County Council - Regular Meeting

As soon as I get the Hassan.

OK.

All right, it's 6 o'clock. I'd like to call this meeting to order of the Edgefield County Council on August the 4th, 2026. Appreciate everybody being here tonight. We're going to have the invocation by Bruce Cooley, our finance director, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. However, I would like to say that I'd like for us to have a moment of silence before the prayer for the family of Lindsey Graham, who was just laid to rest last week. So if we'll all stand and observe a moment of silence, please. Thank you.

Let us bow for prayer. Our Father, we do thank you for this day that you have made. As your word says, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Dear Lord, we also thank you for the opportunity to work for this county and to provide services to the residents of the county. And, dear Lord, we thank you for county council and the fine job that they do. And just pray that you'd give them the wisdom tonight to make the right decisions in your eyes. And, dear Lord, just help us to make this even a better county to live in than it already is. Thank you for this day. Thank you for Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross of Calvary. And it's in his lovely and precious name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Please join us for the pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Please be seated.

All right, counsel, for the approval of the agenda, I don't have any recommended changes. I'll just point out for everyone, there is an executive session at the end of the meeting. Is there anybody else on council who needs to change the agenda for any reason? Hearing none, is there a motion to approve the agenda as presented? So moved. Mr. Talbot makes a motion, and Dr. Kenyon seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously. We have two sets of minutes to approve council. I'll do them one at a time. First, the July 7 regular meeting minutes. Any questions or comments on those minutes? Hearing none, is there a motion to approve those minutes? So moved. Mr. Mooney makes the motions. Is there a second? So moved. And Ms. Ireland seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Next is the July 14 special call meeting minutes. Any questions or comments on those minutes? Hearing none, is there a motion to approve those minutes? So moved. Dr. Kenyon makes the motions. Is there a second? Second. Ms. Ireland seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Next is our first public comment period. I'll ask the clerk if anyone signed up.

No one has signed up.

Okay, council, since no one signed up for the first public comment period, which was on agenda items, I will close the public comment period and move to reports. Any questions or comments from council on reports? Hearing none, we'll move to Old Business. Under Old Business, number one is consideration of approval of second reading of Ordinance 2627001, an ordinance authorizing the Recreation Department to set park hours and regulations and authorize the Sheriff's Office to enforce them. I'll ask the Administrator if there's anything new we need to know about this ordinance. Thank you. There's no new information to share. Okay. Council, we discussed this a little bit last time. Is there any questions or comments from Council? Hearing none, is there a motion to give second reading to Ordinance 2627001? So moved. Mr. Moody makes the motion. Is there a second? Second. And Mr. Talbert seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Next under old business is number two, consideration approval of second reading of Ordinance 2627002, an ordinance adopting procedures for the imposition, calculation, collection, expenditure, and administration of impact fees. be imposed on new development, providing a purpose and intent, providing definitions, providing general provisions and applicability, providing for the establishment of impact fee accounts, providing for the appropriation of impact fee funds, providing for refunds, providing for appeals, providing for conflict, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. Since this is the second reading, I'll ask the administrator if there's anything new council needs to know tonight.

Thank you. There's no new information on this item as well.

All right. Council, just like the last one, we discussed this one in some detail at the last meeting, but is there any questions, comments we need to discuss on this ordinance?

Okay.

Hearing none, is there a motion to give a second reading to Ordinance 26-27-002? So moved. I believe Mr. Tauber made the motion, and Dr. Kenyon seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Next is third, excuse me, number three, which is the last item of old business, consideration of approval of second reading of ordinance 26-27-003, an ordinance establishing impact fee charges. And again, I'll call the administrator to see if there's anything new that council needs to know.

Thank you. Again, there's no new information.

All right, council. And again, we discussed this in some detail last time, but are there any questions or comments from council? Hearing none, is there a motion to give second reading to Ordinance 2627003? So moved. Mr. Moody makes the motion. Is there a second? Second. And Ms. Ireland seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously. We're down to new business now. The first item of new business is consideration of approval authorizing the county administrator to provide a letter of support to the National Fire Safety Council supporting fire safety for the children of Edgefield County. I'll ask the administrator if he'd like to explain this one, please.

Thank you. This is a program headed by Edgefield Town Fire Department. And this is an item that council endorses every year. It's to provide educational materials on fire safety to elementary school students. And that's all. Thank you.

Thank you. Questions or comments from council? Hearing none, is there a motion to give the administrator approval to write such a letter? Ms. Ireland makes the motion. Is there a second? Dr. Kenyon seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Last item of new business is consideration of approval of first reading of Ordinance 2627004, an ordinance to rezone parcel 2080000005000 from general residential to general commercial. Again, I'll ask the administrator if he'll explain some of the details of this one, please.

Thank you. In June, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended the approval of this rezoning from general residential to general commercial. The purpose of the rezoning is indicated by the applicant. is for the placement of two single-family residences facing Edgefield Road. The change to general commercial requires less setback from property lines, and this would allow him to have both units placed on the property. And that's the purpose of this rezoning request.

And this comes recommended from the Planning Commission?

That is correct. That is correct. And I believe it was unanimously recommended. Questions or comments from council?

Hearing none, is there a motion to give approval of first reading to Ordinance 2627004? So moved. Mr. Talbert makes the motion. Is there a second? Second. And Ms. Ireland seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously. We're down to the second public comment period. So I'll ask our clerk, did anyone sign up for that?

No one signed up.

All right, council, nobody signed up for the second public comment period, so I will move to report from county council members. Does any county council member have a report?

I would just like to give a big shout out to Ms. Aretha again, taking care of us this past week at our Association of Counties meeting, telling us where to be, when to be, and how to get there. Appreciate all you do for us, Aretha. Thank you.

I also want to shout out Ms. Aretha for her graduation and her accomplishments there. Congratulations.

I want to share some insights from my attendance at the South Carolina Association of Counties Conference held in Charleston, South Carolina from June the 27th through the 30th. The gathering provided an excellent opportunity to connect with council members from across the state and learn about emerging in different counties. This year focused center on data centers, a topic that generated considerable discussion among attendees. What struck me the most was the range of prospective representatives in these conversations. While some counties led view data centers as valuable economic opportunities that will bring meaningful revenue to the community, others have expressed concerns by having these facilities located in their area, regardless of the financial benefit they might provide. These diverse viewpoints highlight the complexity of balanced economic development with community concerns and preference. I found the dialogue both informative and thought provoked, I'm sorry y'all, as we navigate these important decision for our county. AI was another strong topic that I'd like to learn more about. Nevertheless, I'm proud to share that I have recently completed level two certification through the South Carolina Association of Counties Institute of Government. Building on foundation, training, level two involves coursework, covering topics that kind of finance, management, economic development, and local policy. My goal in pursuing this additional education is simple, to make sure I am as prepared and knowledgeable as possible when making decisions that impacts our county's future and budget. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed the conference. Thank you.

Other comments from council?

Okay. If none others, thank you all. I will ask the county administrator for his report.

Thank you. So we're happy to report that Star Park That project is out for bid finally. The bid opening will be August 13th. This project has been in the works for quite a while, and we look forward to having it open by next summer. Our first two bridge replacement projects for bridges destroyed by Helene, Hunter's Run, and Long Cane are beginning in the coming weeks. I believe both bridges have been ordered. And in terms of the FEMA funds that we have been expecting, we have received about 90% of the funds that they owe us, and we anticipate the rest soon, certainly within the next couple of months. VA Director Dan Tager organized a golf tournament for November 13th, among other Veterans Day celebrations that we'll talk about later. But this tournament will benefit The County Veterans Emergency Relief Fund, and that's certainly a great cause. He's worked hard on that, building on the success of our recreation department golf tournament fundraiser. Director Nick Waits has helped him get this one together. And certainly it's a worthy cause. I will have flyers up here at the end of the meeting if someone wants one. And congratulations to Dr. Kenyon for graduating level two.

Thank you.

That's awesome.

That's all I have. Thank you. Questions from counsel for the administrator? All right. Hearing none, thank you. Well, in keeping with the spirit of a shorter meeting tonight, I have no comments. So that said, I think we do have an executive session still.

The executive sessions discuss a pending legal matter. Our attorneys in Columbia were supposed to be here to discuss it. They do not seem to be here. So I do not have a reason for executive session.

Then I guess we'll wait until the next time when they're here. Yes.

Okay.

Then, counsel, there's nothing else on the agenda. I'd entertain a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Dr. Kenyon makes a motion, and Mr. Talbert seconds. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please signify by raising your hand. All opposed? Motion passes unanimously.