City Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call the public power hour to order. And it's nice to see we have some guests here with us. And our friend, Ms. April Jordan, it is always a pleasure seeing you. Come on up and tell us. And you got a fancy handout for us this time. I like it.

I mean, not for him, but for me. You keep going, I'll let you know.

April, how are y'all funded the most? What's your percentage breakdown?

Have you ever done a presentation for the Optimist Club, do you know? The Optimist? North August Optimist?

Any other questions for Ms. April? Yeah. Thank you for all you do. Okay. Thank you.

I don't know Mike Zane, but he was going to do it. I don't think anyone here is Mike Zane. So is there any citizen that has something they would like to talk to the city council about that's not on our agenda tonight? So this would be an opportunity if you'd like. But it can't be about anything on our agenda tonight. Yes, sir. Come on down, Mr. Davin.

Any others see how much time we have? Any other citizens have something that's not on the agenda they'd like to share with us? Oh, come on in, Miss Dean.

Excited about your leadership. You'll be great. Thank you, Dean. Thank you for being here.

We'll give just a couple minutes in case somebody walks in that wants to say something before we close out the public power hour. All right, we're going to call the public power hour.

I'd like to call the City of North Augusta City Council meeting for September the 21st, 2026 to order. It's great to see everybody. Thank you all for being here. You are welcome to join me in prayer. Dear God, thank you for your blessings on our town, on this council, and on each citizen. I ask that you give each of us discernment as we make decisions for our entire community as we honor you.

First of all, do y'all sit down? Not yet. I'd like Troop 7, if y'all would stand where you are. I want everybody to get a good look at this group. Everybody from Troop 7, including the leaders, the adults. Okay. And we are going to have three of our Eagle Scouts are going to come forward, and then everybody else can now stand if you're able, and they will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. So, gentlemen, if you want to go move forward.

Thank y'all. OK, roll call from my left. Robert Freitas. Britton Williams. Kevin Toole. David Buck. Dennis Briatico. Item four, approval of minutes. Are there any corrections, deletions, or additions to the regular city council meeting minutes of August 17th, 2026, or the study session minutes of September the 14th, 2026? All right.

Hearing none, they stand approved as distributed. Thank you. Okay, this is always a fun time. So we got three different things. I know Beth Francis is here. I don't see Michaela, so I think I'm going to probably read that from the dais. And then we've got some great recognition coming up. So at this point, I'm going to ask Miss Beth Francis, if you would meet me at the dais, please, ma'am. Now, when we read this on the 17th, you were dressed up in red, white, and blue, weren't you?

All right. This is a proclamation. I read this at the Arts and Heritage Center on Thursday, which was the actual date, the 17th. So I'm going to read this. Whereas our founding fathers, including South Carolinians, Pierce Butler, Charles Pinckney, John Rutledge, and Charles Coatsworth Pinckney risked their fortunes and some even their lives to secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their posterity, did ordain and establish a Constitution for the United States of America. and whereas September 17, 2026 marks the 239th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United Sta

And at that event on the 17th, we had a gentleman dressed in period attire, and he rang a bell for each one of our 13 colonies. That was great. Thank you so much. Appreciate everything. Yes, ma'am.

This is stormwater awareness week, so let me just read this from here. Whereas polluted water released into our local creeks, streams, reservoirs, and rivers can cause harm to human health and wildlife, contaminate our drinking water sources and threaten the ability to take part in recreational water activities. And whereas population growth, residential and commercial development, and the resulting changes to the natural drainage, hydrology of the land will only deepen our concern from stormwater quantity and quality in the city of North Augusta. And whereas the most common source of pollutio

Evan, come on up here, young man. All right. Now, Evan is, let me ask you. Are all three of them here? Who's not here, these ones here? Okay, so I'm gonna ask, I want Kevin Carhartt to stand up and Jayden Fitzgerald. These two gentlemen, as well as this young man, are in the process, now, have they officially gotten their final confirmation? I have now, okay. So these are three, and the fourth is Liam Healy. That's four Eagle Scouts from Troop Seven. I will tell you, I don't know if they keep track of this, but Scoutmasters, I don't know if there's another troop in the United States that kicks

Let me ask you something. You think with young people like Evan, you think our future's bright? Yeah. I didn't count the numbers, but I will tell you it would probably be every finger on both my hands, the number of people and organizations all came together. This is Stephen Covey's great author. He wrote called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Great book. You need to read it. But he talks about win-win. So this is a win-win from starting with FONA, from the scouting, from our public safety, the city, volunteers, our businesses, all coming together. And it's just a great job with y

all right let's move in right now we're moving the new business item six planning development ordinance number 2026-17 amending section 9.6 related to maximum wall sign area allowable to multi-tenant properties in northchester development code article 9 of chapter 18 of the city of northchester south carolina code of ordinance we have a motion to approve this ordinance on first reading the mood carpenter second is mr freitas thank you anything you'd like to share about this uh mr clifford

All right. Are there any citizen comments?

All right, hearing none, I'm going to ask for a vote. All in favor? And that's unanimous. Thank you very much. Item seven, planning development, ordinance number 2026-18, authorizing the conveyance of certain real property and temporary construction easements to the South Carolina Department of Transportation in connection with project P043867, the SR4-US25 business bridge replacement over the Savannah River. Do I have a motion to approve this ordinance on first reading? I move.

Okay. Any light share about this, Mr. Clifford?

Yep. Very good. All right. Are there any citizen comments? Any council discussion? All right.

And that's unanimous. Thank you. And let me just say this. Pat always says it, but I'm a circumventor. Just for Troop 7 here, for all our citizens, we meet four times a month. First and third Mondays are city council meetings. Second and fourth Mondays are study sessions. And, of course, with the holidays, kind of things have been skewed a little bit. But in general, our study sessions is where we get presentations from our directors or from administration about everything we vote on. So that is the one. If you want to hear us in most situations, have conversation, ask questions, that's where

Second. Is that Mr. Beratica? Okay, a second. Freitas. All right, Mr. Freitas, thank you, sir. Anything you'd like to share about this, Mr. Clifford?

Yep. Okay. Very good. Any questions for Ms. Clifford?

Hearing none, I'm going to ask for a vote. All in favor?

Item nine, public services, resolution number 2026S44, authorizing an on-call engineering firm services contract with Turnip Seed Engineering for various water and wastewater utility improvement projects. Do we have a motion to approve this resolution?

Thank you, Ms. Carpenter. Anything you'd like to share about this, Ms. Clifford?

event for the council to consider and i think we we do this about every five years okay very good thank you uh are there any citizen comments excuse me any council discussion okay here now i'm asked for a vote all in favor that's unanimous thank you very much okay item 10. Resolution number 2026-45 to accept a grant award from the South Carolina State Revolving Fund for the Pine View Estates Waterline Extension.

Second. Anything you'd like to share about this, Mr. Clifford?

So this will allow us to run the line. They will still have to run the line from their house to connect to us. Right, and be on that point within the city as being contiguous. All right, any questions for Mr. Clifford? All right, any citizen comments?

All right, hearing none, I'm going to ask for a vote. All in favor?

Okay, item 11, resolution number 2026-46, appointing a member to the Accommodation Tax Advisory Committee to make state accommodation tax recommendation for council's consideration. We have motion to approve this resolution. All right, Mayor Pro Tem Toole, and the second was, who was second? Ms. Francis, how are you top of the day?

unanimous okay and our last thing is item 12 boards and commissions um i am a point this is a mayor appointment uh for the stadium advisory board i am appointing brian malik our director of public works to the stadium advisory board to replace tom zeser who has retired you have a motion to approve this appointment so moved okay as mr fredis mayor it's just a receipt of information Well, I checked with Kelly on that. Anyway, second I think was Ms. Carpenter. All in favor?

All right. Item 13, administrative reports.

All right, item 14, we're now at Presentations, Communications, and Recognition of Visitors. So citizen comments that this time, citizens may speak to the mayor and council regarding matters not listed on the agenda. We had a public power hour, but some folks might have come in since then. So this is an opportunity to come forward if you have something you want to share with council. Yes, ma'am. Come on down. You always sit in the front seat. You threw me off back there. You were hidden back there. I'm used to you being right there in the front. Well, you look beautiful.

I know. You just stand there. You don't have to move it. It's strong.

Just two comments I've got. We have a Northwestern Council of Garden Clubs. And I told them that I wanted folks to know that every month they do a Yard of the Month. And the September 2026 Yard of the Month It goes to Janet and Andy Delina. And this home was selected by, actually, by the Beach Island Garden Club. So the council garden clubs are clubs of numerous municipalities altogether. So they do that every month. So if you're interested in getting your name out there for Yard of the Month, you can reach out to North Gust of Council on Gardens. But a great job what they do. Gene Timmons cha