask that you delay the reading until you get more information. You need to delay the reading until you get more information and when that comes out then I feel like you can take take the actions that should be taken.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

All right. Next up is Ginger Sharp. Hi, I'm Ginger Sharp, 180 North Main Street, Richburg, South Carolina. I've lived here since 93 in Richburg area, Richburg Fire District. And like the others that have spoke tonight, I just ask you to please delay this third reading of this ordinance until some allegations have um proof of the allegations that have been made against the fire board or the um Chief Melton that um we just just ditto everything that they have already said because um we just don't believe there was any wrongdoings and um we appreciate all of your time and spoke to Mr. Guy. It's not right that his family gets threatened or any one of you and stuff and I'm sorry for that. But um and I've come to know a lot of you in the last two months through the citizens academy and stuff and appreciate that and all that you're doing and the good work that you have done thus far in Chester County. No, but I just really really really think it would be good for you to delay this reading of this third reading of this ordinance. I appreciate your time. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. So, is uh is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak during this public hearing? Again, this is a public hearing for ordinance 2025-22. All right. Seeing no one, then this this public hearing is closed. That brings us to um number six, which is ordinances, resolutions, proclamations. 6A is the third reading ordinance 2025-22 approving, confirming, and ratifying removal of each member of the Richburg Fire Protection District Board, devolving administrative authority of the district on the county council, authorizing the county administrator directly to administer the district as a part of the county, amending portions of the Chester County Code of Ordinances to conform to such changes and to provide further other changes. For example, division 16 sections 2-732 through and including 2-736 and providing for other related matters. Is there a motion on that?

Make a motion to approve third reading of ordinance 2025-22. I'll second. Right. I have a motion and a second. Is there discussion? Chair, can we clarify one more time for the public that no allegations has been made to any one single person or to the Richburg Fire Board? There has been no allegations as of yet to any one individual or board uh and why we're taking these actions. Mr. Hester, would you would you care to speak to that for us?

Sure. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, council members, members of the public, and uh Mr. Morton. I got Mr. Mr. Martin, correct? You you you had some good questions and so I'll take this opportunity to try to answer a few of those questions and provide some clarification. And so the board is not being investigated. Um there were no allegations of any wrongdoing about the Richburg Fire Protection District Board. Um the investigation is actually into the district itself as a body. Okay. There were no allegations made. There's investigations into the district as a body for allegations of fraud. So I know that that's sort of, you know, you're like, what are those allegations? But I can't speak to what those allegations are. And that's that's due process of law. Um, and that's to eliminate any, you know, unintentional interference on both sides of the investigation because if there's potential witnesses, we wouldn't want to sit here and tell anyone who those witnesses are for fear of reprisal or threats or anything with regard to witnesses. Then on the same thing, we would never want to re publicly talk about allegations. If someone is innocent or someone's are innocent, you would never want to publicly uh say that people were being accused of something and let law enforcement do their job in that process. Mr. Melton was put on administrative leave simply as a procedural matter. um as we would do if this happened in any other department in the county. If it happened in the sheriff's office, he'd put an individual on administrative leave. We've done it

before here. And again, that's really to protect everyone that's involved. The board was set aside. So, I'll go back. The board was vacated. Then there was an emergency order that's good for 60 days. And then the order that's being read tonight extends beyond 60 days. So the emergency order only being good for 60 days and we can see that we do not have a resolution that 60 days is fast approaching with November the 24th I think being that 60-day mark. We only have one more council meeting prior to that day as well. And so this this ordinance tonight surpasses the emergency order of vacating the board, setting that board aside. the county's administering the district and I think for all all that are here that are involved with the fire district and we appreciate you being here and appreciate you being supportive but I think as you can see that district is still the same people are in there the same calls are getting answered the same services are being provided as far as the investigation itself and what they found they're not going to even communicate that to us at this point Mr. more they I mean once they start the investigation it's out of our hands unless they call us and say hey we need access to something then we provide them access but we we at that point stay out of the investigation and again that's that's for transparency that's so on all sides of things um that it's done fair um and u and without conflicts of interest or uh potential disclosure of any confidential information. Um, so with regard to you you brought up a question about a grant. Um, and um, I'll let our attorney speak to that. Um, there's not a lot we can say, but we will speak to it.

Yeah. Um, when a grant is Thank you. When a grant is issued, you have to make certain asurances to obtain that grant as an entity, as a state entity. And at this time, due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to make those assurances. Um it doesn't prohibit for future um application and going through that process, but due to the investigation ongoing um we're just unable to do so at this time.

And and then lastly, I think um there was one more point. Oh, a question about the board at the end of this. So, as simply as council had three readings to take the action to set the board aside, this council at their choosing can decide to put a board right back in place once everything is done. It takes three readings to change the form of administration. Um, and that's something that simply this council can choose to do as well. Even though it was it's stated permanent, it's not permanent. So any ordinance can be amended by council. So I hope is there any other question by council? I hope that sort of clarifies.

You you answered my question. Thank you. Is there any uh discussion by council? Any additional discussion?

I would just like to say I've spoken to a lot of you out here in the audience and I've spoken to people on the telephone. I have answered text messages. I have done quite a few things to reassure people that it's not my goal to take over the fire department. However, it seems like it that's just it just falls on on people who who don't want to consider my words. That's not what my goal is is to take over any fire department. Um I just want to state that again. I think I've said it publicly. I don't know how many times. I've said it privately to each to to each person that I've spoken to or communicated with about this. Um there's been a lot of uh a lot of things that have been said and we've we're we're not investigating we're not investigating this. We're trying to make sure we do everything the correct way and I just wish people would truly understand that. Um and I don't speak for everybody on council obviously. It's just coming from me because I do represent everybody here in the county. Um just kind of wanted to reiterate that yet again. It's not my goal nor my intention to take over anything. That's not government's job. That's not anything that I would I would um be in favor of.

Uh chairman, I do have something I want to say. Yes, sir.

Um I think we all all of us up here read Facebook and see people's post and all this kind of stuff. So, I just want to make one more thing clear. There is not a way that I know of that myself or any other council member up here can get a hold of any funds from any district, any governmental body that we could actually get ourselves and do something with. When I see posts like that saying that county council people just want the money for themselves and calling people's name out and saying they just want it for their own well-being, It just baffles me how you even think that we can get a hold of a dollar and do something with with your taxpayer with your tax money. It's just not possible. If it is, I don't know anything about it and I don't want anything that's not mine. So, um I mean that part of it, I mean we we don't even have to people don't even have to put that kind of stuff on on Facebook thinking that any of us want a dollar from any fire district or any any municipality or anything of that nature. That's not my desire and I don't think it's my constituent's desire up here either.

Any other discussion?

If if you would to to Mr. guys point and I think that's a very valid point um is that uh the county supplements Richburg Fire Protection District in fiscal year 26 $851,2412 above the tax that's brought in. The tax that was projected was 127,000 and then there was um 82,000 in fee and loo and then you've got a manufacturing reimbursement motor carrier for a thousand few other miscellaneous um and then there is some revenue projected revenue for Richburg which the last I looked is on track for this revenue is $60,000 for their EMS and and Rex. So again, $851,2412 that's not been changed. Um there's nothing there's nothing in this budget year that's changed. And I I would I can't speak for council, but I know that when I start budget meetings next year, there's no we would be out of our minds to reduce the service that enrichburg. and that's not an intention of mine as the county administrator. All right. So, I just wanted to bring that up one more time. Thank you. If

I could just say this also, I'm sorry, I'll stop after this. Um, with our track record that we've had here on this council with this body over the last three years, everything we've done is to improve services. And I've said this before as well. Everything that we've done has been to help, to offer help, to try to find a way to make it work, to try to find a way to make things better, to try to find a way to fund what is needed for the citizens. It's not just for a fire department here, fire department there, or anybody else. It's to it's to help the citizens. And I just um you know, we've been called horrible names. We've we've received threats. We've had to deal with certain things. Um, and it's just we we're we're up here doing the best that we can. And I I just wish um that that folks could truly understand our conversations that we have up here and to you that you would really take it to heart and not um assume the worst. Even though sometimes I know that's that's the easier path to take is to assume the worst, but it's truly that's not my it's not my goal. All right. Um, yeah, I would add to that just, you know, I think at this time it's just important that we all take a deep breath and that we let the investigation run its course. Um, you know, I think I think think let let things go and we're going to we're going to it's not it's no fun for any of us and I know it's not fun for members at the Richmondburg Fire District either. Um, take a deep breath. I think um time will sort things out. So with that I will call for the question. Um those in favor of the third reading ordinance 2025-22 raise your right hand say I. I.

Those opposed. All right that motion carries six to one. Next up is 6B, which is resolution 2025-28 providing for certain certifications according to South Carolina code annotated section 12-65-10 regarding an abandoned textile mill site located on Saluda Road with county tax map numbers 07908001 0000. Next one is 079 01 08004-0000. And then finally 079-01- 08-00005- 0000. Is there a motion on that?

Make a motion to approve resolution 2025-28. I'll second. All right. We have a motion and a second. If I could at this time, I'll call um attorney John Marshall Ford to give us just a little extra explanation for that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, uh, County Council, this shouldn't be a surprise to anybody. This has come up for you before. All you're doing here is that you're certifying two things. One, that the Eureka Mill site is an abandoned textile mill site, and two, that it's been abandoned for at least a year. The reason that you're doing that is that the statute requires that the county make the certification. uh frankly it's to reduce the audit risk of potential investors who are going to go and apply for tax credits. But but basically these are the two things that you're doing. It isn't a mill site and it's been abandoned for at least a year. Are there any questions?

I've asked this question each time this has come up. I've asked this question each time this has come up. Are they going to take the smoke stack down? I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that question. Councilman AG. What's required of the the certification at this point is to certify that it it was a textile mill. So the fact that there is a component of the textile mill that's physically there are present gives you confidence making the certification as as to what the future development plans are. That's really outside the scope of the are you certifying that it complies with the law or not. As whether or not anybody can tell you what the developer is doing, I don't know.

Can you look into that for us, Mr. Hester? So, as far as I'm aware, they are. But Mr. Ward, do you have anything any different at this point? We can reach out uh to Mr. Ko. Well, it is very expensive to take those smoke stacks down. Uh there was an article in the post in Korea recently about that and how much money it takes to take that down. If they're not going to take it down, I'm not going to vote in favor of it. If they're going to clean it up like it should be cleaned up, I'm in total favor of cleaning it up.

Again, Councilman, this this is just a certification that it is a textile mill site and then it's been abandoned. So, unless you have any concern that it's either not a textile mill site or that it's been active in the last year, then I mean that's really the only thing you're certifying. Whose district that in? Mine and yours. Any other questions, council? Thank you. I don't think so. Thank you. Is there any more discussion? Not I'll call for the question. Um, those in favor of resolution 2025-28, raise your right hand and say, "I." I.

All in favor? Next up is 6 C which is the first reading of ordinance 2025-23 an ordinance authorizing the execution and delivery of a fee in le of tax agreement bind between Chester County and project 2485 the designation of certain real property in Chester County as part of a multi-county industrial park arrangement providing for the provision of credits against fee in lie of tax payments providing for the execution and delivery of such documents as may be necessary to affect the intent of this ordinance and providing for other related matters. Motion on that. I'll make a motion we approve the first reading of ordinance 202523. Second.

All right. We have a motion and second. If I could, I'll call our economic development director, Robert Long for to speak to this.

Thank you, chairman and council. Uh, so this is actually related to a project that y'all have already been involved with. Uh the site is at the corner of Cedarhurst and Highway 9. Um this is a property that has council has already reszoned to ID3 to support this particular project. Uh the site itself is much larger. It's like 82 acres. They're going to basically take the the northern 12 acres or so, which is going to be right basically adjacent to Ieko's Mat plant. So the big Matt plant that's under construction that just recently opened. This will be adjacent to that because they want to take advantage of the rail spur that'll be pulled down uh from the LNC railroad. Uh this particular project is referred to as Chester Asphalt LLC. That was what the reasonzoning was that happened recently. Uh but the company will basically bringing in by rail liquid asphalt. Uh so even though asphalt's a name, this is actually not an asphalt plant. they're going to be bringing in the binding agent for an asphalt, but at liquid asphalt actually can be used for lots of other applications, including like asphalt roofing shingles or some other ingredients and other projects and products. Uh that being said, this is bringing in the liquid asphalt by rail and then shipping it out by by by truck. Uh it's a pretty nice size project, about 19.5 million. It'll create 10 jobs. Those 10 jobs will be paying an average of almost $30 an hour. Uh so even though this is not a huge number of jobs, it is very good paid. is about $10 higher than our county average. Uh it'll look very much similar to Kinder Morgan. Uh it'll be basically a large tanks that they'll store this in. Uh it should make the Chester County natural gas authority quite happy because they have to keep these the tanks roughly about 350 degrees year round. Uh because otherwise it solidifies uh into a product. Now this is a very safe product. This is literally a product that's actually on the road. Uh so even if there happens to be a spill, there is no hazard. no danger to the community or the soil contamination. Uh this is literally like the binding agent of asphalt that's on the you see every day you drive over with your car.

With that, I'll be happy to answer any questions council may have. I don't hear any. Thank you very much for that. Thank you so much, council. Any any additional discussion? Not I'll call for the question. And those in favor of first reading ordinance 2025-23, raise your right hand and say I.

Those opposed. All right, that that carries 6 to1. Next is 6D which is a first reading of ordinance 2025-24. An or ordinance authorizing the execution and delivery of a fee in L of tax agreement by and between Chester County and project P2521. The inclusion of certain real property located in Chester County in a multi-county industrial park. The provision of credits against fee in tax payments. Execution and delivery of such documents as may be necessary to affect the intent of this ordinance and other matters related there too. Is there a motion on that? I make a motion we approve the first reading of ordinance 2025-24. Second.

All right, we have a motion and second. I'll again call you forward, Mr. Law.

Thank you again, chairman and councel. Uh so this is actually an opportunity with one of our existing industries, Jones Hamilton. They're located between Richburg and uh Fort Lawn on Highway 9. Uh basically they produce sodium by sulfate. Uh this is basically twofold. This is one, it's a retrofit of their spray tower. Uh, and then it's also an opportunity for them to work with their pre-treatment process before they release their wastewater uh, to Chester County Wastewater Recovery. Uh, the project's about 11.1 million. Uh, there are no jobs. It's basically all equipment and, you know, in machinery and equipment. Uh, but it is an opportunity, same thing, to support one of our long-term industries in our community.

All right. We really like to see existing industries investing again in our community. That's really me. I always think we should treat our existing industries as much reverence as we do new industry coming into our community. Is there any discussion? Any questions? All right. I'll call for the question. Those in favor council. Thank you. Those in favor of first reading ordinance 2025-24, raise your right hand to say I. Those opposed.

All right. That carries six to one. Next is 6E which is resolution 2025-29 providing preliminary approval for certain incentives to induce investors identified for the time being as project P2521 acting for itself one or more current or future affiliates and other project sponsors to establish or expand certain facilities in Chester County South Carolina including a negotiated fee in lie of advorum tax arrangement inclusion of the project site in a multi-county industrial business park special source special source credits to be applied against fees in lie of advalorum taxes and other related matters. Is there a motion on that?

I'll make a motion we approve resolution 2025-29. Second. All right, we have a motion second. And one more time, Mr. Long, I'll call you for it if you don't mind. I'll um I know um is there anything you'd like to say to this one? Uh so this is the same project this is regarding Jones Hamilton. Uh same thing it's basically doing a fee and loo and a small SSRC to support that and the reason we do the SSRC on the front end is to just help them with that equipment as it gets depreciated uh just to help further incentivize those formative years of this uh investment in our community. All right. Thank you. Is there any any discussion? Any questions?

Yes. I'm going to comment on this because this is a resolution. The other two are fee and loot. But the fee and loot tax, but inclusion in a multi-county industrial park means that the money can be taken out of where it's collected and spent anywhere else in the county. And I'm not going to vote for those things before this council ever again. All right. Thank you. Thank you, council. Is there any other discussion? I'll call for the question. Those in favor of resolution 2025-29, raise your right hand and say I. I.

Those opposed. All right, that carries six to one. Next is number seven, the administrator's report. Mr. Hester,

thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, first I would like to report that uh we have some good news. Our springs um our I call it the springs closing. So, Dawson Drive, we have closed on Dawson Drive. We did have a little internet issue today. So, um it'll be registered with the clerk tomorrow, but that property is closed on. it is now uh or will be officially um Chester County property as opposed to a long-term lease like it had before, which then opens us up to be able to receive grants for funding for uh that project or for that park and to um apply for capital project sales tax, penny projects, and any other funding sources to improve uh the Dawson Drive baseball fields. Veterans Day schedule. Don't forget next week is Veterans Day. Yes, it's almost November 11th. Um, so that's next Tuesday. County offices will be closed in observance of Veterans Day. The landfill will be open that day and that is a normal day for our recycle centers to be closed because it's a Tuesday. So, the recycle centers will not be open, but that's because they're normally not open on Tuesdays. Um, next I'd like to read council an email that I received last week uh regarding our animal control. And I'm just I'm going to read it. So forgive me uh if I if I bounce around on this thing a little bit, but I live near Pinehurst in Carthage over a 100 miles from you and Chester County. I lost my Jack Russell, but never stopped searching for him on 24 Pet Connect. I I think that's a chip

type thing. That is how I discovered Fang, a 10-year-old snouser on its on its website. I have long experience with rescuing senior dogs and realized they have little hope of rescue. I decided to adopt Fang, but Stacy Hodgson, who is our supervisor with animal control, um, and staff notified me that this that his bonded companion, Carmela, needed to go with him. She is 13 years old. Old old the bonded companion Carmela. Most animal control shelters would not care about their fate, but yours did. I cannot drive because I'm 76 years old with an eye condition. I was going to hire an Uber which would have been difficult. Stacy and Vincent volunteered to drive the two dogs to me on Sunday. Six hours round trip. That is dedication and empathy. The dogs changed my whole perspective on the inner life of dogs. both adopted. Both adapted right away with my another dog that I can't say and cats um are extraordinary beings. They taught me that senior animals can adapt and have interactions with other beings. It saddens me to know that great dogs are euthanized because they are regarded as outdated products. They deserve to have a productive life, but only a few give them a chance like your generous and loving staff. Congratulations on a great crew and thank you for the generous spirit. So, just like to read things like that because that's a dedication um not just, you know, not just in animal control, but throughout our county staff. And I always think it's it's

awesome to receive those uh kind words and to to brag about the work that our staff does, the passion that they have for this community. Um and you see a lot of them sitting out there tonight and the passion that they have for this community and they always are willing to go the extra mile. on. So, we really appreciate them, but I just wanted to give a little recognition to the animal control group. And then lastly, or I'm sorry, next to last, uh I don't How many of you in the audience have noticed that our new website is live? Oh, yeah. I got a few hands up.

Okay, fantastic. So, that's been uh about 18 months in the works, right, David? Um and so, thank you to David and the rest of the staff. That was a real group effort. Morgan, our new communications officer, was involved as well. David's staff and it and all the directors, you know, had had input. But, uh, we're really proud of our redesigned, uh, modern, more responsive interface that works across all devices. So, all your devices. It's easy to access uh, to county information through updated alerts, news, and events pages. And we've also made it easier for citizens to contact us. There's a general question form that is now available at the bottom of every page for submitting requests or inquiries. So I encourage everybody to please explore the new website and uh give us some feedback on that. So and then lastly um this is more for council but if you would all uh from our special call meeting last week uh regarding capital project sales tax, if you all could please um try to provide me some feedback on what was presented. I gave Mr. Ag his packet tonight. Mr. Ag feel free to call me and discuss this week, but any feedback that um you all have, I I would welcome if you could do that sooner rather than later. We only have till December 18th to uh apply for projects from county staff. This does not include well all entities have the same deadline but this is regarding the county projects the rural fire projects and then some combined projects uh with regard to our radio system with sheriff's office that will benefit EMS fire and uh law enforcement personnel. And with that concludes my administrator's report, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

All right. Thank you. Next is number eight, the consent agenda. 8 A is the third reading of CCMA 25-21. B is CCMA2-22. C is CCMA 25-23. D is CCMA 25-24. E is CCMA 25-25. F is CCMA 25-26. And G is the third reading of CCMA 25-27. I'll make a motion to approve the tonight's consent agenda. A second.

Right. We have a motion and second. Is there any discussion? This is all about the state park. Most of it. Anything else? Call for the question. Those favor raise your right hand. Say I. I.

All right. That is approved. All in favor? Next is 9A, which is the emergency management uh department update. Director Derby. Good evening, council. Um I'm Ed Dorby. I'm the emergency management director for Chester County. And I have here, come on up, Chris.

I have here my deputy director, Chris Eford. Um, this Chris is approaching his I guess uh first year as a deputy director and you know, he's doing an excellent job. Um, it's a it's a it's a big job to learn and he's doing very well. So, I'm lucky to have him. We also have one part-time person, Ray Dodson. Now, Ry is a uh captain with the Flint Hill Fire Department. That's his full-time job, and he works part-time uh with grant funding um for us. So, you know, he he does a great job for us also. Uh, and many of you know Ben Grant and uh, Ben has worked for emergency management for uh, 15 plus years as a part-time uh, planner. And I have some real good news to share. It's it's good news for Ben. It's good news for um his his new position and people under him, but maybe it's not so good for us because we'll lose him. But he has been named the chief of Rockill Fire Department. So, um good luck to Ben. It's a very good choice, uh to have him. So, um I wanted to talk a little bit about our mission. And our mission is in emergency management is to prepare for, respond to, and recover from major incidents and disasters both natural and man-made that affects the citizens of Chester County. Now, that's a pretty large mission. Um, some examples, I'm going to give you a few examples of that. Um, basically Hurricane Helen, we

coordinated with FEMA uh to aid the citizens of Chester County by establishing damage recovery centers throughout the county. And I feel like that uh everyone that had a claim during Helen had ample opportunity to come up and apply for damages. uh this went on through I think it was about half of February, you know, from the time the storm hit till till then. So, uh that was a big benefit to the citizens of Chester County. We conducted six tabletop exercises with various chemical plants, responders, and the school district to evaluate emergency plans over the pretty much I'm talking a 12-month period. Um, we held 20 training classes with first responders and support staff on subject subjects such as radiological emergencies, hazardous material spills, and damage assessment procedures. Uh, we lead the quarterly local emergency planning commission or LEPC we call it. um meeting with chemical plants, uh first responders, government support agencies, and local businesses. And we also, one thing that we're real proud of that that ended out last year was winning the Jay. Mitchell Graham award. And this award is uh located in the emergency management award supply um case over there. it takes up the whole case. Okay. So, uh but we're real proud of that and we were able to do that by um using GIS to uh the technology to capture data during an

incident and uh provide timely information to responders. Now, two two projects we're currently completing. First is the emergency landing zone book. Uh Chester County has 49 designated landing zones or LZ's and Chris took on this project. He contacted each fire chief. He verified the uh Latin long uh um degrees of the of the landing zone to make sure, you know, it's in the the the U coordinates are in the correct place for the uh helicopter landing. Um here again contacted each fire chief. He coordinated with with our 911 because coordination between 911 fire departments and EMS is is vital on LZ's. Some were taken away and some were added. So uh we'll be putting out those new books. Um uh we've ordered some binders for them. So we'll be giving those out to the fire departments here within the next hopefully within the next week. Um secondly, uh we've got a project to install a generator, emergency generator at the gateway. And the gateway is a vital part of our response, our emergency response in Chester County, used in a number of ways that I won't go into, but in conclusion, uh I'd like to talk about an emergency that's basically taking place right now. 5659 people in Chester County benefit from SNAP food assistance and that represents about one out of every six people in Chester County. Um, now I've learned through experience that that yeah, we have have that number

of people, but we also have a large number of people that live paycheck to paycheck and and you know um and struggle and they use food banks to supplement their their purchase of food. Um, this government shutdowns affected the flow of funds to the food banks. So last Friday, EMA delivered 2,300 emergency meals to be distributed between the three food banks in Chester County. And we have another 3,200 that we have put in a request from uh for from the state and hopefully we'll get those this week. Um I'd like to say to please support the food banks. uh they're you know people are rushing to them now and and their supplies are dwindling. Um so you know these are wonderful people doing wonderful jobs. So doing doing a great job. And kind of in in conclusion, I'd like to talk about um another job of emergency management is to look over the county and make sure that our emergency operations, different organizations are are pretty much functioning the way they should be. Uh to see if we need help in this way or that way with those those organizations. And um I just want to talk about something close to me, but I I I would like to recognize u our sheriff Max Dorsey is SRO's the the teachers at the U at the school um for the um occurrence that happened last Friday.

um his his SRO's had the person um detained with less than six minutes after it happened. So that was that was an excellent show of protection for our schools and I just I just want to uh recognize him and his staff for that. Any questions? Let me ask you something. Is he taking Laura's place that retired? Is that Is that That's correct. Now, she came from emergency management in Colombia and worked for you. Uh Laura? Yeah.

She worked as a contractor for us for a number of years, an independent contractor. And um I hired her as deputy director when I became the director. And she worked for me for about I'm thinking about three years. And when she came, I told her, "Give me three years." And that's about what she gave me. She did a wonderful job. She did.

But she's um she's actually moving. She she's going to move out to Texas with her son and her grandkids and take care of them. But uh Chris has really impressed me. He worked part-time for us for a couple of I guess about four three or four years ago as a part-time, but he's gone on he went on to get uh his EMT. He's he's a u a fireman. He has his EMT, you know, so he understands response, but he also is technical and he understands a lot of things I don't about computers, which is very good. One thing I'd like to see him he him do or you do is I've been going just as often as I can to the Richburg Town Council's meeting and the Fort Longtown Council meetings and I've not seen y'all a lot of other county employees or people in those meetings working with those town councils and in Fort Long and Richburg and even up in Edgemore in that area of the county. uh really needs some some visits and some putting together a packet of how uh what you just got through describing because I remember we had a conversation the other day about Hugo and nobody set foot in Wburg for five days and that yeah it was way before your time but you've done an excellent job of of doing that but I would like to see that take place within those communities.

Okay. I'm sure may be the same way.

So, we um we're we're in the inception of starting on our hazardous mitigation plan. This plan has to be done every five years per FEMA regulations. Um so our our plan is uh it will um it will end in I think it's February 2007 but we'll be starting that process and in that process it we bring the communities in the the the mayors and um town council anybody that can come in and they talk about their district and they talk about what they think we ought to do as far as and and this is pretty much evolving around natural de natural disasters. You know, what's what's changed in Richburg since five years ago? Um you know, how can we prevent people loss of life uh due to natural disasters? So, we're going to start that process hopefully within the next few months. So, uh, that will give them an opportunity, but we'll we'll definitely do that.

Thank you. Okay. Anything else? Any questions? I want to thank y'all both for what what you do and the good work you're doing. We've we we see it and so thank you. Congratulations on the Jay Mitchell Gram award. That was a that was a big deal. We're still celebrating that one. All right. So, next is 9B, which is the Hazel Pitman I guess that's Scorf update. Um, call forward the executive director, Kristen Gibson.

Good evening, Mr. Chairman, Council. Uh, my name is Kristen Gibson. I'm the executive director of Hazel Pitman Center, your county alcohol and drug treatment facility, and I'm here tonight to give you an update on our SCORF initiatives to date. Um, just a little bit of background, the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund, SCORF, was created from national settlements from the pharmaceutical companies that contributed to the opioid crisis. This money was then designated for counties to help address the opioid crisis, recover from the opioid crisis, and to rebuild by expanding treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts. In Chester County, we've used these funds to strengthen our local system of care. We're making care more accessible. We're making our data more responsive and our partnerships more coordinated. In your packets, I've put together an infographic that probably goes into way more detail than you could ever want and it talks about a lot of numbers which I'm not going to go into tonight, but if you have any questions about those, I'm happy to answer them. Since 2024, um, we have done a lot of things. We have increased our access to treatment. We've impro improved our overdose tracking and response and we've built collaborative systems across public health safety and recovery partners. These early investments have changed the way that we respond to the opioid crisis. In just two years, we've seen visible results that create momentum for the years to come. Before this funding, many residents of

Chester County experienced long wait times in accessing treatment services or if they were in need of medication assisted treatment, they were being sent outside of Chester County to access those services. Some of those residents gave up without ever getting the help that they needed. With SCORE funding, Hazel Pitman Center has hired additional counselors. We have reduced weight times by at least 50%. And we have added on-site medicationass assisted treatment services so that patients can begin receiving the services they need immediately. The number of people receiving medicationass assisted treatment services has more than doubled since 2023, showing that when services are available in a timely fashion close to home, people do engage in treatment. We have also expanded our services beyond our office. Thanks to partnerships with the Chester County Sheriff's Office, we are now providing counseling services in the Chester County Detention Center with the hopes of engaging people into treatment services and connecting them to treatment and recovery services postrelease to reduce reaffending and recidivism in our detention center. In addition to treatment initiatives, Hazel Pitman Center is expanding our opioid specific prevention efforts in the community and in our schools to strengthen awareness, increase protective factors, and promote early intervention. We've also transformed how we monitor and respond to overdose through SCORE funding. We have begun um implementing real-time toxicology

which with the coroner's office which means that they are able to get results on a toxicology at autopsy in hours instead of it taking six to eight weeks. And what that allows us to do is to tailor our response in real time to identify the drug trends, the locations where we're seeing those trends, and to bring our outreach efforts, our nlloxxone distribution, and our education into those communities instead of reaching them two months after the fact. All of this progress depends on strong collaborations. In the first two years of SCORE funding, Hazel Pitman Center has partnered with the Chester County Sheriff's Office and the Chester County Coroner's Office to implement some of these um some of these initiatives. We've trained first responders, school nurses, and community professionals on fentanyl safety and harm reduction so that we have a countywide response. In 2026, we are looking to expand our collaboration and involve EMS, MUSC Chester Hospital, and the Chester County School District as key partners to strengthen our prevention and treatment linkages. The past two years have shown us what's possible when data, collaboration, and treatment come together. First two years have about been about building the infrastructure. From here, we can move forward with fully implementing some of the strategies that we have worked on with the infrastructure initial setup funding. We continue to expand treatment coordination, detentionbased counseling services, peer-based services in the Chester Emergency Department to link people from the emergency room to treatment and and and many more. Corer is going to

continue working on rapid toxicology to identify trends and and so we can increase our response. All these initiatives are producing results. We have to stay connected. We have to continue partnering. I think we've developed some wonderful collaborations in the first two years of funding and I look forward to where it can take us into the future. And on behalf of Hazel Pitman Center, I'd like to say thank you for your continued support with the SCORE funding and your help in making these initiatives a reality and providing for the health and safety of Chester County residents. Are there any questions? I'd just like to make a comment. Being in some of those meetings and I haven't been able to come in the past few months, so I apologize. it doesn't work out with my schedule. But to sit through those meetings and actually see them coordinate with MUSC, with the sheriff's office, talk about different things that that maybe we could do better or something to improve upon. They do a lot of work and I just want to say thank you Kristen because she is very very good at what she does and so is everyone else and everybody's um working together to make sure that we can try to tackle such a hard issue. So, thank you.

Thank you. The first time I ever heard of the Hazel Pitman Center, I think I was in elementary school or middle school and there was a I think some people who were helped through that program came and you know gave testimonials and I think back then the issues you were dealing with um with addiction and and uh drug abuse are probably way different than what you're dealing with now. And I think since then your job is, you know, increasingly more difficult, but you were doing a lot for for the people of this county. So, thank you. Thank you. And you're and you're right. I've been doing this 20 years and things are a lot more complicated now than they used to be, but we are still addressing some of those core issues as well.

Right. Well, mental health is a is a real problem within the state of South Carolina. I worked for mental health for 10 years and you do an excellent job. Your staff, they do an excellent job and a lot of lot of help going in there. So, u I hope that anything we can help you do, we can accommodate it. Thank you.

I just want to say thank you. She takes a huge load off of the county uh by administering the program. I never have I forward her emails all the time. She's like, I already done that. You know, that's what I get, but I know I'm going to get that. Um, many of you go to Association of Counties and you see how many how much of these funds are left on the table by other counties and I promise you we don't leave any funds on the table and it all gets used here and there's a great collaboration uh with all of our entities on what to do with those funds. So, thank you for the help you give me. Thank you for the trust.

All right. Is there anything else? I'd like to commend you for for your vision. You definitely have a vision for this and and in in our meetings that we've had, I always come away realizing that you've got big plans and big things already happening, but uh you're you're really tackling this head on and we appreciate you for that. These are these are hard issues and thank you for that. Nothing else, I think you're good to go. Thank you so much.

All right. Next up is um new business. We have 10A is a consideration of the Chester Kataba Regional Airport Runway Grant Match. All right, we've got director of the airport, Mr. Keith Roach. And you have a guest with you today, too. Or how about Mr. Sugar? You coming forward or All right, just Mr. Roach for now. All right. Good afternoon to the members. Thank you for having me tonight. My name is Keith Ro, director of the Chester Regional Airport. And there beside you, you have your chairman, right, Mr. We do have our chairman, Sugar,

Mr. Sugar, and we also have Judy Elder, who is the engineering firm on record for Chester Kataba Regional Airport. Uh hopefully all y'all's been doing well since the last time I was here. Recently, I appeared before the council and presented the offering of a South Carolina Aeronautics Commission grant that was available for only 17 airports in the state of South Carolina for the purpose of rehabilitation of all those secondary runways at those airports. Chester County being slotted for the number three position to receive this funding opportunity. It was offered at a 90% state and a 10% matching fund from Chester County. The grant is offered in two parts with the first part being a design bidding process based on estimating, testing, surveying, advertising, receiving and procuring the bids. Part two is the actual construction of the project if awarded and it is offered in a separate grant. The first phase of this grant was presented to the council for approval on one of my previous visits before the council who voted to award the grant match and move forward at a total cost of $290,000 for the design bid project with Chester County furnishing a 10% match of only 29,000. The grants's nearing finalization on this first phase, which brings us the reason we're here tonight is to update to the county council the second part of this this grant. With me tonight, I got Miss Judy Elder of Talbert Bright Ellington and she can explain or answer any questions you have about the estimating or the actual procurement of this grant of the second part.

At present, the construction estimates have increased due to determined factors such as test results provided by the geotechnical testing proving that the underlying base is unsatisfactory for a simple ashalt overlay of our second runway and it's going to warrant a complete rehabilitation of our second runway including the underlying base. Some other factors include the increase of materials and labor. The original preliminary estimate of $6,244,000 is now estimated at 9.03 million res requiring a grant match of 10% that will total $93,000 from the county. The con construction schedule for this project is slated for fiscal year 2627 which gives us a few months to deal with this. If approved, uh we will not be seeking, you know, approval of a grant match tonight. What we're here for is to request the council only consider the increase in the grant match and to consider the possibility of seeking funding operations and options for this this project. and the availability prior to the request of the grant match which will be coming in the near future. At completion of this major improvement for Chester County, if approved by the council, will offer the citizens of Chester County confidence in the ability for all aviation services offered in times of national, state, local crisis or disasters such as state law enforcement, medevac services, disaster relief through Chester County Emergency Services, the ability to have more than one option to serve Chester County in a quick and efficient manner

and this is will be conducted through all emergency a aviation services if needed. It will also offers an economic growth factor for Chester County through increased options for Chester County to secure industry through improved offers by Chester Economic Development and the Chester County Regional Airport. I have been in touch with Mr. Hester on these changes concerning the figures and the timelines. And I'd like to ask Mr. Hester if he has any comments or any questions at this time. If council pleases, I'd like for uh Miss Judy Elder to come forward, talk a little bit for council about the importance of the second runway refurbishment, economic development, as well as our airspace being outside of Charlotte, if you would.

Mr. Chairman, members of council, good evening. My name is Judy Elder. I'm with Talbert Bright and Ellington. As Keith already said, we are the engineer of record for the airport. Regarding economic development, we have multiple airports in the state of South Carolina that have secondary runways. FAA does not fund the re rehabilitation or anything of secondary runways unless it is a commercial service airport, which Chester County is not. South Carolina has decided that they're going to assist in the secondary runways. secondary runway at Chester is is oriented in a 523 which basically is a prevailing wind in the state. Um uh Skydive Carolina is here and they use that runway because it's easy for them to use. It also helps them with what they do which is a big economic boom for you guys. Also having the ability to have two runways will allow for economic development. The airport has a lot of acreage that is available for development and with the movement that the state of South Carolina is doing towards aviation type airspace and aeronautics that is something that with all that space that's something that can be done in the future for that and um it's you were ranked very very high by South Carolina Aeronautics Commission. They're number three out of 17, which is really, really good. The first two, first one was Georgetown, which is in under construction now. The second one is Anderson County, which is also under construction. So, Chester is number three, which is really, really good for you guys.

I have a question for you. Go ahead. So, um, these are big numbers. Even the grant match, even 10% of 9 million, that's still a big number. um what what degree of certainty do we have that that this will rehabilitate that runway even given the soil conditions given the the factors that we've already seen have created increases.

Um the geotechnical work that has already been done tells us exactly what we need to do. Our plan is to go ahead and grind up the existing runway. We'll use that as part of the base. We'll also bring in concrete and do the do the base for the concrete before we overlay with asphalt. Um the that's the whole point of doing it first with the geotechnical. If we don't do the geotechnical, you're remiss on what you're doing. That leads to major problems in the future. So So the the 9.03 million that's a that's an estimate.

That is an estimate. Everything will be based on bids. Also, I have to explain that that estimate is based on a 90 degree 90% excuse me completion of design plans. We're almost at 100% which we will submit to aeronautics for their review and probably the FAA as well for their review for approval. The original estimate was was based on no engineering at all or geotechnical work. Now, it's been based on geotechnical work and engineering and we're at 90% right now and we should be submitting hopefully in February the aeronautics for their review of the 100% designs. Thank you. You're welcome.

It's going to bring bigger bigger planes into our

No sir. No sir. Basically, what it's going to do is it's going to give the options for the users of your airport to be able to come in. No, we're not looking at bringing in bigger planes. We're not bringing commercial service into your airport. That will stay at Charlotte, Columbia, Greenville. One of the things that you do have going for you is you are just outside the airspace to Charlotte, which really does help you from an economic standpoint to attract aviation and aeronautical type businesses to come there where they do not have to worry about getting into the airspace, going into Charlotte. Unlike Rock Hill, which is right smack dab in the middle of their approaches,

pra uh the private jets like the what do they call them? G4 G4 size planes, they can land in Chester. Yes, sir. They can.

Okay, Mr. Chairman, if I may continue with um so couple more points. one if really tonight the only thing that we're seeking with council is to prove to move forward with the runway rehabil rehabilitation project and put it out for bid that would allow South Carolina Aeronautics Commission uh to choose to accept that bid and then we could move forward with grant acceptance and that would come back before county uh council at that point. Um and again if the bid you know if the bids came in and they were way above this or something changed obviously you all have the ability to um we don't have to accept that bid. One thing um this is a tremendous amount of money from the state. Uh this is not a federal grant. So it's a tremendous amount of money. Um just over $8 million in a grant for that project. Some of the rehabilit or some of the uh economic development could be anything from a flight school to uh cargo business to uh industry that works on jets, restaurants at the airport, so forth. So, um there's a lot of opportunity that comes. I make this comment because I know what question you all have is how we're going to pay for this. And so, uh, I have two options that do not affect the taxpayers of our county. Um, well, one option would if it went in the 1 cent sales tax. This could be something that could be put into the 1-cent sales tax referendum, but that's dependent upon the committee choosing it as well as the referendum passing. Um the other option is uh the Chester Facilities Corporation has a million

dollars that was set aside many years ago for a spec building uh for economic growth and development. Um spec buildings are we probably couldn't build a spec building for that million dollars now. Um, and this was I want to say back in 2018, uh, when it was set aside, but, um, I have spoke to the facilities corporation. I met with that board, um, and asked them of their thoughts and they all believe that this would be a great use for that million dollars that's been sitting there in the bank for that spec building. Um, obviously they would approve it and then it would have to come to council for approval to use those funds. if if that were the decision that were made. But my point being um that there is money there uh that's already been set aside for economic development uh that has not been used that we could use.

What is the projected uh 1% sales tax revenue? We don't have a You don't have that yet? We're not yet. That that one's a tough one to uh we would have to base it off of what we've collected, but you're going to get better results off of that. Uh probably after the first of the year, we going to have to upgrade then if we going to put all that money into there, we going to have to upgrade on the buildings and all that up there, ain't we?

So that's a good point. Um, originally when this were a $6 million project, we had discussed with facilities corporation of potentially taking that million dollars, uh, paying the the match. Airport does have some, um, a fund balance there that they've agreed to put a portion of their money in as well. Um, but the goal was to take the rest of that million dollars and refurbish uh one old hanger potentially and build another new hanger up there. And again, how that would work is you get you make money off the leases on the the hangers. Um, but where the real money kind of lies is the taxes on the airplanes that are sitting in your hangers in your county. Um, the revenue that you can generate from those. Um there's also the option of land leases allowing um land leases for uh people to build hangers uh on property and then we lease the land. They build the hangar and then we uh and we receive the revenue from um the airplane that's in those hangers, the airplanes that are in those hangers. So there's some options out there. But you're 100% right, Mr. Kelly. If we move forward with this project, we need to from an economic development standpoint, um we need to be willing to invest or grow the hangers there. Uh our economic development director, they have been uh in talks with um Miss, uh I know what's the name of the company, Elbert. Thank you. Sorry. And uh a couple other companies about potentially, you know, looking at how do we best grow from an economic development standpoint?

Cuz ain't them people been coming up there for a number of years up there hanging out the plane or something. What you call that? Y'all be flying. What? They be jumping out the plane. Skydiving.

And I They been over to the restaurants in Chester a lot. They spend a lot of money in Chester County. That is a big organization up there. They've been at the airport for 35 years, I think it is. Produces a lot of revenue. Brings a lot of people into the county. And I don't see in the near future them slowing down or or you know, changing their mode of operation. It could only get larger from where they at. And we failed to mention talking about the second runway. Not only would it alleviate some of the problems and give us better emergency management situations for aviation to to serve the citizens of Chester, it would also enhance the the possibility of industry coming in and building their hangers and and Tyson and you know the grow Chester County is growing in leaps and bounds and our airport's at the point where we can offer you know an option for them to grow and bring their planes in here and we talking large amount amounts of of tax dollars with their personal jets that you're talking about are corporate jets. We have a thousand acres up there that we could expand. So, it's it's endless as what we could do with the airport, but we need to act on on getting it ready for that because it's growing in leaps and bounds. And I don't see Chester County slowing down on the development of economics in in Chester. And that's the growth that our planning commission, we was talking about that today about the growth coming up to Lis. And I think that'll be a good thing.

Well, like Miss Elder said, you know, we're just outside of Charlotte airspace. You're not going to get the corporations to go into Charlotte airport because that what they have to pay, the the traffic they have to deal with. We're sitting halfway between Colombia and Charlotte. We're sitting halfway between Florence and Spartanberg and we've got all this room. All we need is the funds to grow and make it available to economic development. So, we're looking at the future is what we're looking at. All right. Thank you very much. Um, Mr. Hester, if we wanted to move forward with this, we'd be looking for action for council.

Yes. So, your action would just be a vote to approve um that the county move forward to put runway 523 rehabilitation project out for bid, which would allow South Carolina orotics commission to choose and accept the bid, which would then allow us to move forward for acceptance of that grant. I know that's a mouthful. I'll make that motion. All right, second. We have a motion and a second to uh move forward with as presented. Um, our clerk has that. You got that? All right. I'll get it to her, sir. Um, is there any more discussion? Chairman Sugar, do you have anything to add?

Come to the microphone if you don't mind. Yeah, we want folks at home to hear you, too. Okay. I was just thinking you got an asset and for 10 cents on a dollar, you can you can rehabilitate that. you don't lose it because in the very near future the FAA is going to close that runway. So you it's either fix it or lose it sooner or later and with increased um aviation interest in this area you it seems prudent to uh to make that investment. That's my concern.

Thank you very much. All right. Is there any more discussion from council? All for the question. And those in favor raise your right hand and say I. All in favor? All right. Next up, um, Mr. Hester, I think this you had a few words on this next one, which is the consideration of the Chester Kataba Regional Airport runway replacement lighting project upgrade grant match.

Yes, sir. And uh, so recently members of Chester County Council voted to award a 5% grant match uh, that totaled $71,88. That was the match. Um, and that was for a replacement project or replacement cost of $1.436 million uh to the Chester County Kataba Regional Airport for replacement of all the runway lighting um instrument approach systems, signage and navigational aids. Um at after the beginning of the awarded project at the airport, the airport management was contacted by the Federal Aviation Administration along with our consulting engineering firm with the suggestion that there was a very important update um to the active project involving lowering future maintenance cost and extending the life of the project uh of the new lighting that was going in on the runways. And so what this would be doing um it would be encasing all the wiring and lighting fixtures for non-exposure to damaging elements. The original project was for direct burial and metal encased cans, direct burial wire and then metal encased cans for the lights. Uh the upgrade to the project encases all the wiring and conduit and includes concrete uh enc casements for the light housing and metal housings for the lights uh in which increases the lifespan by over 20 plus years for the lights in the project. This upgrade was offered to us an additional cost of $237,520 for which the FAA has agreed to a 95 5% match rate which means that the county only pays 2.5% of that um because there's a match from state aeronautics.

And so that total to the county cost to the county be $5,000 $5,938 uh for a $237,520 project. Um and I'd like to request that council approve uh this grant and the county match at $5,938 for the additional upgrade. Mr. Darby could not be here tonight, but Mr. Derby and myself both met uh with um Mr. Roach and we have monies in the budgeted grant match for this year to cover that.

Is that also going to be for the new runway if that works out or we going have to do the same thing? The lighting there for the primary runway. That that's just primary runway that is not on the other one. That's correct. All right. So, that amount again is $5,938. Yes, sir. And you'll just be approving the grant and the match. I'll make a motion we approve the grant uh and the $5,938 match. Second.

All right. We have a motion in a second. Is there any discussion? Um, before we vote, I do want to thank Director Roach and and Chairman Sugar and Miss Elder. Thank you all all for being here tonight, answering your questions. Um, those in favor, please raise your right hand, say I. All in favor. All right. Next up is 10 C, which is matching grant funds for Rossville Fire Department. Call for our emergency man, our director, Benson, public, give me your title. I'm sorry. I'm struggling. Emergency services director. Emergency services. There we go. Yes, sir.

Chairman Wilson, Council, I'm coming here to you to uh request a matching grant fund on behalf of Rosville Fire Department. They applied for a FEMA grant last year and they were awarded that and that's for self-contained breathing apparatus. Um they were awarded $133,333.33 with a 5% match being $6,666.667. This will allow them to uh get 14 self-contained breathing apparatus with the associated equipment, the face pieces, cylinders, uh batteries, and um the training on them to put on their apparatus. Currently, they are short on the required or suggested minimum by ISO. So, putting these SCBAs will improve their ISO score um and also again provide appropriate life-saving equipment to our firefighters. There any questions? What was that amount again for the matching?

The matching is $6,6667. All right. A motion. I'll make a motion to approve the the matching funds for the grant in the amount of 6,666 and 67. Second. All right. Is there any discussion? And we have the funds and matching grant funds. All right. Call for the question. Those in favor raise your right hand say I. All in favor. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Number 11 is boards and commissions. 11A is accommodation tax advisory committee appointment. Councilman Brunson. I'd like to thank Miss Jennifer Douly for her service to the accommodation tax advisory committee and to reappoint her to that board. Second. All right, we have a motion and second. Is there any discussion? Those in favor raise right hand say I. I. All right. Next is the Chester County Library Board appointment. Again, Council Member Brunson.

This is a new appointment of Mr. Jackson Macau to the Chester County Library Board. I'd like to make a motion to appoint Mr. Jackson Macau to the Chester County Library Board. Second. Any discussion? Those in favor raise right hand say I. I. All right. Gotcha. All in favor. Next is 11C, the construction board of appeals appointment. Council member Brunson, I'd like to thank Mr. Steven Rice for his service and I'd like to make a motion to reappoint Mr. Steven Rice to the construction board of appeals. Second.

Any discussion? Those in favor raise your hand and say I. I. All in favor? Next is item D, which is the planning commission appointment. Council member Edson, I'd like to thank Miss Nancy Wallally for her service to the planning commission and make a motion to reappoint her to the Chester County Planning Commission. I second. Any discussion? Offer the question. Those in favor, raise right hand and say I. I. All in favor? Next is 11, which is the zoning board of appeals appointment. Councilman Brunson.

I'd like to thank Mr. Mickey Wall-E for his service to the zoning board of appeals and I'd like to make a motion to reappoint him to the Chester County Zoning Board of Appeals. Second. Any discussion? Those in favor raise your right hand and say I. I. All in favor? All right. We do not have any items in executive session tonight. And so that brings us straight into council comments. There any comments from council tonight? I'd just like to remind everybody about the um Veterans Day event at the War Memorial Building uh on the 11th at 11.

Anything else? I've got I've got three things. First is I want to congratulate Ben Grant. He's from my district. That's uh quite the job. He's the new fire chief at Rock Hill and so I'm really excited to see him in that role and the opportunity for him. Um certainly want to mention what what happened last Friday out at Chester Park complex. Um what what an amazing response both from the teachers and from the Chester County Sheriff's Office. Um from really all involved. I know a lot of training went into that. We want to give them credit for a job well done. Um and and certainly prayers for for for that child and the and the family and and grateful for the positive outcome that it was. Um, and then the last is I want to wish Councilman Guy a happy birthday coming up soon. So, uh, that one coming Sunday.

Sunday. All right. So, happy birthday. Anything else? Can I ask, uh, Ed, is Ben gonna have to move to York County?

He said no. He said no. Okay. I didn't I didn't hear. We wouldn't let him go if he did. All All right. So, um I will entertain a motion to adjurnn. Make a motion we adjourn.