County Council - Regular Meeting

You're live, Mr. Chairman.

I'd like to call this Greenville County Council Public Communication Forum meeting to order. And, Councilor Blount, will you give us an invocation?

Absolutely. Let's pray. Dear Lord, thank you for another beautiful day in Greenville County. Thank you for the opportunity for us to hear from the citizens. I pray that you would be with us as we listen and help us to apply whatever concerns they have, see if we can find solutions. And in Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Amen. All right. And so we'll kick this off with a presentation with the Appalachian Council of Governments. And we have Steve Pellissier. Did I say that right? Very good. Awesome. Good. Welcome. Thank you.

And thank you for the opportunity to be here this evening. Here basically just to talk a little bit about Appalachian Council government services to the county. I know it's a little bit strange to be giving 2025 figures in July. Originally, I think we were scheduled for early March, and the meeting got canceled, so we're a little bit late. I did pass out copies of our report, put in a specific Greenville County page in the front. But since the numbers are a little bit old, I don't think I'm going to read the whole report to you all if nobody's going to ask for their money back. But I did want to thank Mr. Collins, Mr. Mitchell, and Mr. Fant for serving on our Board of Directors. They represent Greenville County very well, as well as Mr. Bradley, who used to serve on our Board of Directors. I want to thank County Council for the support you've given us since 1965. That means a lot to us, and appreciate the opportunity to work with your staff, partners, and other organizations in the county. We were very appreciative of the opportunity to facilitate your goal-setting retreat earlier this year. We work closely with GPATS. We do data sharing. We provide the modeling that they use, coordination on the technical committee. We work closely with the Greenville Area Development Corporation. We provide the data, the statistical, as well as the narrative data they use to recruit folks to the county. We provide the backbones for the outreach system, the website and such, and have enjoyed that relationship for a long time. I know senior action isn't AA County organization, but certainly serves your citizens. We partner with them. They do a lot of work for us, providing home-delivered meals, congregate dining meals, in-home services, counseling services. And the main purpose there is to allow seniors to stay in their homes and to provide resources for really vulnerable part of the population. So, again, really excited about working with them. If you all have any questions, I'd be glad to answer those. If you want more detail on any of our services, I'd be glad to expand on that. But you don't want to take up too much time as well. So, again, just thank you for your support for the Council of Governments.

All right. Well, got any questions? Sure. All right.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, thank you for everything that you do. I don't think that a lot of citizens really understand how many different county departments and programs that we do that you have direct impact on, like you were just alluding to with the figures for JADC. One of the places I've been the most impressed is with the aging and the care facility program. Can you share at all about what kind of programs or assistance that ACOG assists with when it comes to our aging community?

Yes, sir. And, in fact, when I first came to the council of governments in 1990, we had three folks in the aging program. As we've gotten older as a country and the federal government's noticed that, it's now our largest program in terms of staff and budget. And so we provide some services directly and others we partner fund senior action for. uh... provide uh... congregate dining in several sites across the county uh... and actually y'all are part of that partnership parks and rec uh... owns and administers several of those sites that we use, gets people out of their house, gets people in a social setting, and provides a quality meal. And the social part is maybe just as important as the meal part. For those who are not able to go to a congregate site, we've provided – I think about 70,000 meals total delivered and congregate taken to people's homes. We partner with Meals on Wheels for that. The person who gets the meal, they don't know if it's a Meals on Wheels, Meals on Wheels meal are one of our meals, and it's exactly the same, but with our funding, it allows Meals on Wheels to serve a lot more people. We provide benefits counseling. You have a loved one with an issue or a challenge, you don't know what resources are available, we help with that. We can get you where you need to go and help with the application process. We provide insurance counseling. Your insurance company refuses to pay a bill. We can negotiate on your behalf for that, advise you on various options for insurance. And we do a... long-term care facility ombudsman program. You have a loved one in the facility, you're going and you're seeing something that just didn't seem right or is an issue, we investigate that and work it out. If it's a law enforcement, we turn it over to law enforcement. But we Are the eyes and ears for that? If it's something that's just a disagreement or that, you know, we work it out with the agency, with the facility.

And that last part, because my mother's in a facility in a different state, and I wish there was a program. They have an OMS-Busman program, but not as robust and, I think, in-depth as what. would be provided through Appalachian Council government. So I just wanted to say thank you for the work that you do, and I wanted to make sure anybody listening online could hear some of the services that could be provided, and we'll definitely try to share that message with the public, too. So thank you.

Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'm all good. Thank you so much for coming and giving us that presentation.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you. All right, so we'll move on to the public comment portion, and we will start with Kyle Rowan.

Thank you all for allowing me to speak this evening. I appreciate y'all's time. And as y'all requested, I'll be very respectful and not scurrilous, I think was the word I saw there. I know y'all have a tough job to do. And as a citizen, this is my job tonight. I was ex-president of the Linkside 3 HOA for four years. I moved up here about, I don't know, 42 years ago, met the little woman I'm sitting next to tonight, and stayed. Would have liked to shut the door on it the next day I got here. But, you know, a prosperous community like this is going to grow, and you've got to accept that. But at the same time, I think there's a happy medium that we're looking for here at Linkside 3 and all of that part of Greenville, or any part of Greenville for that matter. You know, where we live now, whatever they build in Greer, A lot of it comes down Stalin's road through us to get to Greenville. That means in the morning time, we're struggling to get out of our community and we're struggling to get in our community at night. And it's just really accelerated in the last five years. In a macro sense of the word, I'm going to go down a little rant here for just a second, respectfully. You fight your way to get out of Pebble Creek, you fight your way to get to 385, you fight your way to get to 26, you fight your way to get to Columbia, you fight your way to get to Charleston, then you fight your way home. It's the macro problem of the micro problem we're talking about Pebble Creek right now. Not enough infrastructure, too many people. Moving on to why the real zoning part of this thing, there's a proposition out there where there's a lot of growth on STATE PARK ROAD THAT'S ALREADY GOING TO FUEL THAT TRAFFIC DOWN ON US EVEN MORE, BUT THEN THE OLD GREENVILLE FINISHING PLANT, THERE'S LIKE 142 HOMES BEING PROPOSED TO BE BUILT IN THERE, WHICH SOME ARE APARTMENTS, MOST ARE TOWN HOMES. I DON'T KNOW, I FIGURE THAT WILL BE 200 CARS IF THEY'RE GOING TO EGRESS INTO RAISE CREEK, WHAT WE TRY TO COME OUT OF. HONESTLY, THAT IS JUST MIND-BOGGLING WITH WHAT WE'RE ALREADY SUFFERING WITH. The last couple of years, they put the double turn in coming out of Stalin's on the race on the Rutherford. There's been at least two accidents I know of that come from that, probably more. It's a great idea. It works for the most part. But that's the best we got on infrastructure. I mean, not that I got a solution. I'm just saying there's a limit to how many sardines fit in the can. Apartments. In there, to me, with all due respect, I respect people who live in apartments, but we don't have apartments over there. That don't even make sense to me. Those townhomes really don't make sense because those are million-dollar home sites over there. I've walked that property. You can see Parris Mountain all in there. It's beautiful, beautiful stuff. People with real money would, and I guess that's my time, so thank you all for listening.

Thank you, sir. Yeah, no, this certainly is a tough job, especially when, The representative doesn't do their job for their constituents. All right, next up is John Wiebel.

John Wiebel. Well, apparently I came in on the removal of the permanent tag for 100% disabled veterans early. And it hit me when the road fee came, which I hadn't had to pay. And got a note. So I come to the county, paid that fee, and the girl told me, now you can go to the highway department and give up that permanent tag so they can give you a tag with a sticker on it. Now, I had a permanent tag for over 20 years. This is my 50th year. I got out of the military January 10, 1976, 50 years ago. Been a disabled veteran for over 20 years. Well, now I've been enlightened as to where that came from, and that would be the powers that be in Columbia. I understand that. I meant to meet with the delegation, but we had that weather and everything, and they were due for session, and they didn't hold their meeting, or I would have been in front of them, and I would have already known all this. But what got me was when I got the road fee, I come to the auditor's office. I said, I haven't got one of these in the longest time. I said, what do I do with it? She said, you're going to need to pay it, and then you've got to go to the highway department. Okay. It cost me $140 to retitle the vehicle I was in, and it also cost me $26.50 for the tax, and then the road fee, $25. Okay. My question is this. A fee is a tax. And when you look at a tax code, state and local taxes are deductible for a lot of people in Greenville County. So I don't understand why you just can't change the word to road tax. That's what it is. Tell the people it's deductible. You could probably double it to $50. And if people knew that would come off on their taxes because you're looking at mama, daddy, sonny boy, daughter, fifth vehicle, boats, whatever, you're getting into some serious money when you're talking about young families and you're talking about families with kids on the move. So, like I said, every deduction that we give up off our federal tax is a double tax. Simple as that. Doing away with the state income tax, which is deductible. I talked to Mr. Powell at Revenue for the state of South Carolina. The first big whack that they got rid of cost South Carolinians $800 million in write-offs of their federal tax. What that means is we just sent $800 million. Now, we've done it two more times, equaling $100 million each time, so we're getting around $1 billion now. But, excuse me just a minute now. I'm getting over long-haul COVID. You don't want it. But, come to find out, this came down on y'all from the state. And I must have been early on because I got the road fee. I went to the auditor's office. I said, you want me? I hadn't had to pay this in 20 years. Do I pay it? She said, yeah. Now you've got to go to the highway department. I went, highway department? Okay. I get down there and walk in with the receipt and the, copy of the road fee, I promise you, the boss in Simpsonville didn't know anything about it. She said, what is this? I said, I guess I'm going to go out here and bring you my permanent tag because they just told me that if I don't pay this, then I ain't going to have no license plate on my vehicle. So, I was enlightened today by Baylor. I saw what the state did about that. Well, they don't tell you. Like I said, I tried to get to the delegation about it, but weather, inclement weather, and I don't know when they meet. Probably before they go back to session. I will be in front of them about it. it's just a smack in the face. What little bit of tag of honor I had on my car is now gone. And I've learned that it's not Greenville County. But I always wanted to ask y'all this. Can you not just call a road fee a tax? Tell the people it's deductible. And every time you need something like that, try and look at the tax code and make it as deductible as possible for people and explain to them that we're going to do this. It's going to be deductible. We've looked at the tax code. And the basis of taxes in this country is as simple as this. As local tax goes up, federal tax comes down. Everything that can't be deducted, we're sending to Washington to beg to get it back, which we never do. So I don't know about the legalese for you gentlemen, but I'm sure Mr. Connell straightened you right out on that. He's a fine fella, and do not let him get away. Okay? Seriously. Now, are you, one term, you're not running again?

Myself, sir?

You? You jumping on?

No, sir.

You all running for re-elected?

I'm crazy enough to do so, yes, sir.

I heard you weren't.

Oh, no.

But I've heard you speak many times. I hope this man don't go nowhere.

I appreciate it, sir. Thank you. Can I ask you a question real quick, actually, Mr. Chairman? Yeah, yeah. So just to clarify, because even though it's not the county, We can't advocate on behalf of our constituents, but so your permanent tag that you've had, the state's changed it to where no veteran will ever have that?

Yeah, they put a little artwork on it. I got disabled veteran on the tag they gave me with a wheelchair symbol on it.

Right.

But the permanent tag itself, she made me give it back. And I just saw the explanation the kind officer showed me in his phone that there is – as an exception. But DMV didn't know about it when I went down there. If you're 100% permanent and total veteran like myself, then I believe as an exception you can keep your permanent tag. So now I'm confused more than ever.

Well, we'll take a look at it either way.

When I bought another car, that gave me the road fee and my tag money on one thing, which led me to believe... that y'all was in collusion with the state. And I was going to ask you how in the world y'all got together and did that. And I'm glad y'all didn't have nothing to do with that. I really am. And if I'm taking up your time, I apologize for that misinformation. But it's been a learning experience for me. It's worth the ride. I want to commend y'all on another thing. When I first came up here, to do that tag business with the road people. There was only three blue parking places in the parking garage. I seen plates for all y'all and apartment heads on the first floor. I don't have my electric mobility with me tonight. And I didn't have it at the time. But that walk from the parking garage to the auditor's office likely killed me. It was awful. So, I was prepared to go to federal court under ADA, which is one of the few things that we can come before a federal judge on it to impel y'all to do something about your accessibility, which you have done with the blue part up front. But, you don't have any electric mobility in the building. I see wheelchair. I understand all that. But, You know, some people need electric mobility. There was one little old red one over there at Old County Square. I don't know where it went. They had one. So maybe y'all might consider putting some in the lobby. People are good about plugging them in and everything. Also, when I was up there at that time, you had private security down front. It was seen to me that these people should also be helping disabled people out of vehicles and not just standing in the building and do a little service for the people because I didn't see one of them help anybody. And I actually helped a man who was carrying a satchel oxygen machine get out of his car on my way in. So a little more service out of them, I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate it. And, uh, I'm just going to put it to you like this. I wish you a lot of luck on that tax package I just heard about. I don't know how that's going to go. Whether it's going to be holy war in Greenville County or not, I don't know. But when you talk about reappraising, I know y'all doing it in pockets. You already hit Dunning. And I've been, this is my 50th year and last year in collective politics. So I ran for council in 94. I've run for the statehouse eight times. I've never won, but I've brought about a lot of positive change. Because usually the people that beat me, they'll take my issues, take them down there to Columbia and act on them. Like the ABC daycare program, that's me. All these new intersections you see being done, that's me. They repaid Georgia Road from 25 almost to Pelzer. So it can be done. And I'm an advocate for people around me. I try to serve the public in every way I can. But you're not going to be next to me unopposed and walk right in. You're going to have to earn it. But I'm doing it, 50 years of it. And I will say this, being born and raised in Greenville County, where we are now, one thing, please consider this. I know it's poison words for y'all, impact feed. Now, found in an accident. Best thing they ever done. Down where I live in South Greenville, what they're doing down there between Moonville and Ware Place, it's not going to affect home values anymore. The average median home price is $440,000. There's no way that they could take that and put it on the house because you have just priced everybody out of the market. And I keep hearing this about housing for young people, young families. It takes their mama, their daddy, their grandma, them, and their husband to pay for a house for a young family in Greenville County. And some of the older neighborhoods like Dunneen, 100-year-old mill houses being redone, $200,000 or $300,000. That's a windfall for the county. And for a long time, the county lived on properties value to avoid raising taxes and I know that seven meals before y'all came in and I know they were passing things up to the last hour and I feel like this council here really got it hung on them by the last council and I was shocked and disappointed to see that Mr. Dill is going to be sitting back up here again he's one of them but anyway I appreciate your time

Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.

I really do. And like I said, a fee is a tax. A war is a war. Just promise me you'll at least ask Mr. Cornell about it and see if, in fact, because I know that word tax strikes fear in people, but it's easier to pass one and tell them it's deductible, they've got a hedge against it, than it is just to drop it on people. Thank you all. I'm going to take my hat off in memory of Senator Graham, a true public service. Thank you, man.

Thank you. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman? Yes. If you would allow. It's okay if not. I understand. But Mr. Rowan? No. His last name. The gentleman that spoke first. Rowan spoke first I know that you had a couple more points and you stopped right at your time so if the chairman would allow if you have a couple more points you wanted to make I want to give you the opportunity if not it's fine too I just wanted to offer since we obviously let that go a little while the only thing I would say I think I touched on this I think I looked at my notes and I think I hit them all but I just wanted to make sure that I said egress into Rays Creek

It's just going to be a train wreck for us living in Lakeside 3.

Could you, some of the stuff you mentioned, any specifics that you could, if you could send an email to the chairman or to myself or somebody, just so we'd have a documented list. I know we have the minutes, too, but just so we could take a look at some of the things you mentioned.

I sent it to both of y'all. I was just rattling off one right now. I was just doing an email to Mr. Shaw as we were... as I was here, but I will send one to y'all as well. Please do that. How does that work in this thing? I know that there's a bunch of people coming down here next week in red for the rezoning thing on the 20th.

What are you asking about?

Well, I mean, how does what I've done tonight interact with what the zoning is? I know eventually y'all are the ones that sign off on everything. Is that not correct?

Well, really, this is an opportunity for you almost to have an extension of when most people talk about zoning concerns or anything else. So we take it into account just like we would information in those meetings. So it's just as beneficial. You shared it with us, and we can get it to the other members for consideration, too. All right, I'll send it to both you gentlemen then.

Perfect. With y'all's permission, I'll also copy my HOA on this, if that's all right.

Yeah, that would be very appropriate.

Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

All right, and so that concludes public comment, and we have one final motion.

I make a motion to adjourn.

All in favor?

Aye.