County Council - Regular Meeting

You we'll be I'll be out of here.

Fine. I'm back to solve those. You don't even show them anymore. I got

all the work to do tomorrow.

Great, honey.

I went to Hammond School. That tells you half the problem. There's his eye.

That's it. Found it. Yep.

I have never seen anybody do that. Alright, guys. License. I ain't top secret. Good afternoon. We're here for the 02/10/2026 Lexington County Council. I wanna remind the public that we are live on Lexington County Spectrum 1302 and Lexington County website. The the council meeting will be available for viewing anytime on demand on your county website. I'm turn it over to our vice chair, miss mister fish mister Fisher.

Voice chair. Watch him. Wow.

Congratulations, Todd. Wow.

I have a problem. Remember, I I think Todd, I think, Cullen, so I kinda redo my brain, but mister Cockrell.

Alright. Tonight's invocation, it's gonna be led by mister Tim Schumpert. Tim Schumpert is the interim director of Department of Public Works, and Tim started with Lexington County in 2015 after spending fifteen years with a local private engineering firm. Tim holds a bachelor's degree in engineering at the University of South Carolina. He's also a registered professional land surveyor. Tim is charter member of the New Church Plant in Gilbert, area named Grace Central Church. He is a lifelong resident of Lexington County. Tim currently lives in the Fairview area with his wife, Amy, and three children, Rebecca, Daniel, and 20 and Brian.

Thanks. Let us pray. Father God in heaven, we just thank you for all your many blessings you bestowed upon us as people, our families, Lord, as county. Lord, we just pray that you would just continue to be with us and just offer us guidance and just offer us the knowledge that comes from you to be able to do things that would be pleasing to you, Father, that would not only benefit the citizens, that would just glorify you in your name. Now we just ask that you continue to watch over all the employees, Lord. We just thank you for watching over us during the storm, keeping all these employees safe, Lord. We just ask that you continue to do that and help us to serve you well. In Christ's name, I pray. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Thanks, Tim.

Now we'll have our pledge, and it will be led by Herman Adcocks. Herman Adcocks served in the United States Marine Corps from 11/05/1963 to 04/21/1966. He is a v Vietnam War veteran who received several awards and decorations for his service, including the Armed Forces Expeditionary War, Medal of and the Marksman Rifle Range. Herman resides in West Columbia. He's the father of four children and grand grandfather of 13 and great grandfather of four.

Can we all stand? Face the flag, please. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, sir. Thank you for your service.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, mister Adcock.

Yeah. She printed the

wrong thing. She's okay. Yeah.

Okay.

It's alright. I think we know who it is. Got some information she had to send out.

We typically short Alright.

Well, I'd to talk about the council's report in in general. If you wanna cover anything that you've handled or taken care of or been involved in in the last two weeks, love to hear from you. Nobody's moving a muscle.

You mean besides all the day to day contact that we all have anyway? I'm good.

Yes. A couple things. I wanted to mention that, yes, we've all been in meetings nonstop and we will continue to do that till we get some issues solved and we promise to do that and the things that we've been working on for years and our goal is to get them done by the end of the year. I'd like to also say we did go to Beth and I went by. I don't think anybody else came because with the way it was done.

The grand opening of Southern Glaciers at Saginaw, it was a mighty impressive 400,000 square feet of beer and liquor and it's just unbelievable that that much can be drank. But it's a it's a massive plant, and it is a beautiful facility. I wanna also apologize to the coroner's office. I missed it was my first week on as chairman, and I will continue to make mistakes. But the January 2026, the National Metallurgical Death Investigation Professionals Week, and I failed to mention that.

And I wanna remind our coroner that when I think of emergency services, when I say emergency services, automatically in my mind, we're including the coroner's office. So we we take our hat off to the coroner and her her crew and have no idea in the world how she does what she does. Thank you. And then a personal note, like a personal privilege if you don't mind. February 7 is a celebratory day in my life.

It's the day my daughter was born forty seven years ago. But this particular day started a little different and I got a phone call from my wife that our father-in-law, her father had passed away. Calls the efforts and the energy and the information provided by our own Ed Lundin, we did research and and sent her father to the Veterans Village in Florence. What a remarkable place, and I can tell you that we need to have a Veterans Village in Lexington sooner than later. It is absolutely the most incredible place I have ever one of the most incredible place I've ever walked in.

And you walk into warmth, and you walk into America and you walk into the proud to be an American. He only spent seven to eight days there and he had a stroke and he died. I gotta read something to you. My father-in-law was a simple man, quiet man. I probably had no conversations more than five minutes over thirty six years of marriage.

He was just one of those guys. He wanted to watch baseball, called Carolina football. He could tell you what everybody ate, drank, where they came from. He should be in the hall of fame, but he played the SEC ACC. Larry Brigham, I wanna throw some numbers at you, brother. Let you make a decision whether you should be in the hall of fame. I came home and one of you guys, I think it's one of the kids, somebody taught me about chat GPT,

something like that.

And I just reached out and I said, chat GPT, tell me about Larry Scooter Joo. And he says, you must be talking about Larry Scooter Earl Jupe, an old time school South Carolina baseball player who was very well known around the University of South Carolina Gamecocks and Florence and Lexton. He wasn't a modern TV era Major League Baseball star, which is why you don't hear his name nationally much, but South Carolina baseball circles. He was a big deal. He's a clear break down here's a clear breakdown of who he was.

Basic background from Florence, nicknamed Scooter, very common back then for quick infielders, Graduated at McClellan McClellan, never get it right, high school. Graduated University of South Carolina in 1957. He later he later became respected enough to be inducted into the Florence Hall of Fame. At high school, he was a three year varsity baseball player, senior team captain. He also played semi pro baseball with a Florence Gales in 1955 while he was still young.

That ought to tell you something. This is this is them saying this, not me. Back in the fifties, semi pro teams often had former minor league players and grown men playing. So a teenager playing there meant he could really play. University of South Carolina originally walked on, not recruited at USC then earned a scholarship after proving himself as second baseman, middle, and fielder called the glove guy.

He's a three year letterman, senior team captain, MVP, all ACC, his junior and senior years. His career batting average was three zero one. Ready for this one, Larry? His fielding average over three years was nine seventy two, had eight errors and 279 chances. Newspapers even at the time noted his hot streaking peak streak at one point, he jumped near the four sixty mark over eight game stretch.

If Larry I'm not done. It's too I'm gonna try

to You got my vote. I'm on

he was actually drafted drafted the Major League Baseball, sent to Florida, Alabama minor leagues. However, as important as baseball career early because he was drafted in the military which happened a lot in nineteen fifties. That's the reason he never became a major league household name. After baseball, he was a member of the Letterman's Association, the Gamecock Board of Directors, helped with the USC Hall of Fame. Basically, he became one of the respected baseball lifers at the South Carolina program.

In the nineteen fifties, University of South Carolina didn't have a national powerhouse program. If he'd have played in the SEC, not the ACC, he'd have probably been in the hall of fame. Larry, you're in the Hall of Fame. You're in the Hall of Fame of life. You touched so many people.

In your village, when he passed away, Ed Ladine, your village covered him in American flag like they've known him for forty years. They played Amazing Grace as they walked in down the hallway. Everybody that lived there came out and saluted their brother. Some of them balling like they have known him for fifty years. He's the most respected, respectful, honored, even I could even tell you.

So, Larry, you might not get in the newspaper and you might not get it in the University of South Carolina, but you're in our hall of fame. Thank you for the personal privilege.

Administrator's report. Thank you, mister chair. Fiscal year twenty six twenty seven departmental budget requests are due this Friday. All departments will have them in. We've received the outside agency, so we look forward to working through that process and we're presenting the requested budget to County Council on March 24. Also, our county administrative offices will be closed next Monday, February 16 in observance of President's Day, and our next county council meeting will be Tuesday, February 24. That's it, mister chair.

Thank you. Boards and commissions. Anybody have any appointees?

I do.

Mister chair, you forgot the resolution, but we can do that after the boards.

Or you wanna go ahead and do the resolution?

Whichever whichever. It doesn't matter.

Just keep going. I've already said the boards. Let's do the boards. I'm gonna go back to resolution. Gotcha.

Yeah. What you got?

I would like to nominate mister Marks Myers to the River Alliance for the economic development committee chairman or appointee as the River Alliance will make that decision. Second.

I have a motion by miss Wessinger and a second by miss Carrig. Any questions? Madam clerk, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell?

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrig? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes.

I have one, mister chair. For the museum commission, Martin McLellan. I would move that we approve him for the museum commission.

Second.

We have a motion by miss Carrick for the museum commission and the second by miss Wessinger. Any comments? Madam Clerk, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum? Yes. Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrick?

Yes.

Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. And I've looked right over the resolution to approve of resolution recognizing the South Carolina poultry festival, and you knew Larry would be all over that. Right?

Yes, sir. I moved to approve the resolution for the South Carolina Poultry Festival and hope to see some of y'all come and have a good time in Batesburg Leesville. This festival has been going on for quite a long time and it continues. So it's it's a a great celebration and a a great long weekend in case you wanna come to the town of Batesburg Leesville. That's my motion. Second.

I have a motion by mister Brigham. Have a second. Second. By Fisher. Mike Michael Fisher. Michael Fisher. Michael Fisher. I gotta call tonight. I wanna call him Been hogging it all up, clever. Questions?

Madam Clerk, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell?

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrick? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice Chair Cockrell?

Yes.

Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Approval of the January, I'm going make that a motion. Second. I have a motion by me and a second by Mr. Bishop. Any questions? Call for the vote, please.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell?

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrick? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell?

Yes.

Chairman Cohen or I'm sorry, chairman Hudson?

Happens anyway. Yes.

About the only thing they have in common is gray hair.

That's contagious. Yeah. Is.

Indeed. Alright. We have the committee reports. Mister Brigham.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Health and Human Services Committee met on Tuesday, January 27 to hear a request from Library Services for approval to apply for the Library Services and Technology Act tuition reimbursement grant on behalf of full time employee Lauren Jordan. Lauren Jordan has almost two years of library experience and is currently enrolled in the master of information science program at Valdosta State University for the spring twenty twenty six semester. The grant would reimburse her for 66%, which is $1,546 of her tuition at no extra cost to the library. Committee approve that, and that's my motion.

Second.

Motion from mister Criggum and a second from mister Carrick. Questions? Call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell?

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrick? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger?

Yes.

Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Second item, Health and Human Services Committee convened on Tuesday, January 27 to hear a request for approval to apply for the 2026 hazardous materials emergency preparedness planning and training grant. The application amount is $5,950 and if awarded, the funds will be used to enhance hazardous material responsibilities to be used for a risk based response to battery emergency class. Committee approved that on January 27, and that's my motion.

Second. I have a motion by mister Brigham and a second by mister Bishop on the emergency preparedness grant. Madam chair, does he have any questions? Madam chair, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell?

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrick? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Eric?

Yes. Thank you. The justice committee convened on Tuesday, 01/27/2026 to hear a request for approval of a municipal judge agreement for the town of Lexington. The agreement will allow judge Larry Saunders to serve as a backup municipal judge for the town of Lexington. After a brief discussion, the committee moved to recommend a full council approval of the municipal judge agreement for the town of Lexington. That would be my motion.

Second. Motion by miss Carrigan, a second by mister Coven on the administrative budget agreement for the town of Lexington. Any questions?

Councilman Cullen?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrig? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell?

Yes.

Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Budget amendment resolutions.

Thank you, mister chair. Tonight, we have three of them. The first one is an additional fiscal year funding increase of $75,946. The emergency management received notification of the 2025 LEMPG grant award. This is to establish the budget for that award.

Next is an additional fiscal year funding increase of $30,382. Law enforcement has traded used and confiscated firearms for four Glock pistols and one weapon sight. This is to book those funds. And then finally, tonight is an appropriation transfer of $5,695,466. This transfer is necessary to cover the road and infrastructure and infrastructure projects associated with the MIT grant.

Basically, there's cleaning up some administrative administrative accounts and putting into some accounts for infrastructure improvements with Backpipe Road, South Central County Road, Color Road, and Charlestown Road. That's it, mister chair.

Thank you. You guys want to is going down the nail.

Mister chair, I would believe that we approve tab l and tab m.

We have a motion by miscarriage for approval for l. The bill.

It's It's just l.

L, very good. You almost made it third. I didn't even notice. We're have a second. Second. Wait a m's a public hearing. I didn't say it.

Oh, it

is? Oh,

yeah. It's true. He said it. I didn't.

I said it.

Might be why.

Thank you, mister Cullen.

I'll just say

I would move that we approve tab tab l, and we wait on m for a little while. Thank you very much.

That's an excellent suggestion, and we have a motion by miscarriage and a second by who was it? Mister Bishop? Second. Questions? Madam clerk, call for

the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrig? Yes. Thank you. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham? Yes. Councilman Bishop?

Oh, yes.

Vice chair Coffey? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes, ma'am.

All day. Obviously. It's been a

long day.

Today. We're

take a recess. We've got a public hearing at 05:30. We have a motion for a recess. Move to take recess till 05:30. Second. Got motion and a second. Everybody raise your hand. Be back thirty five minutes.

One. Okay.

Welcome back. We reconvene the county council meeting, and we're gonna go straight into a public hearing. We have nobody here except one person who wants to speak, and I will introduce Mark Smiers. Mark, would you come to introduce yourself? Name, address, where you live? Yeah.

What you do.

What I sure. Thank you for the opportunity. My name is Mark Smiers. I'm the executive director of the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission. We're at 5605 Bush River Road.

What we're presenting and what we're kind of talking about here is an opportunity for a campground down along the river. The all of the kind of images are all, you know, in the packet. There's been a question, and and just to lean into that in my quick statement, there's been a question regarding tent sites. So the we are not intending currently to have tent sites. We we received feedback from our other operations that we've kind of researched that that tends to be an area where there's conflict or parties or things that we're not trying to really recruit into this campground.

But what that doesn't mean is no tents are not allowed. Tents are going to be allowed. You can rent a typical site and put a tent on it. That's how I currently camp. I don't have a camper. Just like state parks, you know, a lot of our campsites, that is an eligible activity. You can still put a tent camp. It's just in and amongst all the rest of the sites. Usually, tent sites or a tent site is a primitive location. Usually, it's offset.

Usually, it's group setting, and it's a really cheap and easy way to get all your friends together and throw a little hoopla. That that's not exactly what we're looking for. And we've been encouraged through our research that we can avoid that, they would not put tent site specifics or primitive camping in group settings at the campground operationally. So we're trying to avoid that. And But you

welcome tents on our

But we welcome tents. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. Hope that clarifies.

Thanks.

If there's any other questions, happy to answer any.

Any other questions? All right. Mark was the only one to speak in favor. And we had no one speak in opposition or sign up to speak in opposition. I think we had two electronic communications, one in favor and one against.

Public because it's brand new. I wanna make sure you're aware this is ordinance number twenty five twenty, the zoning map amendment application m 25 dash o two. Zoning classification changed from r one low density residential to r d

Do you have a

predictive development. Cover everything, guys?

It does.

No comments. No questions. So we're gonna go to the public hearing, and we're gonna be right back in the middle of the county council meeting. Does anybody wanna go home? They're gonna second by Fisher. Fisher. Fisher. Again. Favor? All opposed. See y'all on the other side.

That's getting better.