Town Council - Regular Meeting

Hello. Thank you all for joining us. It's wonderful to see so many of our community in our audience tonight. We love having you here. Can you hear in the back?

All right. Miracles do happen. Thank you. We're we're very happy to have you. If you would please, if you have a device, a tablet, a phone, anything that's going to ring, play us a song, or give us a a pause, please put it on mute so that we can give you our full attention. We have a very large agenda tonight, and we're looking forward to getting through each piece of it, and we're so excited to have all our guests this evening. So with that, um, council, we will stand for a pledge of allegiance and an invocation.

I pledge algiance 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. Father, as we come before you tonight, we thank you for the many blessings of life. We thank you for everything you do for us. Thank you for the weather that you've bestowed upon us. Be with us tonight. Guide us, direct us, and help us through the agenda tonight. And we give you the praise and glory for it all. Your holy name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. We're all prayed up now. Well blessed.

So that many of you probably have not been in this building or visited. I see a couple that have. Um but this is a temporary uh chamber for us. We are reconstructing an upper floor and and we're delighted to be able to have more people in our chambers. So, every week we we fix something that doesn't go well, but it's temporary. So, if you can't hear us, uh raise your hand. I would ask that as we are trying to work through a large agenda, uh did everyone that wants to speak tonight for the public hearing or uh for any other reason, did you sign in? Mayor, uh, just the folks that want to speak for public comments. Got it. Public sign. The public hearing is open to anybody.

Got it. Thank you. Deep breaths. Um, the public comments. You have to sign in for the public meeting. You do not, but we will get to that point. And again, we're going to be respectful of each other's time. Um, so thank you so much for your attendance and your attention. With that, uh, we'll start with presentations. Uh, this is a fun night for us. The first presentation is the recognition of the winners and participants of the student storm water art contest. Uh, we will have Mina, um, just an outstanding employee for the town that works to help with all of the storm water situations and brings the community into that. so well. She's fluent in wake and um she will be able to guide us through what these young artists and amazing students have brought to our town.

Thank you so much. Um so as y'all probably remember I started this art competition about four years ago. In fact today is my foury year anniversary working for the town. So just wanted that on record. Um, but one of the first things we did was start this art competition to really help with our outreach and engagement to the community. The main purpose of my position is to make sure that the town's people of Fort Mill understand that storm drains lead to waterways. And the kids, like y'all, these artists, what they have done is just incredible. You can tell from all the varied um themes that they have, the artwork that they've created that they understand it. And when you understand something, you're going to live it. And when you live it, you're going to love it. And I'm that's what my my hope is that these kids and their families and everyone who views their artwork will understand how vital our waterways are and how it's so important for all of us to do our part to take care of them. So, just so you know, we had 165 entrance. Um, and that represents 17 of our Fort Mill School District schools.

I participate in sports and love it. So, I grew up in a family that everybody didn't win. You actually didn't get participation trophies. However, in this particular endeavor, every student is a winner because what they were able to do was take an issue that I'm sure doesn't occur to most children. and I used to chase the tadpoles in the creeks. Um, so did Chris. Um, but it it's something that they grew through this experience and then we got to see the beauty of their art. So, um, I will read off uh the winners and what we'll do if it's all right with you, Mina, is we'll do them a section at a time and get pictures. We will be posting the art that you can see against the windows, which is incredible. Uh we will have photos of that on our um social media so that you'll be able to see it and see what the children have done.

Join you better. Yes.

Okay. Uh lower elementary Doy's Bridge Elementary School first place Alexander Aman. Second place, Hannah Miller, Sugar Creek Elementary. Third place, Satie Clanton, um, Flint Hill Elementary. An honorable mention, Elliot Lawrence, uh, Flint Hill Elementary. These are all second graders and have shared their art with us and I know that they have just brilliant futures ahead. Mina, you want to get on the other side?

Thank you all. You're amazing. All right, we're going to look One, two, three. Thank you so much.

Upper elementary. First place, Avery Widman, TK Elementary School. Second place, Anisha Anishka Tail. I just didn't do that service. I'm sorry. Anisha, are you here? Okay. Third place, Yashin New. Third place, Hattie Porter, Gold Hill Elementary School. Honorable mention, Michael J. Wilson, Gold Hill Elementary. An honorable mention, Matthew Barley, Gold Hill Elementary. These are fourth and fifth graders that just did a stellar job. Let's give them a big round. One, two, three.

Thank you. Thank you all. All right, let's move up to the middle school group. First place, Winston. Yo, believe's here. They were going to be Okay, that was Gold Hill Middle School, grade seven. Second place, Chandra Mahoen.

We probably come on up. Second place is Shauna Kuna Purity. Did I get close? NO. UM, third place, Anadia Aturova. No, she wasn't happy.

Okay. Third place, Cody Miller. HONORABLE MENTION, Bella Rutled, seventh, and eighth graders. Thank you so much. We're so proud of you all.

One, two, three. Yeah, we're not sure if the high schoolers are here. They probably have other things to do. Uh, first place, uh, Knock Knock Nation for High School, grade 12. No. Uh, second place, OA. Say that name again. Shandra Mahan.

Shandra Mahan. I didn't say it right. That's Kataba Ridge High School. Oh, third place, Juliana Tuarez. That's my sister. That's your sister. She'll represent the sister. Juliana Tarz, Nation Ford High School. Honorable mention, Hannah Dean. and honorable mention Amelia Cabana Fortwell High School.

One, two, three.

You can Photoshop Photoshop. Thank you. I hope we continue this amazing tradition of getting the artistry and brilliance of our children as a part of our community. Thank you. Next, uh, we will do a proclamation recognizing the Fort Mill High School boys wrestling team as the 2026 5A Division 2 state champions. Do we have any of the wrestling team present?

All right. Okay. I had brother not take that. I might All right. Face this way. Um whereas the Fort Mill High School boys wrestling team continued its tradition of excellence by capturing its fourth consecutive South Carolina state championship in the South Carolina High School League class 5A division 2 competition. Whereas the Yellow Jackets secured the title with a commanding 52-11 victory over Lug Elgen High School at White Null High School, completing an undefeated 31 and0 season, marking the program's second consecutive undefeated year. Whereas the championship victory reflected the extraordinary dedication and teamwork of the entire roster highlighted by standout performances including senior Lincoln Green 16 and0 and key wins from fellow wrestlers Cooper Van Bham Jaden win Kenan Cen broaden Mitches Maurice Lawrence Christian Villro Peter Escadero

Escadero Morrison Murphy Luke Van Dinham and Grayson Wallen. Who do we have here? This is Morrison and Grayson. Awesome.

Uh whereas the Fort Mill wrestling program has established itself as a statewide powerhouse. I would say so losing only three dual matches over the past four seasons while demonstrating discipline, perseverance, and leadership that inspires younger athletes and reflects great pride upon the Fort Mill community. Now therefore, be it proclaimed that the mayor and the town council of the town of Fort Mill do hereby recognize and congratulate the wrestlers and coaching staff of the Fort Mill High School boys wrestling team for winning their fourth consecutive state championship. What a remarkable achievement. And your name?

Coach Melo. I think that he deserves a stand. Can we get a picture for social media?

Thanks, guys. Thank you. Thank you. DO WE live in the best place ever or what? Amen. All right. Thank you, Gordon. I think it's turned the wrong way,

huh? Well, that's for me. Oh, sorry about that. All right, we're now going to move in public hearing. uh public hearing regarding an ordinance annexing parcels currently or formerly known as York County Tax Map number 7700 017 057 016 a portion of 013 a portion of 023 a portion of 051 a portion of containing approximately 73.843 843 acres with a proposed zoning de designation of MXU which is mixed mixed use Ardan Mill. This public hearing is now open. If you wish to speak, please come to the podium.

I'll go first. Okay. I'm used to speak. Uh hey everybody. Scott Coker now 122 West Oak Street in the beautiful White Mill Park neighborhood of uh downtown Fort Mill. Hey, I would just like to point out everybody's u before we this even starts on the back on the new business items tonight on the moratorum. Time out. Time out. This is not the public comment section. This is a public meeting for the properties. Are you want to speak on those properties? Yes, ma'am. I do. I do. I Nobody I don't think anybody understands there's other items on the back of the agenda. So, I was just making that a point um for the moratorum on that. We'll get there.

I understand. But anyway, okay. Anyway, um I did speak with staff today. Penelopey gave me some great insight on where we are with this and everything. So, um anyway, without the true plans, uh tonight, I think, uh would need another public hearing or public comments when the plans are actually presented to. So, um but I do appreciate everything y'all do for us. Thank you so much. Thank you, Scott. Would anyone else like to speak to this particular public hearing for the Ardan Mill expansion? Thank you, sir. Go ahead. Take your terms. I've never done anything like this. Oh, you're fine. I taught

Look at all the mistakes I make.

Well, I know a lot of you and I taught fifth grade for 36 years. So, if you start throwing paper wads and things, I'll feel very comfortable. My name is Hazel Frick. I live at 405 Fairway Drive. I've lived there for 31 years and I've lived in Fort Mill for 42 years. I have a vested interest here and I have a vested interest in the property in question and the fact that I have the have had the pleasure of looking off my over off my deck and loving all the beautiful leaves and and watching them come out in the spring and watching them change in the fall. My three grandsons love to go adventure walking down to the lake at Spring Branch Glenn. Um we look for all the animal prints along the lake and we've had the pleasure of watching the beaver build his dam on the side of the lake and we went home and read things on it and the beaver comes out and lays across the dam there and um I have totally enjoyed living there. I get to hear the owls hoot and I get to see these big hawks and I'm an animal lover in case you hadn't noticed. Even the big snakes down there that freak me out, I still love them. And I just want to say after they mowed down the some of the trees and things when they were building the houses behind me, there was a big tree that had a hawk nest and had baby hawks in that nest. And the mother hawk swooped and screeched and cried for weeks after that hunting her babies. And it broke my heart and it made me very aware of when you develop land like

that, you're really disturbing nature as well as the environment. And my allergist even tells me that's why my allergies are so bad because so many of the trees in Fort Mill have been mowed down. And um if I'm way off base tell saying all of this, I apologize, but I don't feel like I can fuss and complain and burn Chris Moody's ears all the time about it without coming here and saying what I felt. So maybe you can say that to the builders and you can send them to my house. They can sit on the deck and enjoy all the animal sounds and the views and I'll tell them exactly what I think. So thank you for your time. Thank you, Miss Hazel. We appreciate you. Uh there was another gentleman that wanted to speak. Come right on up.

Thank you, Mayor Mayor Savage. Council members, my name is uh Jack Wendell. I live on 821 Nims Lake Road. I have lived at that location since January of 1989 and have seen a drastic changes take place in that part of the neighborhood as well as that part of Fort Mill. Perhaps you've already guessed I'm here to ask you not to approve the request for this or mills one and two. When we first moved, my wife and I married, she's from Fort Mill, born and raised here. We could walk down to the end of Nims Lake Road and walk back, meet maybe four cars, and we knew everybody that drove those cars. That's no longer possible. We can't walk on our road anymore. I can walk on my driveway for eight minutes. And in those eight minutes, I can count 12 to 16 cars in eight minutes. And we want to put 200 houses down at the end of that road. two cars at least plus 200 houses. It's 400 more cars on that road. Not to count the cars that are going to use Nims Lake Road as a shortcut to get to do bridge. My house is at the end of or the first of Do Bridge on Nims Lake Road. Once you get off Dober's Bridge, people start putting on their brakes in the middle of my front yard and ride them all the way till they get to the stop sign at DO's Bridge. Now, you tell me that's going 35 miles an hour and you've got brakes on between 75 and 100 yards to get to the stop light, stop sign. And now you got a two doctor's offices down there in a daycare center. So, you got an intersection in which I had sat there with four cars in every

direction waiting on someone to make the first move to go. If that's safe, then I got some land at the bottom of the ocean that can sell you. I I just I just can't see that many cars on Nims Lake Road. White Grove has two entrance and exits. One's on Do's Bridge, one's on Nims Lake Spring Branch. Glenn has one. There's probably now about I'm going to say 15 to 16 houses at the end of uh Nims Lake Road and it's I just think it's entirely too much. I have in fact I'm scared to go to my mailbox because people come up and down that road. Not 35, but I bet some people have been down that road at 65 miles an hour. And I've been out on the show of that road on my lawnmower 30 years ago when one came by and I know someone saw him put on brakes. And so I just think that uh we got enough traffic now on Lake Road. Uh, not to mention the construction traffic. We we've been through the building of White Grove. We've been through the building of Spring Ranch Glenn. You got 18 ton trucks coming down there loaded coming in and out. You got construction pickups coming in and out, blowing trash on side of the roads. You got them tearing up roads, putting potholes in the roads. And we're just now getting that road and those shoulders cleared from the construction that's been finished in the last several years. Let's see. Couple other things. When the parkway was opened,

the traffic on Dober's Bridge did calm down some and slow down to where I didn't have to wait to get out. Now people are taking Dober's Ridge Road as a shortcut from the parkway to Tom to Tom Hall Street. Many a time I have to wait now for six to eight cars from both directions to get out. So traffic on Do Bridge is picked back up. Plus we're going to have Williams Road development. We're going to have I'm calling it the amphitheater across on on Doy's Bridge Road where the lake is. So that's more more traffic, more cars, more of everything. So with that being said, I'm asking respectfully to deny this uh resolution for the development. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. We appreciate it. Hi.

Hello. Uh appreciate the opportunity to speak. Uh my name is David White. My wife and I live at 125 Spring Branch Road. on the on the plot. It's lot 34. Uh so uh we we built we're the last uh person to have built in in that neighborhood uh coming up on nine years ago. It's hard to believe. Uh and uh anyway, our home is directly across the lake from where our mill this MXU project's going to be. Uh so we're certain to experience the impact of of of what gets approved here and what doesn't. I'm not opposed to development. I love Fort Mill. Uh we've done a lot of great things since we moved here in 2001. So thank you for that. But my concern my concern is how this project affects two things. Uh probably more than that, but I boiled it down to two to try to keep my comments a little short. Uh and and one is it's just very difficult to restore the environment that we have back there. You you just heard what it's like. Uh and then I think safe and predictable traffic flow is a huge concern. Uh I you just pulled out of there to come here. Uh, and just to hang a left right on Nims Lake Road, you better be careful because it's it's it's a blind lefthand turn and I pull out and stay in the lefth hand lane so I don't get hit in the rear from somebody barreling down through there. So anyway, first let's just talk about the the lake and the surrounding area support. It's a very rich ecosystem back there. I mean, I see great blue herand, deer, beavers, fox, you name it, hawks. We even have the occasional bald eagle that comes there. Uh, beautiful. They love to hunt ducks back there. But, uh, I've seen it

and muskr. Yeah, I've seen it happen sitting on my back porch. So, I I do like that. And I I think development without very clear protection risks degrading both the habitat and the water quality back there are a real concern of mine because once water quality degrades it is darn near impossible to uh get it back. I've worked in the forest product sector for 35 years. I won't even go into the land. I've walked those woods. There is some beautiful timber back there. Uh and I hate to lose that as well, but I'll stay away from there. I think second more important to me is just the limited access points in the new plan. Uh two access points for such large you know development seems uh just just not enough to me and I do think it's going to create a cutthrough pattern particularly around the schools. Uh and I think that raises both you know congestion and safety concerns during peak hours specifically. uh the area where Williams Road, you know, he just talked about feeds into Doby's Bridge and then four or 500 feet, that's a guesstimate on my part, uh towards town on the other on the other side of where u Nims Lake Road comes out. There's there's the uh daycare facility that's there and it's and it's a nightmare. Somebody's going to get killed there if we're not if we don't do that right. a lot of lefts and rights going on and the way the traffic like sequencing gets you off a you know 160 on Doby's bridge you got 30 cars will come by before you get a chance to go left. Uh so that that really concerns me for sure. So I think uh a lot to to be concerned about there with with what gets done to Nims Lake Road. Uh again, I'm I'm not here thinking I'm going to stop this development, but we better do that right or we're gonna school kids are going to cut through there. People going to try to avoid Doby's Bridge right on the

outside of the bypass, the Fort Mill Parkway, and that will be a racetrack. I will promise you. So, anyway, let's let's just do it the right way. Okay. I would also like to ask the council take a close look at the proposed uh 10-year vested rights period that that I read about. I'm not an expert, but when you get into these mixed communities, giving somebody 10 years vested rights when we don't even know what's going to happen by Christmas time around here. It's moving so fast. I think that's a radical ask. And I don't think we should I I don't think we should give them that type of let's put some guard rails up because things are going to change and let's make sure that you guys have a say on what gets changed and how it gets changed, right? So anyway, uh, so again, I'll just say strong storm water. We talked about that. The art's kind of cool about that. Water quality protection, meaningful buffers to preserve the wildlife habitat. We have a traffic plan that prevents neighborhood cutroughs is really important to me. And then clear limits on what can be built with this uh, MXU. I I did a little bit of research on that. So, this isn't about stopping growth for me. It's just about making sure it's done in a way that we we all love and support because I I love Fort Mill. So, thank you. Thank you so much. Do we have anyone else that would like to speak?

Good evening. My name is Frank Pope and I reside at 133 Spring Branch Road. I am a 21-year resident of the Spring Branch Glenn subdivision that is adjacent to the parcels requesting annexation and reszoning for the buildout of Ardmill phase 2. I have concerns with the plan development that adds 98 homes. First, limiting construction access to Nims Lake Road will create significant traffic disruption, noise, and safety issues for residents of Nims Lake Road, Fred Nims Road, and the White Grove and Spring Branch Glenn subdivisions. Second, the loss of the planned Bank Street access point will leave 200 homes and multiple businesses in Ardan Mill with only two access points and will dramatically change existing traffic patterns. Traffic patterns will shift from Droy's Bridge Road and Fort Mill Parkway onto Nims Lake Road as drivers seek to bypass parkway traffic lights and avoid heavy traffic from schools and new retail businesses on the Parkway. Existing residents will find it difficult to access Nims Lake Road from Whitebridge Lane or Spring Branch Road with the increased traffic volume and 35 mph vehicle speeds. Third, clear cutting and regrading will negatively impact groundwater management. The Spring Branch Pond uh is controlled by a dam that has been rebuilt once already. Recent storms have caused breaches and flooded property owners. The loss of trees and ground vegetation. The addition of imperous space and soil erosion will increase the volume of water flowing into the pond. The Ardan

Mill concept plan locates homes below the dam that will also be subject to flooding from future breaches and overflow of existing creeks. Fourth, the elimination of nearly 80 acres of mature woodlands will lead to the loss of habitat for many native species of plants and animals. These woods and wetlands provide nesting and roosting areas for a myriad of birds, including ducks, herand ospreys, hawks, and eagles, and are also home to deer, foxes, and otter. Additionally, the increased fertilizer runoff from lawns will trigger large algae blooms and disrupt the spring branch ponds ecosystem and varied aquatic life. I request the council follow the recommendation of the planning commission and deny the request for annexation and resoning. Thank you.

Good evening, members of the council. My name is Jeffrey Wagner. I live at 101 Spring Branch Road. It's a privilege to speak to you tonight uh in this historic building chosen to move into the former Springs Executive Office. This council has already demonstrated a deep respect for Fort Mill's history and preservation. You recognize that some things are too precious to be replaced. And I am here tonight to ask you to apply that same vision to the 80 acres of woodland designated under agenda item two. Colonel Elliot White Springs, who built this very building, famously said that the road to success must be paved with a respect for history and planning for the future. I believe this proposal falls on both fails on both counts. If this mixeduse reszoning is approved, it'll leave a permanent scar on our beautiful town that no amount of landscaping can ever heal. Fort Mill is at a breaking point. With the ongoing buildout of Elizabeth, the hundreds of new residents coming to crossroads on Doby's Bridge, and the scale of Kataba Ridge Market, our infrastructure is exhausted. Introducing a high density mixeduse designation in an already saturated corridor is not responsible planning. It is an invitation for traffic gridlock. Our roads simply cannot absorb the combined residential and commercial intensity that mixeduse brings to this specific location. My home is at the corner of Nims Lake Road and Spring Branch Road, which will be ground zero for the construction and commercial traffic this resoning invites. Beyond the noise, we're facing the irreversible loss of 80 acres of mature canopy, a living infrastructure that protects our community. These woods are a natural sponge. Clear cutting them replaces a resilient ecosystem with an impenetrable surface of asphalt and rooftops. By destroying these established root systems, we aren't just

losing trees. We are extinguishing the local biodiversity that defines our town's natural heritage. I'm calling upon this council tonight to act as the stewards of our community's long-term health. Follow in the footsteps of other great Fort Mill caretakers such as Colonel Springs and Anne Springs Close and make preservation a priority. Please stand with the residents of Spring Branch Glenn as you heard tonight and let's work together to find a path that preserves our natural buffers and protects our quality of life. I ask that you deny this mixeduse reszoning request. Thank you for your time and our service to our town. Thank you very much. Do we have anyone else that's interested in speaking?

I just want to My name is Linda Anderson. I live at 132 Spring Branch and I just want to be sure that someone is having a clear plan of what you're going to do about the exit point being we only have one exit point like a stop sign, traffic light, something that prevents us from being injured entering that road like what happened to Ma the Massie development on Doby's Ridge when someone was killed going out of their development because no one took traffic plan into play. Um, and the other thing is how much of a buffer and green space are you going to preserve around that pond in Spring Ranch? What is the builder's plan? I didn't hear anyone give specifics and what are are the specifics? Are you going to have green space preserved if you're going to start construction there? And how what are you going to who's going to maintain the dam? Who takes account financial accountability of that? Our little road is not going to afford that. We there has to be some accountability with the builder. If they're going to take on that project and put all that groundwater dump into the pond and and injure the dam, we're going to have flooded homes in the culde-sac. They're going to they're going to have a huge problem and who pays for it? How do we how do we fund that? That's my concerns. But thank you.

Thank you. Hello, good evening. I am Carolyn Wright. I am a new resident to Spring Branch Glenn um 112 Spring Branch Road. And I would just urge you to hold the builder accountable to make sure that the protected species of bald eagles. There are no nests. there are no um living spaces there for them because we have seen them and we know they live near us and around us and we just want to make sure that that piece isn't um overlooked because we want to keep Fort Mill beautiful. Thank you. Thank you.

Any further comments? I'm coming. Take your time. I'm going to be short and sweet. You're fine. Good to see you.

Good to see you, too. I'm Stu Tedford and I live at 103 Spring Branch Road. Um, I'm a real estate appraiser by trade. And one thing that I can say is that Nims Lake Road as it is is a very lightly traveled road. When the development occurs, all of a sudden it's going to be a busy road and that's going to have a negative impact on the market values of the properties. not only that front on Nims Lake Road, but are off of it. So, we're looking at a fairly negative uh impact from uh the development that's uh tenatively going to happen. So, that's it. That's all I got.

Thank you. Thank you. Any further comments? Hearing none, you want to comment, you're certainly welcome to. My name is John Yanchic.

I moved to Fort Mill 24 years ago and I'm a resident of 134 Spring Branch Road. I moved here from New Jersey, one of the worst congested areas in the country. I guess we moved here and this was a beautiful, nice, small town. 24 years later, we have grown tremendously and it seems like they don't want to stop growing. I thought there was going to be a moratorum on building, but apparently it's not off of uh I mean there are developments going up all over the place here. We have Elizabeth. We have this new area Ardan Mills phase two. There's another one over by uh Walgreens over there on Tom Hall Street in the back there that's that's going up. That's amazingly everything everything is going up and up and up and I can't understand it. There's got to be a limit to it because where we're at on Spring Branch, we have one entrance and one ex exit and it's the same one. If that's going to be used as a transport for vehicles to build back there and there's no other entrance or exit, then we're going to be in trouble over there. Gwen, you live on the street. You know what's going to happen there, too. I just want to say, you know, I I hope by chance that this is going to be put on the sidelines. I don't know, but uh that's all I have to say. Thank you very much.

Thank you. A little housekeeping if you will. Uh are you going to speak? The gentleman that just stood up, you gonna speak? Yes. Okay, come on. Real quick, then I'll talk. How about that?

So, I live at Spring Blanch Spring Spring Blanch as well, 105. I moved there because it's a dead end road and it's safe. So, we left Charlotte where we thought our kid was great and we lived on a dead end road there as well with a house, a horse farm next to us and it was wonderful. They had a chicken farm across the street and a goat farm across the street and it was great. And then they started developing on this dead end road and our neighbor had a 13-year-old girl. Once they started developing, they had to put this bus stop over here. And guess what? She crossed the road and was hit by a car and died. And it got so busy that they put a fire department in, which was next door to our place, that it got very dangerous. And I really hope that doesn't happen with people coming through. I know you guys say there's speed bumps and everything else and stop signs and people are going to come through fast, but it's just really hard not to see that after what we've been through. So,

thank you.

Thank you all for speaking so eloquently and carefully uh to bring your concerns before this council. In full disclosure, I do live in that neighborhood and my property abuts to the planned development. So, I would not be able to vote. I will have to recuse myself because that is my property and I need to do that because it's what's ethically correct. However, I would like to clear up a couple of things uh that were mentioned. You had mentioned the moratorum. The moratorum was was designed to address any new request if there had been properties already approved by the town or a development agreement signed. even though they hadn't been built yet, they have that approval. So a moratorum would not affect them once they have received that approval. So that's what you're seeing with some of the development that has been occurring. It's because it was already in what we call the pipeline. It was already approved in particular with the Springs properties. Uh I've been on council 21 years now and they came to us my first council meeting and they wanted to phase all their properties. They've been doing that for the last 20 years. They didn't do it all at one time. They're just doing it over a course of time that was better for the community. So u moratorum does affect anyone that comes to us with new build. Uh I think Chris, can you help me? How long ago did we hear from the Ardan Mill people? We've not approved it.

No, it hasn't been approved. It was submitted well over a year ago, I think, is is accurate.

Um, as you all have received letters in the neighborhood. I I also got a phone call about one of those. Um, the developer comes to us to bring us what they would like to do. our planning uh department, our planning commission, everybody looks at it and determines would it fit within our ordinances and in those zones. In this particular case, this property is not in the town currently. So, they have requested annexation that goes through the planning commission. Chris and Ben sat on it for a long time. Um you've sat on it, Scott. uh they get all of it together and look at the legalities of it and then it comes to us in our planning department. They have to go by what the department of transportation reviews and says is needed to accommodate such a development. So I just want clarity that this council will not vote tonight because Dry Point asked for a delay. They do not set our schedule. They do not arrange our meetings. They do not decide what we decide. We have a process for that and everyone, not just Trip Point, but every developer has to go through the same process. So, I just want to be really clear about that. We will grant them the delay uh because they requested, you know, it's just June, I believe, is when they want to come before us.

June 22nd, June 22 business meeting in June. Yes, we will have an we wanted to follow through with the public hearing because we've posted it and that's our process. We will have yet again another opportunity to have a public hearing as well. So, we're making sure that our community has an opportunity to speak and to bring their concerns and their thoughts to the table. So, we're not voting on that tonight. And this council will take everything that's said into consideration at that point in time in June when a vote is taken. Should the council vote against the property development request, the annexation request, I'll get all those words in there right, um, then it will be denied. At that point in time, it's in the county. So, you know, they may have to work with the county council on what they choose to do for that property. So, does everybody kind of have a clearer picture of Yes, ma'am.

I don't understand what the annexation for it means. They're not currently a part of our town. They are asking for us to agree to bring that land into the town. Not everything that has a Fort Mill address is inside the contiguous town itself. There's a lot of county property with Fort Mill addresses. So, they're asking to come into the town and that's a decision only this council can make. Now, the count we say no, does that mean it doesn't get built or it just goes? That depends on what the county council decides and what their zoning and their ordinances allow.

Okay. Yes, sir. tell us why they asked for a request for a delay. I I don't know. Um I know that they were looking into additional details of questions that they had received. Um I think from some communications from inside the community and staff and they went back to the they asked for the deferral so they could have time to address those questions. So will our comments be taken into consideration if excuse me? No, that's our planning director, Penelopey Keragunas, and she is amazing. She's fantastic. So, Penelopey, would you like to help?

Yeah, just answer the question that the citizen had. Um, they sent us a letter stating that they would like to take the opportunity right now to reduce the overall density and increase open space. And that was the reason for the deferment. We're increasing less than 200 homes. Well, the the original art mill has 99. And so now they right now for phase 2 they were proposing 108 but now now they want to reduce the 180 to maybe 80 or other number than 108. But you do have to consider there has been already 99 homes built in phase one.

Why are they closing ma'am? We have to ask the mayor. Ma'am, I'm sorry. I I'm No, I'd like to know your question. I can walk back there. We had the information that they would close the entrance to Ardan Mill phase one and limited all the construction and everything extends Lake Road. Wow.

Panel, can you answer that? She's talking about closing off road access. May Mayor, I think it'd be appropriate to have the develop have the developer speak to that when they come back in June. We can't speak proposed is not necessarily what we'll approve or not approve. I think Fort Mill has lost his heart. I agree.

I'm standing back here in the event that anyone else can't be heard because I do want to hear you. Let it be known. I'm a third generation native of this town. I'm Navy Rizzle and my ancestors settled the land. In fact, the land we're talking about was my greatgrandfathers. But what I don't understand is why we want to preserve some of the history of the town. Whims Lake was a landmark years for several generations. It was the only recreation. Now the phase one already floods him leg and makes it run over. I don't trust their building with the understatement. Well, I would like to state for the record that the folks I work with here in this council have a lot of work for this town and I do too and I won't back down from that for anyone. My mom used to swim in Nims Lake as a teenager. That was the only recreation. So, I am very familiar with with how Fort Mill has changed and a lot of it has not been to my liking either, but a lot of it has gone very well like the opportunity to preserve this building as was so eloquently stated earlier. So, we're working to do our best. We are. And if you need other questions answered, Penelopey's name is Town Hall or I bet you know where I live, so you're do you have any any work or control with the police department?

Absolutely. Well, um, a lot of that traffic is coming down, uh, Fairway Drive. Um all the traffic that they're talking about that is go not going around the uh bypass anymore is now coming down Fairway and we need a policeman out there in the evenings because we have guys going at least 60 mph down for minimum and and a lot of the sports cars want to take those curves 100 I think I think just so they can prove themselves that they can do it

when I was in high school Some of my classmates like to ramp off of that where Mr. Bird lived. They would get off the road and ramp off of that. So I hear you. If you could have the police patrol that. Can we up Can we up our visibility on fairway? Thank you. That's our police chief. He is fantastic. My wife will give me cookies. Cookies and ice. All right. Thank you.

Any further question, comment? We will move forward with the remainder of our agenda and we thank you for bringing uh yourself, your time and your thoughts to us. Thank you.

All right, let us have some order please. and our uh council we will close the public hearing if there's no further um need to address this particular issue. Public hearing is closed. All right. We will now move to public hearing uh regarding an ordinance to reszone the parcel currently or formerly known as York County Tax Map number 020130 01 containing approximately 3 acres from R15 to MXU Ardan Mill Penelope and we're going to open the public hearing before anything else. Public hearing is now open. Anyone like to speak on this particular item? Seeing no one, we're going to close the public hearing. We'll now open a public hearing regarding an ordinance to amend the mixeduse concept plan and development conditions for the Fort Mill Reserve, also known as Ardan Mill, MXU, Town of Fort Mill, Ordinance 2016-42. Public hearing is open. Uh, hey everybody. Scott Cocon 122 West Oak Street, beautiful White Park neighborhood downtown. Uh, could this item be deferred until the uh, concept plan is uh, brought to us so we could see what was going on?

I can't hear you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Gwen. Uh, can this item be deferred until the we see the concept plan for this particular item? But, uh, anyway, that's that would be my only comment. Uh, but thank you for everything you do. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. We we've checked into the legalities. We're going to have another public hearing.

All right. Anyone else? I'm going to close that public hearing. We'll move to D. Public hearing regarding an or regarding an ordinance annexing parcels currently or formerly known as York County Tax Map number 770016. portion of 709 0 013 portion of 23 portion of 51 portion of containing approximately 13.4 acres with a proposed zoning designation of R25. This public hearing is open. Seeing no one uh interested in speaking, this public hearing is closed. Now, we'll go back to something we all recognize. Um, council members, you have received your uh workshop meeting minutes for March the 9th, 2026. Are there any changes, additions, or deletions?

Make a motion to approve. I'll second. I'll second. I have a motion to approve and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed, thank you. We will now open our general public comment section. And I do have a list. Here we go. Um, Frank has left, David has left, Jeff has left, and Mr. Wendell has left. So, Scott looks like you're the only one signed in.

Hey everybody, Scott Coenau 122 West Oak Street, beautiful White Park neighborhood, downtown Fort Mill. Hey, uh I participated in the um the Shamrock Jam on Main Street. A great event. Uh posted almost 6,000 um residents and vendors and everything there. So, uh great event on Main Street for the Shamrock Jam. And then yesterday, another fundraiser at Wing King. Uh great to see the community come out and support uh one of the cooks and family uh with some kidney cancer. So, just good things along that line. So, uh anyway, I bring my granddaughter over here. Now we go to the walking park and uh we come over and ride the elevator. Uh so bring my grandkids in here. They love seeing all the environment. This is a just a great thing uh y'all have done for our community and everything to keep up the good work purchasing the park uh the property over there on Sutton and 77. Just good good things coming out of uh council and staff here. So I'm going to head to the uh Kataba Ridge Fort Mill lacrosse game. So I got friends coaching on both sides and no kids playing. So anyway, just appreciate everything y'all do. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much. Uh we do not have anyone else signed in for public comment. So we will move to old business item A, consideration of a second reading of ordinance 202612, an ordinance amending section 20-51A of the town's code of ordinances to change the local administrator of the town's flood damage prevention regulations, ordinance 1995-02. Chris Pettit is our subject matter expert.

Thank you, mayor. Uh, no changes since first reading. Um, again, this is just allowing uh or changing the language in the um ordinance to note town manager or their design such that uh when we have subject matter experts on flood uh and flood plane issues that uh they can pro uh fill out all paperwork necessary versus having the town manager do so. Any questions for Chris on old business item n um a u Mr. Pettit? There's a a slight typo on actually on the ordinance. Uh got first reading and second reading dates approval of the same date. So I'm sure it's just a typo. Okay. Yeah, we can fix that. Other than that, no other comments on it.

All right. I'll entertain a motion. Make a motion to approve uh get the light vert the consecutive reading of of ordinance 2026-12. All right. I have a motion to approve ordinance 2026-12. Do I have a second? A second. I have a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed? Thank you. We will move to old business B. Consideration of the second reading of ordinance 2026-13, an ordinance adopting the town of Fort Mill's our path forward comprehensive plan, Penelope. Hi. Good evening, mayor and council. Um, no additional comments. I'm just thrilled to be at the end of this journey. Us too.

Yeah. Any questions for Penelope? Hearing none, I'll entertain a motion. I'll make a motion to approve the second reading of ordinance 2026-13, an ordinance to adopt the town of Fort Mills our path forward comprehensive plan. I'll second. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed, thank you. Old business C, consideration of second reading of ordinance 2026-14, an ordinance adopting the town of Fort Mills downtown master plan. Penelopey, the same thing. No, I'm just thrilled to have this adopted and the the real work begins after this adoption. Um, true. As we look forward to getting some new regulations and to make these plans implementable.

A lot of work went into this and we certainly appreciate it. Yeah. Thank you guys too for taking the time of all the the meetings and the work sessions that we had. Wonderful. Couldn't do it without you. I'll make a motion to approve the second reading of ordinance 2026-14, ordinance to adopt the town of Fort Mills downtown master plan. I have a motion. Do I have a second? I'll second. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Penelopey.

All right. Then we'll move to item D, consideration of the second reading of ordinance 2026-15, an ordinance authorizing the sale and conveyance of real property located at 200 and 210 Tom Hall Street, tax map number 0200069005 and authorizing the execution of all necessary documents related thereto. Chris Pettit. Thank you, mayor. No changes since first reading. Um, this is a formality of state law that council must adopt by ordinance uh uh approval of us selling property. So that's what this is doing the old town hall.

Okay, we have uh Mr. Moody will recuse himself from this vote. Uh do I have a motion? I'll make a motion to approve second reading of ordinance 202615 authorizing the sale and conveyance of real prop real property at 2210 Tom Hall Street. Second. And I have a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed, thank you so much. Flip the page.

Item E, consideration of a resolution 2026-16, a resolution formally adopting sections 8, 9,10, and 11 of the classification and compensation study conducted by management advisory group international, Inc., Carrie Vargo.

Good evening everyone. Um over the past year, the town worked with management advisory group uh to conduct a comprehensive classification and compensation study. The purpose of that study was to ensure internal equity across classifications and departments, assess the town's competitiveness in the Charlotte Metropolitan uh labor market, and address known issues of salary compression and recruitment and retention issues. In front of council this evening is a resolution adopting section 8, the proposed pay plan, sections nine and 10 classification listings, and section 11 implement implementation cost detail report. Um, this does total uh just under $1.6 million in salary and fringe. Just as a reminder, council had approved $2.2 million in this fiscy year budget. So, our plan is on budget.

You have questions for Carrie? It's complex and complicated to put into one small sentence issue. Um, very hard work went into this. Um, a lot of effort in how to best manage it. Uh, do we have any questions that need resolved before we take a vote? As we talked about it previously, just for clarification, um we've we're listing sections 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the compensation study, but does this in ultimately mean everything that was proposed by staff, you're asking for us to approve everything at one time?

Yes. So, what this resolution is doing is actually it it's just approving the salary increases. the subsequent resolution which you'll consider shortly is or the various policies. I'm not sure if that's what you were asking. I am there's just a lot of information in here. So I want to be sure that we understand totally everything that's being proposed and when we're discussing and voting on these. So this is just section E is just for the salary piece. Correct. Not the total compensation. compensation compensation 8 that's why I was asking the following one would be the other benefits

correct the various benefit enhancements correct all that sort of thing okay I have just a procedural question why is this an old business we haven't voted on this before it's a resolution it's because resolution but it's well you're probably right you're probably right it wasn't yeah This is the first time it's up. She I would have thought of it. It was We had a presentation previously, not um not a business item, just procedural. I was just curious. Okay. And it only takes one vote for approval. Correct.

Were there any highlights that we can talk about that um or concerns that have come to light, whether it be from staff or council or the public? any changes or anything that was different than the presentation that was first given? No ma'am.

I do believe since we are taped this evening and it is important for our public to understand the votes that we do take um these studies are conducted with somewhat regularity to ensure uh that we are keeping our employees well paid for the work that they do. It's an extremely, believe it or not, competitive arena when we're trying to keep fire and police from crossing the state line or into other areas that are offering money. Uh, everyone was considered in uh these studies uh to determine what their classification, their job description was, and how those fared salary-wise with areas commensurate with those like the Fort Mill municipality. So as we work towards um making this a great place to work, it's not just salary. So we'll be looking at some improvements in employee benefits as well. So I think that these are critical path items as we grow our staff and while we work towards serving a community that continues to grow. Carrie was the the increase that was already in this year's budget. Correct.

Yes, sir. So, um, this council had approved $1.5 million in the general fund and $700,000 in the utility fund for a total of $2.2 million. We budgeted that um for the full year um so that we had a baseline budget moving into next year's budget, you know, year. Um, obviously we there's no retropay involved in this plan. Um, so we'll we'll be paying the increased salaries for half of the year or perhaps even a little bit less than that. Uh, but we have a we have a good baseline budget for our next fiscal. Go ahead.

No, I was going to say in corporate America, we have to pay uh we do this very this very similar thing. Uh, we want good employees. We want them to be vested here. So, we need to compay them competitive in benefits and salary. So, I think it's uh it's a fact of uh the the environment we work in now that uh it's very competitive market as a mayor and we want we want good employees and our staff and we want to support them. So, I think it's uh as as relative. I agree. You get what you pay for.

You really do. Carrie, will the remaining since we're only going in less than half a year just carry over I imagine to next year's budget the amount we budgeted for this fiscal year from October October. So so we have a good baseline budget moving this next year because we included the salaries in totality for this fiscal year. Okay. Um anything not spent in this budget for in any line item will just continue to accumulate as fund balance. I I think that's what what you were asking but Yep. Thank you. Further questions? I'll entertain a motion. Does that need to be changed as far as how it's motioned or is it still old business?

It could have been It could have been under either, but not. Okay. If that's the case, I'll make a motion to uh approve uh old business item E consideration of the resolution 2616. resolution formally adopted sections 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the classification and compensation study. I'll second. I have a motion and a second on item E. All those in favor, please say I.

I. All those opposed. Thank you so much. Item F, consideration of resolution 2026-17, a resolution authorizing the town manager to adopt and amend policies related to the personnel manual as recommended by Management Advisory Group International, Inc. Carrie Vargo.

Thank you, Mayor. Um so so this uh particular resolution I is requesting that you adopt a number of policies that address um recruitment as well as retention. Um most if not all were recommended by management advisory group. Um they all absolutely address issues that that we have seen since since I've been here. Um those policies are as follows. uh tuition reimbursement policy, an education incentivebased salary adjustment policy, a retention incentive policy, an employee recruitment referral bonus policy, a parental leave policy, call back pay policy, and lateral hire salary placement hardto-fill premium policy. It's quite the mouthful. This resolution also addresses uh increased vacation acral um on both for both uniform and non-uniform personnel and that was based off the salary survey. Um we we're behind uh as it relates to um the provision of vacation to our employees both in years 1 through five and and more so in years six through 10. So there were slight adjustments made there. SK schedule should be in your materials

questions.

I think it's important for those watching and those in the audience, particularly since we have many of our employees here right now, to know that this council not only cares about your pay, but cares about everything else that comes together with the total package. Um, we all know Fort Mill is a great place to live. Um, we hope you believe it's a great place to work. And when you look at the total package of everything that we're bringing to the table, we can't always continue to race to the top for the highest pay. But we do feel like we bring together um you know, I've made the comment a couple of times and I'll say it right now in public within the next couple of years. Every employee should have a new office that they will work out of with the exception of fire department one. Um, everybody should feel the love that we have for you in the environment that we're providing both with your paycheck and with the other benefits that we bring together. So, thank you for what you do for our town and we look forward to continuing our partnership together.

Nicely said. Well said.

Very nicely said. We do appreciate and hopefully have always shown that appreciation in the past. I think it's worthy of saying at this point that I have a soon to be 92 year old mom uh that has lived here her entire life. She has a real hard time understanding that we don't have just two police officers, one chief and one officer, uh a volunteer fire department. She can't help it. That's what we had. You know, there was a time that we had council members if the siren went off, they stopped their job, they got in their car, and they went to the event sometimes with a shovel if it was a broken water line. All this sounds ridiculous to young people, but I'm living it that I can see it. I've seen the evolution because she'll ask me, "Well, who who's on the police department now?" I have no possible way of telling her every name that's on that police department, but it's just because she cares and she loves the community. There are many people that view it the same way. Carrie, how many employees do we currently have?

200 284 full-time employees and approximately 50 part-time employees. 284 employees, 50 part-time employees on top of that. So, um I I do think it's important to note that we could not continue with the same wage and salary and benefit programs that we had when we had one police chief and one officer and they shared a car to where we are today. We must take care of our people because they take care of us. So, thank you Lisa. That was very nicely said. Any further questions or commentary that might be had? I move.

All right. And I will entertain a motion. Make a motion to approve item number F, consideration of resolution 2026-17, authorizing manager to adopt and amend policies related to the personnel manual is recommended by management advisory group. Now second. I have a motion and a second for item F. All those in favor, please say I.

I. All those opposed. Thank you. We'll now move to item G, consideration of resolution 2026-18, a resolution authorizing the town to apply for the congestion mitigation and air quality, fondly known as CMAC, improvement grant for adaptive traffic control systems. Carrie,

thank you, mayor. Um th this uh resolution is authorizing staff to submit a CMAC grant in the amount of $3 million. It's also obligating the town um to the 20% match which equates uh to approximately $600,000. Uh again, if if that is uh fully spent. Um the the current project estimate is $3.4 million. That's preliminary. So I would caution you don't please don't grasp onto that number. Um de deadline for grant submission is April 1st. Uh the grants gone very well. Uh we have our various letters of support. We have a site visit with uh District 4, South Carolina Department of Transportation scheduled for Wednesday. Uh incredibly excited for this this particular project. Um it's it's one of the primary concerns that we often hear from the community. So, the ability to uh improve our our signal network to to the benefit of uh commuters is is going to be a wonderful thing and and we appreciate your support.

For those watching, this is a a maybe perhaps a better use of technology to assist with mitigating congestion as best as possible within our community. We have several roads that bottleneck and it's a real problem crossing Fort Mill on a given day. Uh to be able to manage some of that signalization to improve that flow, uh it's certainly worthy of us making an attempt to do that. So, um I just wanted to try to simplify. CMAC is a grant that uh runs through the ARFATS group, the regional transportation group, and it is something that other communities apply for funding and grants to assist with the types of work that we're talking about here. Any questions,

Carrie? Do we know when we'll know if we've received this grant or the timing for resolution? Um, so I believe um well, I know the grant application is due April 1st. Um, I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that we'll know no later than m maybe mid to late June if if if we're successful or not. Am I am I am I incorrect in that, Madam Mayor? I I would think it would be more than one meeting. I do not believe we're scheduled for a CMAC. Ben and I sit on that committee and I've never known us to turn anything around that quickly. Um,

perhaps I'm being overly optimistic. There are many people that many municipalities that are after that same money for lots of reasons and every person has a valid reason, but there's only so much money to be had. So, I would hope that we could get it by June, but it may it may be first of August.

Yeah. And and Lisa, just to expound on on that, um once we actually submit the grant, um if if ARFATS is agreeable, there's some additional due diligence that that needs to be done just as far as um you know, calculations and an analysis as far as what what we'll save in, you know, carbon emissions and fuel savings and things like that across the network. So, so there'll be, you know, some additional work to to do to provide ARFATS with the justification for the grant funding. Okay.

And just in case anyone's asking, um, you wonder how this might mitigate some of the air quality issues. Cars that sit in traffic and idle are emitting much greater amounts of pollutants than those that are moving constantly through a a very well-managed network of roads. So this isn't an effort to stop some of the larger congestion that occurs within our community. If also not mistaken, this has the emergency response where the fire truck can keep going straight through no ambulances. So I think that's since time is a the essence in an emergency. Correct. Uh Carrie, is there uh if we apply for this, is there a chance that would be less than what we've requested?

Yes. So it's not all or none. It's it is. So it could be less. Okay. Yeah. they might offer us one. It just depends on what other projects are requested and how the group votes. And we're not committing to anything. We're all we're doing to committing to is the pursue the grant. Well, the so the resolution is is essentially committing the town that if if we receive the grant if we receive the grant. Yes. Correct. Let me Yeah. clarify that. Yes. Okay. So, if we don't get the grant, we we still have some discussion. have to apply for the next one or find another way to fund it. Great. Okay. Thank you. Further questions? Hearing? None. I'll entertain a motion.

I'll make a motion to uh approve resolution 202618. Resolution authorize the town to apply for the con for the CMAC improvement grant for adaptive traffic control. I'll second. Have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed? Thank you. We'll move now to new business. Item A, consideration of approving an amendment to the memorandum of understanding,ou with the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice Carrie.

Thank you, mayor. Um, so the town of Fort Mill has a memorandum of of agreement with the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice for the purposes of housing juvenile offenders at their facility in Colombia. What this amendment does is allow the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice to send juvenile offenders. They'll be they'll go through intake uh at Colombia and then it allows the South Carolina Department of uh juvenile justice to transfer those juvenile offenders to a facility in Greenville County. Um this is administrative in nature. Has nothing to do uh from a monetary perspective. Um, no, no other issues or concerns. Ju just just grants them the permission to use an a newly contracted facility.

Any questions for K?

Just out of curiosity, if we do take someone under um under our detention, how quickly are they transported to Greenville? Um what kind of timing is involved? Um, so we we will only we will continue to transport juveniles to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Colombia. They'll go through intake processing. Um, and so we will never be transporting juvenile offenders directly to Greenville County. The the only um folks that are allowed to do that are Greenville County. Everyone else from from what I've read h has to take juvenile offenders to the facility in Colombia. They're processed there and then and then they determine whether they need to be transferred out or not.

Okay. Thank you. Further questions? I'll entertain a motion for new business item A. I'll make a motion to approve uh new business item A approving an amendment to the memorandum understanding with the SCT South Carolina Department of Just Juvenile Justice. Thank you. I appreciate it. It's a mouthful.

I know. In an effort for us to be very clear, we're rereading things multiple times. So, um do I have a second? So, I have a second with Mr. with Councilman Helms. All those in favor, please say I. I I all those opposed. Thank you. New business item B, public hearing and consideration of the first reading of an ordinance establishing a temporary moratorum on the acceptance and processing of applications for resonings, annexations, andor preliminary plat for new residential developments, as well as resonings, annexations, andor development approvals within the town's general industrial GI district or limited industrial LI district. Chris Pettit, but we're going to open the public meeting first. Public meeting is open. Is anyone here that would like to speak to this particular item? Seeing no one, closing the public hearing. And now we will uh hear what you have to say, Mr. Pettit.

Thank you, Mayor. Um we are actually um coming out of a uh temporary moratorum on um uh certain development types. Uh as we had adopted that as we work through the comprehensive planning process to uh complete the comprehensive plan which we did tonight and to complete the downtown master plan which we did tonight. Um coming out of that there are a number of text amendments uh whether it be to the code of ordinances or to the zoning ordinance uh that would uh assist in um uh realizing the visions and the recommendations established throughout those plans. So the temporary moratorum that is uh up for consideration this evening is for the purpose of allowing staff time to work through those text amendments uh in the code uh to adopt those such that uh coming out of this moratorum any development that occurs is realizing those visions established in those plans that we have just adopted this evening. So um the purpose of this uh temporary moratorum which uh as drafted is for a period of 6 months with a possible extension of 90 days by resolution of council. Um this temporary moratorum would be imposed on any subsequent development um uh applied um uh on or after the effective date of the ordinance uh including um the uh basically it's a staff shall not process accept review or approve any application for reszoning of property where the intended or proposed use includes new residential annexation for the same where it includes new residential. uh preliminary plat where the intended or proposed use includes new residential reszoning of a property to the town's general industrial or limited industrial

districts. uh annexation uh into the town with those industrial uh designations or development approval in those uh industrial designations including but not limited to preliminary plats, final plats, civil construction plan approval, site plan approval, land disturbance permits or zoning permits. There are a number of exceptions to keep us um sort of within the legal parameters of uh doing moratoriums. Um and as we kind of mentioned earlier today, uh anything that's already in the pipeline would be exempt from this moratorum. So um just because we're in a moratorum doesn't doesn't mean that uh construction will not still be going on throughout the community. Um but the uh number of exceptions uh to this moratorum would be anything that is um uh application reszoning, annexation or preliminary plat uh related exclusively to commercial uses, residential developments that have already received town council approval, which is kind of what we were talking about earlier. Any amendment to an existing residential development that has received all of council's approval that does not increase the number of residential dwelling units. So anything uh if they're tweaking things as long as it's not increasing density um that's still okay. Uh it would be exempt from this moratorum applications for reszoning annexation or preliminary plat where uh uh again the process has already started. It's already submitted a a traffic impact analysis or it's going through the process of uh getting approval for a traffic impact analysis. um development approvals for any public utility project that includes water, sewer, electric, or natural gas within the town's general industrial limited industrial district necessary for the continued safe and efficient operations of those utilities within the town. Typically, you see those within the industrial district. So, this would not uh prohibit uh any uh public utility from doing what they need to do to

continue safe operations. Um and then uh also uh any development approval relating to the finalization of any project that's currently underway in an active develop um underway via an active development approval within the general industrial district or the limited industrial district. So those were the exemptions to this. Again the duration uh was for a period of 6 months basically ending September 30th 2026 unless further extended by coun uh council action. Uh the moratorum does allow for uh one extension by resolution uh for a period of 90 days. And with that I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you Mr. Pettit. I appreciate you running through all of the details because there are many. I think suffice it to say that we're requesting an moratorum so that we can take the good that came from the planning process and put it into a written format that we can use as our business practice. So um we need time to do that and I appreciate the efforts of staff as they move forward with that. Anyone have any questions for Mr. Pettit?

I I concur with the mayor. I commend the staff for the and I think this appropriate the last mortorium was to do the plan and we and we've asked I remember all through the plan we asked for actionable uh response to that. So now we have we have the vision. Now we need to adjust the ordinances and put in place so we can execute correct that. So I think it's very appropriate and and I think it's uh it's timely and I think uh applaud the uh the details on the exemptions because there are things that are underway that that will not be impacted.

So affectionately this will be one of the times that we don't pay for a plan put it on a shelf. We're actually taking action from that plan which I think everyone agrees is what we want to do as council. So thank you. All right. I'll make a motion to approve the first reading of an ordinance establishing temporary moratorum on the acceptance and processing of applications for resoning annexations and/or preliminary plat for new residential developments as well as resonings annexations and/or development approvals within the town's general industrial district or limited industrial district. I'll second that. What she said? Yes, I have a motion. Am I saying that again?

Yeah. Have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed, y'all would go in there. And once again, uh that doesn't mean that business won't continue on uh those projects that have already been previously approved. Um item C, consideration first reading of an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 to 2026 budget to adopt engineering services reviews within chapter 36 of the utility fee schedule. Chris Pettit.

Thank you, mayor. Um this item is relating to the town's um engineering town engineer position. Uh as we've uh been working on filling that position uh we've been outsourcing our reviews uh of water systems and sewer systems. So this uh uh amending of the fees schedule is uh to um pay for those costs of a third party uh PE to review those plans. Um and the uh intent is to continue with this as we bring on a new uh PE here on staff, have a new town engineer as they um uh learn learn our system, learn our design specifications, that sort of thing. Um and then ultimately phase this out over time and happy to answer any questions you may have.

Any questions for Chris?

Chris, do we currently charge these fees when we are at full staff in this department? We we we do not historically charge these fees uh specific fees. Um there we we have a general fee that is paid when somebody is submitting uh a preliminary plat or a site plan um that that would include uh the review of these items when when we do have someone on staff. Um, in looking at some other jurisdictions, uh, and their fee schedules, I I think some others have either everybody kind of has it done a different way. Um, but they they they capture these fees in in other ways. So, I think we're actually currently on the low end of of a fee schedule absent these. So, even including these, I don't think we're going above and beyond what what others are charging. Um but but we we don't specifically have a fee dedicated to this uh normally.

Okay. I wouldn't mind us considering that during this time. Does it make sense for an additional um fee to be in place for the work that we're doing um to benefit those that are coming to us with the projects. So we can certainly look at that. Any further questions for Mr. Pettit? Hearing none, I'll entertain a motion for item C. Motion to approve the first reading of an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 budget to adapt engineering services reviews within chapter 36 of the utility fee schedule. I'll second it.

All right, I have a motion to approve and a second for item C. All those in favor, please say I. All those opposed, thank you. Item D, consideration of the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the town manager to execute a perpetual easement across the town property identified as York County tax map numbers 0201201 203 204 205 206 207 208 and 209. Chris Pettit.

Thank you, Mayor. Um I couldn't have stated it any better than you. Um and uh the exhibits have been uh provided to council within your packet. Happy to answer any questions. This is uh an easement across property that the town owns does not have current or future uses for. So um again, happy to answer any questions you may have. Mr. P, this is a utility easement. That is correct. Okay. Any questions? Hearing none, I'll entertain a motion. Nobody wants to read all the numbers.

Motion to approve the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the town manager to ex execute a perpetual easement across town property identified as York County tax map numbers 020121 203 204 205 206 207 208 and 209. I'll second that.

All right, we have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed. Thank you so much, council. Uh, we've done a really good job uh getting through a page and 3/4. Um, are there any extremely important comments that we need to make before we move into executive session? Hearing none, um, I will uh take a motion to move into executive session. Please note that council may take action on executive session items listed on the agenda when they come back into public session. Tonight we will have a discussion of contractual matters as it relates to 123 North White Street and we will receive legal advice as it relates to the Freedom of Information Act. Do I have a motion to go into executive session?

Have a motion to move into executive session and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed, thank you. Let the record reflect that no vote was taken in executive session. I would entertain a motion for us to return to regular session. Make a motion to return to regular session. I'll second that. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed, thank you. Thank you all for your patience and kindness. I'm amazed we're at 8:30. I thought it would be 10:30.

So, um, thank you staff for making it possible for us to get through that much. and council for us uh handling business and continuing to have everything in our concern addressed. So with that, I'll entertain a motion for adjournment. Make a motion to adjurnn. I'll second that, too. Have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. All those opposed. Thank you. This meeting is adjourned.