City Council - Regular Meeting

I do understand Edwards. Can you hear me? Edward Mill, are you there?

Reverend Edwards and Mr. Miller, can y'all hear us? Matthew Edwards. I can hear you guys. Miss Edwards, I think you're still on mute. Yeah. Can you hear me? Why don't we go? It sounds like they're bears. Yeah, I can hear you. Can you hear me? Okay. And I think Miss Edward Miss Edwards is on, but she's on mute.

Wow. We'll come back to you later. We'll go ahead and call this meeting. Would you mind standing for your grace and your mercy? Thank you God for giving us another opportunity to give you the glory and all the things. We thank you so much God for light. We thank you for our city. We thank you for our mayor. We thank you for the council. Thank you for the minister. We thank you for all the city workers. God, we thank you for the citizens of this city. Thank you so much for giving us an opportunity to come in the business of this city. God, heal our s, deliver our sin, take away everything that is not like you, Lord. Unify us that you may get the glory all that we do. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

accordance with information 1976 agend has been posted on the front door city hall notification of this meeting to confirm for the record first meetings agenda motion Further discussion in the Mr. Miller. Yes. Edwards. Yes. We're praying for you. Thank you, Mayor. down.

Felt like What is going on? Anyone wish anyone else? I know you, but can you know your position? Yes, ma'am. Is there anyone anyone that wish ordinance What is being

motion? Any further discussion? All in favor of Yes. Yes. As you know, um, we have received funding through the capital to renovate the building renovate that property. center department on that project. We received bids on that a couple weeks ago and we received a really favorable bid at this time. should be to be reached. However, our tax

total proposed budget is 189 958,000 department. So I feel We did this information. Is there anyone in favor of anyone that wishes to go.

One thing I didn't want to point out. No. All in. Yes. Yes. Yes. I believe although it wouldn't be week without She wore a beastful by protecting them. We are protecting ourselves. Thank you. for your support.

very Where's All right.

Dr. So I want to first begin by thanking you all for allowing us these opportunities to come and just voice our concerns and our opinions. Um so here we go. So I want to first thank you all by asking you to remove any type uh voluntary or involuntary biases as I continue to try to prevent this issue because this is an issue that not one group of people will benefit from but all groups of people can benefit from. So, I want you to understand that when I stand before you, yes, I am a black woman, but if you look at what a hate crime ordinance has the potential to discourage, it encompasses a lot of other areas. Religion, sex, um, and, um, sexual preference, orientation, those things are protected. You get to be who you are and be accepted as a resident. And so I want us to understand that even though I'm coming here as a black woman, I can relate to every other part of that hate crime. So I'm going to use my time to do a couple of things. Um, but the framework for this presentation to you all today will be to talk about something that we did when we were in school. And when we were learning like reading comprehension, the teacher would always ask us a couple of questions. They wanted to know the who, the what, the when, the why, the where, and the how. And so that is the way I'm going to break down this hat crime ordinance so that it's in small bites so that the lay person or someone who's never even thought about it will be able to witness it. That's why I'm here. So the who the ordinance is for all people,

not just the black woman standing in front of you. For some reason, society has become conditioned to whenever we mention hate crimes, we automatically go white and black. It's much more diverse than that. And so, I need for us to understand that just because I'm saying it, I want you to remove me from it and hear and consider all the individuals that can be impacted from the lack of it not being existent. There are so many other identifiable characteristics that can lead to situations that this ordinance would aim to discourage. It has a protection has the potential to protect all. So what I like to do is increase relevancy. So you can look around this room or you can flip over your phone and be a selfie and look at yourself. We each have a part or a characteristic that is a part of this hate crime ordinance that we could be ostracized and mistreated for having. And so it's not just one race even though it does benefit. everyone. That's the who, the what, the implementation of a hate crime ordinance. Um, for context, and I'll walk you guys through this, and I hate that I can't move and talk at the same time, but for context, we should all visit the municipal association website because on that website, you all are familiar with it. It publishes annually what they consider as a advocacy initiative. And on those initiative. These are just things that are suggested, potential guidelines, areas or gaps that have been noticed that the local government can work toward closing. So, this isn't new information to the um council, but I just want to inform the public in 2023 and 2024 on that list of advocates advocacy initiatives, there was one that was entitled um South Carolina crimes

and what it was referencing, I'm paraphrasing, was the need to uh from a local government standpoint start to push and build support for those with implementation. Um, and their preferences was to prevent the discouragement of organizations from moving their companies into those cities and counties because it had not been done at the state level. When I was running for office, y'all haven't figured that out yet, but when I was running for office last year, um, one of the things that allowed me to focus on the role of city council and county council was I went to that website to learn more about what you all do. And I took a couple of the little free classes because if I was going to sit in that seat, I needed to know how I could assist you from the state level. I need to know what that prayer looked like. And in that area, that just reminded me of what I already knew, the amount of the power that sits at the state level to take care of this resident. And there are things that the state can do, but why wait on the state when you got a competent city council or county council that can carry out the business and protect his residents. So that leads me to one of the statements and I hate that uh Councilman Bass isn't here because I and I'm paraphrasing his statement, but I did read the statement in the index journal and again I'm paraphrasing. Um and I don't like speaking when someone's not present, but this is a part of it. Um and it was why would I bring this issue to council? Why not is my question. My question is why not? I'm I'm not looking for the governor to do something for me that my own elected officials that are right here in my back door are not willing to do for me. If we have the potential and the availability to do it, why not do it? I'm not asking for Greenwood City Council to come up here and rewrite a

script. I'm not asking for you to pull it from somewhere. There are 19 other individual uh cities and towns with one county that just passed theirs. So, it's not I'm asking you to come up here and create something that's never been built before. Um, and then the other thing is I'm asking because it was also one of the initiatives from 2023 and 2024 from the uh municipal association. I believe that this is a difficult topic for most people in South Carolina. Speak about South Carolina because this where I was born and raised. But I don't care how difficult the topic is. You have an option. You have to the topic and work to resolve it. Are you going to keep allowing it to pile up and get worse and worse? I'm going to give you some examples of how it's getting worse and worse here and so I I think when you ask me the question to me again should not be why am I bringing it the question is what took me so long um and why am I not I shouldn't be the only one and this will continue to come back because we have to do something um about it and I can reference the the ed that was put in the paper but I'll get to that in a second as well that by a very powerful statement that the changes that the health the hate crime ordinance can implement is something that sends a message for any civil society and I know that's what we are. So I'm just trying to figure out the delay or the hesitance the when I believe this should have already started rolling if not 2324 maybe it was on the agenda I think it was or it was a session um but when I came the last time and I spoke and the mayor concluded with asking uh were there any additional questions and there were no additional questions and at that time there was something that I may paraphrase so my My

apologies. It was not your exact wording, but the response was, "We'll have a discussion and then we'll see see about bringing that as a motion or something of that nature." At that moment, any sitting council member could have called for a motion to have the discussion or have this added. Um, and the discussion did not have to start here. It could have been the motion to let the people know this is something that we discussed before, we've considered and this is where we're going to go, but the motion could have been way or the other. When that motion was made, it could have been killed on the floor by not being able to pass or it could have passed, but that opportunity should have been given for something to happen there. Um, and I'm not an expert, but I can tell you there are several of us in this room that know Robert's rule of order. So, when anybody get ready to throw a motion out, we listen and we looking um because that's the kind of stuff we like. So, I believe that was an opportunity. However, I know that there wanted to be a conversation. I later saw in the journal that we wanted to have a separate meeting where you discuss your feelings on this and I get that. But this is not a new topic. This is not a new topic. I'm going back to the the the uh the when I think it's not about if it's today, tomorrow, this month and when I think we're running behind the ball game. That's my thoughts on it. Um where where is the city of Greenwood? Greenwood is not much different than any of the other cities that have already passed such ordinance. might be smaller and they're doing quite well with this. The why, let me keep moving. The why, if it would have been implemented in 23

24, I would have said, you know, I'm pushing for this more so to not discourage companies from joining and coming and to show camaraderie, oneness, um, and safety as well. But since the times are so turbulent now, I think my why is very clear as to why I'm standing here. I believe this city needs to send a message of protection for their residents. This city needs to send a message that promotes coexistence. Consider aligning and supporting that 2023 24 um initiative that was published. Those are the things I believe should be happening. An example could be as if the Emanuel N wasn't enough for everybody in South Carolina to say, "Oh, let's get something on the let's just make a statement." as if that wasn't enough. Then you can come reoccurrence and think about that horrific situation that just happened in Minnesota. Like I almost can't even talk about what they just went through and they're still going through and that was from a political stand. So we don't have time to tiptoe around these things. Now let me bring it to right here in Greenwood and I'm not going to mention the two situations y'all. I'm going to mention a situation that happened Saturday at the Junth parade. That's right. I'm walking in the parade, Junth parade, having a great time. Chief had escorting the men. Did a great job with that. No problem. Holding the banner because I was with the Democratic party. Somebody somebody rolled down their window going the opposite way and held across the median and another whole lane of traffic. All of y'all that's moving. So I don't need anybody to tell me, "Oh, I didn't hear about a situation. Oh, I didn't know those things were happening." I'll talk about why I don't need to hear that in just a second, but that was right here in

Greenwood. And I know not everybody feels that way, but there are people that do. So if someone has said, I haven't heard about these things that warrant a situation for us to implement hate crimes ordinance, I'm here to tell you that they are out there and I don't know how many more times you need to hear to see it. I think what's happening is though that sometimes you're not looking for it. And if you ain't looking and investigating, you ain't going to find. And you have to look and investigate in places that you normally don't go. You got to talk to people who don't look like you. You got to entertain people who may not think like it, but they might be able to tell you something that can help you advance your city. That's where we are today. Um, they admitted that by saying that I've never seen anything that happened like this or a reason, you're admitting that you don't have real relationships with people who don't fit your narrative. And as an elected official, and I respect what you do like no other, and I believe each of you do this because you got a passion for. But if you have not develop real working relationships for the people who voted for you and the people who did not vote for you. You are missing out on the hurt and the pain of the citizens of this city. All it takes is one council member to make the motion and then the others have to follow. And again, that motion is going to live or die. But that's not the end of the call. We still continue to work together to get the ordinance to one that the city of Greenwood thinks represents them and there are a number of templates out there to go by. So in closing, I read the the index journal's comments. They just they wrote the paper. They wrote the article. The comment that was wondering if you didn't think Greenwood had a problem. I don't know what you think. I don't know if y'all read. Okay. Yeah. Go back get that link and go back out there. Um

but in that in that in those post I won't dwell on all of them because some of them doesn't even deserve but there's a strong of people who don't understand what a hate crime is for. Most people think that it's about somebody calling somebody a name. It's bigger than that. It's bigger than that. And it's our job and it's your job as elected officials, our job as residents. So when someone says it's about name calling, take three seconds out your day to explain to them that name calling is the bare minimum. That's not what this thing is about. A simple Google Not a fan of chat GPT, but I would encourage you for this chat GPT and ask what is the legal definition of a hate crime. You know, some attorneys, you can ask them, they can get reason, but still try that first. So, in that, one of the things that they said was the trending comment was grow up. We all get called things we don't like. I'm cool with that because I only answer to what I am. I'm not going to answer to what you call me. But, but I want to point out one thing they use the analogy sticks and stones may make break my bones but words will never hurt me remember that so since they put it out there I thought let me help them with it so the sticks and stones may break my bones is the analogy and the part that I need you to understand that from the hate crime ordinance standpoint the second part of that saying is words may never hurt me right it's not necessarily the words that the hate crime ordinance that's coming after is when you mix them with the sticks and the stones and the impact that they make. That's when you have a problem. So that is why I don't allow people to say to me aimlessly, this is taking away my freedom of speech because we have not taken away your freedom of speech. We're saying don't use your freedom of speech to create situations where you are harming someone else. Hence the hate crime. That's that 3se second conversation with somebody who

has a problem with. I knew that after my first appearance, you all got phone calls. You did. You got emails. people by your house. I met you at the gym where you normally go and they said, "Come here. Let me talk to you about that girl that came up here and ask that." They told you one or two things. This is the way it works. They either told you you need to go for it or they told you don't you touch it because if you touch it, you won't have that next time. That's what they look. That's what they're thinking of. And that tells you the amount of hate that people have. So, let's call it what it is. So, I'm going to say to you that I understand the pressure you are under and I understand your passion to do your job. However, you you have a decision to make and no one can tell you how to make that decision. We can just present our stance and our facts and you go from there. Um, what will happen is you will probably get more calls about I'm watching to see how you're going to vote and if you're going to vote for it, you don't have to worry about it. You won't have that seat next year um or the next time that you're up for election. And I know that you hold that seat and you hold it for a good reason. But what I want you to understand is that in these seats sometimes not all your decisions will be safe. Sometimes you going to have to make some decisions and make everybody nervous. Sometimes you going to have to believe in what you believe in and stand up even if the people who voted for you don't agree with you. That's called leadership. That's called leadership. And hopefully that shows your people who have voted for you, they're able to look at all the works that you've done prior to this and understand that if you made this decision or the hate crime ordinance, you understand the power of it. So, I don't want us to get comfortable making fake decisions or high level decisions that the most of your population don't even know what's going on like the zoning things and you said, right? Um, or if it's a funding thing, they miss that. So, those

are the easy decisions. I know it's hard for y'all to make them, but if you're talking about not having to deal with a lot of controversies, those are the safer decisions. And that's what I'm talking about. What I need for us to know is that your job is going to require you to have tough decisions and things like I don't know. I didn't see it or why we got to do it won't support this city's failure to thrive, produce, and protect. And so for those that are still unclear, um you can go out there and chat GPT and see what that hate crime ordinance mean for you. But for those that really want to dig down into it and see, there are a lot of uh regulated sites where you can dig deep in and understand what a hate crime ordinance is is uh developed for and what it can do at your local level. and then also start to follow what those advocacy initiatives are because you need to be more aware. And I'm so glad I ran for office because it allowed me to see the initiatives and to take the training even though I'm not a house. I'm not a not in the house and I'm not on a council, but it showed me what you were supposed to do and what you have the power to do. And so I encourage other people to look for those courses and take them as well and recognize that this journey is not one that I intend to be over quickly, but I got Thank you. Yeah. I don't know if everybody's here for this issue. I know we got some other things we're taking up this evening, but I can imagine you got a lot of support and you mention I see a few of my former colleagues out there that understand

I would tell you I'm fix and If I miss anything or correct me if I'm wrong, but since you came up last we have been doing this with our legal counsel and that the first step before making the first step to make sure what we do and you mentioned this 2023 I was on board and I'm aware something that we pushed. Um but unfortunately based on advice from our legal counsel there are issues with the constitutionality such ordinance on a local and I want on a local so I can't speak for the other 19 that have passed this again I was on the MC and we encourage municipalities to review this but our local council, our city attorney, we send them advice that there are issues with constitutionality at a local level. So we challenge our state legislators to address this issue on the appropriate state and we don't want to be one of two states without uh a hate crime. We understand it discourages business discourages investment It is something that absolutely needs to be addressed in we appreciate this input as strongly as possible condemn any criminal acts in nature of someone's race orientation

etc. So again, as much as I would like to sit here, we would be more concerned if we ignore our based on legal advice that we receive that again. I'm just picking up one or seven people here. If anybody else has anything they want to ask on the phone or in person, I certainly talk with you outside of this. We typically leave comments for five minutes here. I wanted to let you go as long as um Mayor Smith. Yes, ma'am. Uh, I'd like to say something with this concern. Okay. Uh, Dr. Brooks, uh, I, uh, wasn't present when you did your first presentation because of the P of my mother, but I did ask the city that I would like for us to talk about this uh, that we'll be present with each other. And I think also talked about want to see what other man with the advice of our uh attorney city

attorney and we are looking at this and we are to put something in place after we all everything information we need for myself uh because I've shared with some that I have uh that there should be something in place then have something have. So we are taking this serious discuss and we're studying it but we're taking advice on the attorney for he's therefore revis. Yes sir. You were cutting in and out. I think I got a general gist of what it It's the whole way. It's been the whole way. Even when she was speaking, we couldn't hear certain parts of what was said and then when you was speaking, it was cutting out. So, we got bad connection. Matthew, have yours doing the same thing. Yeah, for me. I mean, sorry. I I it's not cutting out, but I'm hearing everything twice. Yeah. Finished business

Just as a reminder, we've already discuss We already have Sure. So, initially when I went out to meet with the property owners who wanted to redevelop the property, this is the front portion of the lot that was represented where the house was that was crushed by hurricane there and represented the gentleman that lived there was the only we had in store. Um, they came in and wanted to try and do something on the property to move forward and they were interested in having a store there. Um, we looked at it and looked at the existing zoning and the future land use maps for that as well. So, this is a pretty split up area. If you want to go on to the map there. Okay. Sorry. Um, okay. So, you can see that the property itself is zoned um R7 which is residential just to the east. That's where light industrial and warehousing starts. And just behind the overall property behind this is a separate parcel from the one that they originally brought in that is also R7. But all of that blue that you

see there is light industrial warehousing. across the street is like dog and warehousing with the exception of what we resoned as a PDD for the old mill village and that is the future land uses mixed use and as you know that's a mixture of residential and commercial uses with that. So if we go on if you have any questions so these are the apartment buildings behind there that's those are directly behind there right there. Yeah, those are directly behind where the house used to stand. Um, again, it was demolished after the storm because of the level of damage there. So, if you want to go back, you can see here's the future map. I'm sorry, so you can see the future lane map that are represented there are commercial and that kind of rusty orange color um right there. That um kind of mustardy orange that the included in is residential and then across the street the pink, lavender, lilac, whatever you want to call it is all mixed use. So across the street we have future land mixed use. Directly adjacent we have commercial and behind that residential on that block is resum as well. Everything to this kind of south and west of there is consistently that residential future landing. This particular lot is one of a kind, I'd say. I mean, it's just we looked at it specifically for what it was. So, all of the properties that are um light industrial make it difficult for the potential for someone to want to build there for a regular housing development or anything along those lines. Um because light industrial is not really conducive to having residential right next door. They asked about doing a store. So before the

planning commission meeting, I went out to the site to speak to them because I had some concerns about how close they were to the residential that I saw on the property. That's when we went from the entirety of the parcel to a portion of the parcel and walked off and marked how much they wanted to try to resone, which is what's represented in the request. Now, um the other thing that came up while we were talking because the land had been cleared and has been turned under some and and had some work done, ground work done for future development was they said, "Is there any way that we could live on the property?" And I said, "Well, actually, there is the zoning district in Uptown Greenwood that allows a mixture of uses, meaning commercial on the bottom and residential on the top, but it requires if you have that zoning and you want to live there, it requires that you live above a business." So that's what they actually put on their application. That's what they asked for. Um if you go back to the zoning map, you can see that core commercial is all over town. So all around Main Street coming down Maxwell. And when you get um there we are. So everything you see in the red there is for commercial. Um that's just where the railroad and going east there. And then everything beyond there, you can see um Oregon, Maxwell, um Edgefield Street, uh uptown of the the complex we're in here with the courthouse and city hall. Everything basically going towards Main Street is for commercial of some point of some of some type. So for commercial up means it's in the uptown overlay, but the the basis for the center is for commercial. The red that you see right there with the kind of lightning bolt that matches up with the railroad right

away ement all of that is for commercial and everything going from that point all the way to Main Street and beyond for commercial. So that's why when they asked me if they could possibly live on the property that's why I suggested at the time that commercial may be an option. Um, it is difficult to look at a single parcel and consider it in a resoning like this, but we already have a parcel that nothing there meets the current zoning. Um, the zoning that surrounds it on two sides and across the road is not conducive to that residential. Everything beyond the street, beyond street is consistent, but everything around it in the other direction is not. And I hope I've explained that This is why we look at it with a sympathetic spot zoning and we've had a discussion about that. I mean it's hard to pin down. You could call it, you could call it that, but to me, spot zoning is allowing something that's not anywhere there. And you could have this across the street. You could have this next door. You could have it. I mean, the actual zoning they're asking for is very, very close. And it's more consistent with what's probably what should be there. But again, the R seven is not conducive to having apartment, apartment building. This is this is an area that regardless of what happens I will look at a magnifying glass when we start the comprehensive planning process because the future land use on here really needs to be addressed

on I agree But I think it was because of the the owners of the property at the time. So the last time the last time we looked at it, I think that's why they probably did that way. Now it's not developed that way, but somebody could come in tomorrow and pull permits for talk to Carol. Yeah, I'll probably give them information. I mean like it could be recommended but the future land use can change. You know we just had an experience where we we looked at some areas that we had concerns. So we started seeing so much residential growth. One of the things that kept coming up over and over and over again think We had these discussions the planning commission there was that we saw so many areas that had future land use of high density residential and you know I can stand up there wave a flag and say hey we've got so much growth in this area and I don't know how much more we can support but when the future land use is is staring you in the face high density residential and they're coming in and wanting something that's between a medium and high density residential it's

really hard to justify going the other way. So what we did instead was the staff here at the city had consultants come in and look at and we found a number of areas where it was inconsistent and I think it had been that way for so long that nobody paid attention but there had been no I guess that question. Yes. What we'll do is we'll have we'll create a committee. Um we'll have a number try to get people from outside planning commission that are willing to have some expertise and some government as well. So work on these committees and bring put together a draft, take it to planning commission. Um then bring it to you county as well because it is a joint it is a joint document. But we do we do distinguish the two between the city and the county as well as the other municipalities. So the comprehensive plan is the strongest thing the strongest tool we have to work with. It's still stronger in my opinion looking forward. comprehensive plan. We can we don't have to but I would recommend I would think it would be wise to use the vision you're not you're not accomplish but keep in mind what we would have where we would have been if we had done that on the last

I'm sorry. I just asked a question because to me from what I've always been told that look like would look like spot red in the middle of blue and purple and so we do have some spots like that. I I'm looking at the map right now and there's there's office professional on Mill Avenue and I know where the property is, but it's a single property up there that's done that way. I mean, you're going to see spot zoning out there. It's not I'm not I'm not advocating it, but I'm just telling you that it's out there. I don't know that I will make a motion. I make a motion to ask by all in favor of motion by public comments.

Edwards. Yes. Miller. Yes. I'm the property owner and the basis for that idea because of the people that actually live in that neighborhood. Not anyone that doesn't live there, but the main street um the apartments had one, two, three four individuals that are handicapped or don't have transportation um are limited to some of their most of their resources. So that's where the main idea came from for the corporation um to help out people on that street um the elderly where some of the neighbors that are My name is Cynthia Hen Brown. I actually live in 88. However, I work just on the other side of the hospital. So, I recently started a different commute where I'm going through uptown Edgefield and all the different roads that previously in my three years living in the area I had driven and I'm amazed at what you all

know which is all the buildings that were at one time businesses that are empty boarded up. Um, and so I'm very aware also that route on Maxwell and I just think anything that to promote and shops. So like the woman said, you know, there's people who their only way of transportation is having a store nearby. My name is I too sympathetic to the issues that both of the individuals expressed. My primary concern was that I was told when I inquired about it that it could be a liquor store. It could be anything. It could be anything under the sun. And when we're talking about that in primarily a residential area, I think it was just bring the property value down and it wouldn't benefit the residents at all. So my understanding is talking with you mayor and talking with council person it could be it could be many things and with that with no guidelines in terms of that yes I'm definitely now I also feel that there are a lot of already there in that area. I mean, you know, we're in close proximity to downtown that, you know, people can go to get store or what have you. But I think that there should be some uh guidelines with respect to what can be

developed and in talking with the owner when I came in, it's like it's could be anything. I mean, I don't know. So, yes, I have to be opposed to something to affect my I certainly am concerned about the residence that I live in the area when I when I'm here. My primary residence is Atlanta, but I this is my home and I pay taxes here. That is my home. I have a secondary home here. I am retired and I am considering moving back home. So, uh that area would be where I will live. So, uh when we talk about you know putting something in it, it should be something that would complement the area and it should be benefit the areas of host. I I do sympathize with people having, you know, disabilities. My neighbor is when I was talking with him today, he's definitely opposed to so I can't get any clear answers as to what it's going to go. And so for that reason, yes, I am opposed to it with respect to We always have to consider unfortunately. So what the present homeowner and the present property owner is all good but we have to look at it long term. Are you right? So that whole list would be those

one of those could be used. Is there a limitation? Yes. But that entire list under commercial could be the type of business that could be in that place. So we only think of what to do with that and what it's on the board as where I live and I understand And that's my concern as well, right? Once it's done, it's done. And also, what I'm concerned about is that I do realize that once you put it on paper that this is what you're going to do, it doesn't always happen. And nobody monitors it. When we say we're going to live on the top floor, that's what's put on paper. But who goes out? Who goes out? It happens all the time. piece of property. because above it can happen. So you cannot zoning restrict a piece of property to you're going to do this. But that's what I'd like the other people in the room or the general public. Don't

wow. I was just I was just making a blanket statement that just because of But that would be considered a structure. But the point is the mixed would there have to be a file law. the commercial and the residential firep would be a rather expensive endeavor both commercial and resial, right? And again, we had some support on a small scale. One question.

Motion numbers any further. folks on the phone still with us. Yes. I'm here. No additional thoughts right now. Um I had talked to uh Miss Buer about this situation and same thing um that she said uh told that this was going that that when they opened for public meetings that no one showed up and then you know she come to the meeting tonight ask any concerns or whatever. So we had a conversation uh early today when she called me All in favor? Yes. Yes. Item number

can I just real quick before we get on to that Um McCra's got to leave, but he has a um prayer breakfast on Thursday and I told him and I mentioned that I just mentioned it. It wasn't at the right time, but I start over here from neighborhood commercial over the village to office over the village. This is another victim of hurricane. This is the bed and breakfast that Dr. Bobby and a family bought and they've been living in it as a single family residence in the force of trying to get permits to repair damage from the storm. We were made aware that it was currently done neighborhood commercial which does not allow for single family residential. Um so two things had to happen. Number one, they had to go to the review to get approval for their proposed improvements or or repairs to the structure and then also at the same time they put in an application to resign the property so that single family use would be a permitted use as it happens since this was done office professional also allows a bed and breakfast. So if someone wanted to buy this in the future or the family that lives in it now wanted to convert it back to a bed and breakfast, it could still happen, but right now

the office professional does take care of the ability for them to get the permits they need to move forward. There was a question as to why more work hasn't been done. The building department put a stop work order on the house when they realized that it was not in compliance with zoning. So they were holding off until we got to a point where it looked like something changed. No, they bought it after Dr. They bought it. I don't think they understood that it was not possibly. Yes. I don't think anybody even even thought about it because I know that weren't operating the bed and the entire surprise that you res it was for but didn't also include the ability to live there. Well, indirectly it does because the bed and breakfast implies that you live on site to serve the people that stay there.

And I think that's probably why it's changed. professional has changed that allows that as well as motion to approve ordinance number 251. Okay. Yeah. Neighborhood commercial overlay office overlay. It's going to be commercial. It's not going to be commercial. It's an office resist allows for single family as well. It does, but I think they'll probably if they do decide to do that, they'll probably go back and do some work on the structure to bring it back to that. They would have to get approved for it. They have to get approved for it with building with the building department as well as the I think if they were to try to go back I want to address what is more than just

could be in office. He could be in office but not open office. looking at professional engineering limited hours and they are surrounded on three sides by office professional. No, they would have whoever if they wanted to convert it for spread commercial use under office professional it would have to go through the building department and be converted to All right, we've got a motion further discuss y'all on the phone. I'm not trying to leave you out. Y'all speak up if you got I don't have anything. Yes. Yes. plan department.

You all probably recall that the art center will receive capital project that includes roof work, painting and waterproofing for that project, that bid includes everything that was included in the bid except for replacement. add the CPS for this professional services 600 basically $63 which leaves a shortfall $77,88 the art center has the art center staff city and the county to split this over city and of the building. County council did approve this portion of this meeting on June 3. Um so what they're asking for from the city is $38,944. Um there is money in the hospitality tax budget currently that we can move from the bill over the We won't we won't be far enough alone in the processed for that reason a requ

Not the rest of the way on the art center building. We'll just have to ask you to reallocate what we don't ask you to reallocate that project. The timeline that's been that's been discussed with the contractor and with that probably started in very early funding to finish it Yeah, we have more meetings that we need to have with the construction company. We'll have to bring the council for approval, but we're moving toward that. The most recent discussion we had just

No, it was a little bit more than that, but they had a consultant that came because the building is there's so many buildings that consulted that came in the art center. So I don't remember the exact allocation but some of it was used to pay for that7 I mean I don't There's no project. I find that typically I'm very good at your questions, but I don't have it right off the rim. But what I'll say to you is that yes, I'm sure there was a professional eval. couple and I think I don't want to speak for all projects but at least I know the ones that the students been involved in what you asked for in 2016 what was fun in 2016 it's costing a whole lot more than that now so there's been a lot of project over this one in the own

with the county and we did the county artach,000 point and I know that Martin has already been putting some I point out because you put the roof, but the consulting file in terms of priority or that would be the last Do you think that given the nature of the building nature that there's likely a grant that you have questions I'll make a motion that we the authorized hospital tax funds for repair of the federal building. by any further discussion. All in favor of authorization.

Yes. Yes. as a preview to your public as a preview from your public service. You got to learn new business to fill an unexpired train on the board of architectural review. Garcia. I know many of you know her. Some of you may not. She resides in war. Um she has a BS in psychology from land psychology 14 years in the nonprofit sector currently found here on the board of Welcome aboard. Is that a motion?

second there was a delay on the phone and unfortunately Mr. Dean you know three a motion by second by Mr. Any further discussion? All right. All in favor of appointing Jessica Garcia to fill an unexpired term on the board of architectural. All right. Mr. Miller. Yes. Edwards. Yes. Business number four is to consider an appointment. the city planning commission. This is Burton. She resides in an associate degree human faculty in psychology from 18 years old service experience. Greenwood and her spoke with her very And I believe I guess I should remember we got we got two folks building. Miss Burton, you certainly appear to

have the credentials worthy of serving on this board. We appreciate um your willingness to serve certainly. That's right. It can be a fake job. I'm speaking to both of y'all right now. It can be a fake job, but just All right. Do we have a motion? All right. All in favor of avoiding to fill an unexpired term on the city. Yes. Yes. Um So the war litter pick up will actually be on Saturday, same location. I would also like to point out that we got to get that first and that doesn't mean people aren't out

there organizing probably approaching entities, businesses, churches, sports, college, high school level, whatever we have. My goodness, we pick up so much hard and we created a form where you could signed up to participate in collection. Um I don't know if we got any back but we have posted up to a lot of physical organizations. We we tried to reach out to the landers like contact I believe we ever heard back. So it's not for lack of effort on I would say that you may consider that in the summer ite with school. 45 people in 50 show up. I would say okay, but that's staff is doing I don't know the answer but we're gonna die trying to figure this out

anyway people have to go out there with us on this location Tell Avery that July 26 electrical charging station. We got a $2,000 grant from regulatory services. I got worked for but we are installing parters in partnership with CPW by the former bank of building renovating and then one in the parking market. We should have those inverses of information about if you're interested in volunteering. I know a lot of times I'll ask volunteer opportunity for the festival. We do need folks to work the risk managers on both Friday and Saturday. You can do that. You can reach out to me or you can reach directly out. Um and then if you want to be on Friday night as well. Um finally, the last thing I want to make

note of is that last meeting. Um, so he is going to count to their planning director there. And so his last day is Friday and I know even though I feel like he's gone to Green Friday and almost great family around here. And we enjoy watching your work. Joseph, I'm going through applications right now. All right. I do have to meet South Carolina. I have

director and it is a program that kind of picks up. They also act as a clearing house for others including legal advice. even mental health issues that might have and what they do is let's say that you have my houses and it could be that they don't have You don't have a pot of money, a limited pot of money where they can actually fix your home, your home and rebuild it and offer assistance that you know we cannot offer. So let's say inherit property they didn't have homeowners insurance and so now their house is back office of resiliency county one of the six counties the top six counties I also found out apply for something

neighborhood those individuals can also work this and I think the sooner we get our houses get what we think that we could get accomplished I was I was happily surprised that there were about 40 plus people some people that were there were already all the time. I didn't know about it. I didn't hear about it. So, I think it's up to us as council people to go through if we see those houses that there's been no action. Um, those addresses so they can help find out and get the word out to the community and it's a services that I left in my car. So I have Anything else fact?

to let them know that people Other than that, still out. Ever? Well, no. Nothing in W three. Thank you. Everything. Thank you so much for y'all prayers and um calling in and checking on me. So, thank you so much. Yes, ma'am. anything? Uh, nothing from me right now.

Make sure that anybody in your board talk to know that if they're able to get 66 or bigger than 66 or 300 more. Anything else? We've got a lot of serious issues obviously we're dealing with in Greenwood Festival has been great so far mainst I hate to hear about negative. I was out there [Music] and just a celebration of that event which recognizes slavery event. And as I mentioned, Mr. McCrae is having a breakfast on June which is June Thursday morning and encourage everybody to join church

by Mr. Any further discussion? All in favor of Yes.