Town Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. I would like to welcome everyone to the Town of Lexington Council Meeting. The Council Meeting is being held at Town Hall on Monday evening, October the 5th, 2026, and it's being broadcast live on the Town's YouTube channel. I'm Hazel Livingston, the Mayor for the Town of Lexington. I'd like to introduce my fellow Councilmembers. To my left is Councilmember Ron Williams.

To his left is Councilmember Jenny Michaels. Good evening. To my right is Mayor Pro Tem Todd Carnes. To his right is Councilmember Gavin Smith. And to his right is Councilmember Will Allen.

For me tonight, we have a special guest that's here to lead us in our invocation. We have Pastor Duncan Murchison from Scotland who is with us at Watershed Fellowship. So, Duncan, I'd like to ask you to come forward and say a prayer for us.

And Duncan and his beautiful wife and precious baby lives in the town of Lexington. All the way here from Scotland. Next up, our pledge will be led by retired Army Sergeant First Class Christine Craig.

Thank you so much for coming. At this time, I'll call the council meeting to order. Are there any deletions from tonight's agenda? Hearing none, council met an executive session prior to this meeting. Matters discussed in executive session permitted by SE Code 30-4-70A, review of pending litigation. Personnel matter discussion of updates to the employee handbook. No vote was taken. Do I hear a motion to ratify this report?

Councilman Williams makes a motion. Do I hear a second? Second. second councilman michael seconds is there any discussion hearing none all those in favor raise your right hand and it is unanimous approval of the minutes included in the meeting packet for approval or the minutes from council meetings held on september the 8th and september the 21st are there any deletions corrections or motions to approve the minutes i hear motion to approve them

Councilman Williams makes the motion. Is there a second? Second. Councilman Michael seconds it. All those in favor? Raise your right hand. And it is unanimous. We have a presentation tonight recognizing infant cardiomyopathy and Ms. Ikea Blakely can come to the podium while I read this. She may not be here tonight. Okay. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that can affect infants and children and increased awareness of pediatric heart health can help families recognize potential warning signs. And whereas Ezra Stone Blakely, a beloved son and brother in the Lexington community, pas

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Road work is about to begin on Cedar Crest Drive for lane widening and Augusta Road for median installation at the new Parker's Kitchen. Expect intermittent nighttime lane closures over the coming weeks. SCDOT has begun daytime paving operations on Roberts Street from Gibson Road to South Lake Drive. DOT has started nighttime asphalt patchwork along West Main Street from Gibson Road to Columbia Avenue in preparation of a full resurfacing. Please exercise caution when traveling in construction areas, and we encourage you to follow the Town of Lexington Police Department

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Next up, we'll have our public hearing part of tonight's meeting. We will now open the public hearing portion, and we ask that speakers please limit their remarks to three minutes. A timer will be set. Please note that this is not a question and answer session, and we ask that comments remain specific. To the item under consideration, please address the Council as a whole rather than directing comments to staff or members of the audience. These guidelines help ensure a respectfully and orderly process and allow time for everyone to speak. With that, is there anyone th

Thank you, Mayor. As a part of the town's update to its cross-connection control program, revisions to the town code are necessary to ensure the ordinances are consistent with the newly adopted program and current regulatory requirements. The proposed amendments remove obsolete language, eliminate references to agencies that no longer exist, and update procedural requirements to align with the revised cross-connection control program. The proposed ordinance amendments include revisions to section 50.12a, 13a, and b, and revisions to 151.06.03b. I make a motion for final reading approval of the

Council Member Michaels makes a motion. Do I hear a second?

Mayor Pro Tem seconds it. Is there any discussion on this? Hearing none, all those in favor, raise your right hand. And it is unanimous. Moving on to new business, our first item is from Councilmember Allen, approval of law enforcement assistance and support agreement at the town of Batesburg-Leesville.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. The town of Batesburg-Leesville has recently appointed a new police chief. As a result, a new mutual aid agreement is needed between the town and the town of Batesburg-Leesville to reflect the change and ensure continued interagency cooperation. The agreement is included in the agenda packet. Madam Mayor, I move for approval for staff and mayor to enter into the mutual aid agreement.

Council Member Allen makes a motion. Do I hear a second? Council Member Smith seconds it. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, raise your right hand. And it is unanimous. Item number two is first reading of a proposed amendment to Chapter 150 Building Codes Ordinance. Council Member Smith.

Thank you madam air that proposed amendment and Council's agenda packet is a proposed amendment chapter one 50 which specifically identifies each building code adopted and forced by the town. The current ordinance provides a general adoption of building codes reckon recognized and mandated by the state of South Carolina. The amendment list each applicable code individually to provide greater clarity regarding the codes formally adopted by the town. The amendment was developed based on guidance from the South Carolina Building Code Officials Association and recent litigation involving the adopt

Council Member Smith makes a motion. Do I hear a second? Council Member Williams seconds it. Is there any discussion on this? Hearing none, all those in favor, raise your right hand. And it is unanimous. Item number three is authorization for the U.S. 1 at Harmon Street and Martell Drive intersection improvements for utilities. Council Member Lyle.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. The roadway design work at U.S. 1, Harmon Street, and Martel is nearing the completion, and this alignment and signalization are almost done. The remaining improvements are affected by the need to relocate and upgrade an existing town water line. uh... the east main street cast iron replacement project was originally planned for f what twenty seven design an effort twenty eight construction by our utilities department staff now apparently is recommending the incorporating of that a little faster than originally scheduled and integrating it into this road construction pr

Councilmember Lyle makes the motion. Do I hear a second? I'll second. Councilman Williams seconds. Is there any discussion on this?

Randy, I assume we're going to save a little bit of money by combining our forces, saving the taxpayers by doing this. All for it. Thank you. Good work.

And Randy and David, I'm assuming y'all will work hard together to make sure this moves as quick as possible, correct? quicker we can move it, the quicker we have some relief on Highway 1. We have faith in y'all. We believe in y'all. Anything else?

To bounce off of what Councilman Lyle said, do we have an estimate of what we'd be saving, a rough estimate for the public?

Right, so we're not having to cut up what we just did. Okay, so perfect. Thank you.

Anyone else? Hearing none, all those in favor, raise your right hand. And it is unanimous. Item number four is approval of North Church Street parking lot, Dominion Energy Lighting Agreement, Mayor Pro Tem Carnes.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. The North Church Street parking lot project includes installation of new LED lighting similar to street lights in the downtown area. Staff is requesting authorization to enter into a lighting agreement with Dominion Energy for the installation and service of 12 LED octagonal 14-foot MH Charleston fixtures with aluminum poles. The proposed agreement will have an initial term of 10 years, followed by year-to-year renewals thereafter. The current monthly rate for the lighting service is $790.10 plus applicable sales tax. At the current rate, the annual cost will be approxi

Mayor Pro Tem makes the motion. Do I hear a second?

Councilman Allen seconds it. Is there any discussion?

We asked a lot of questions at the last work session on this topic. So do we have any answers to those? And then I want to pose one more before I close out. Rachel, you sent us last week Some information on streetlights and neighborhoods that details the Charleston smooth aluminum fixture at approximately $640.80 per year to operate. But this agreement we're signing with Dominion has it at 790. So there's a significant difference there. Could you walk us through why there is said difference?

So is the $70,000 for the whole parking lot or is that one light?

That's everything. That's the electric charge.

So just by rough math, what I just figured out is if we did the 70,000 solar, there's about a seven and a half year break-even period. It would take us seven and a half years to break even, and that's no maintenance or anything.

So by my rough math, the Dominion seems to be cheaper, and it accomplishes your objective of the same light being in that parking lot as around and if if we purchased our own lots it would be a 15 year break even 15 16 year break even and that doesn't mention any that doesn't account for any poles breaking or lights breaking or power or any of those other things so really it does seem that the dominion is actually cheaper it's a citizen yeah fair fair application of

Okay. Well, thank you. I know for me, I'm satisfied. Thanks for looking into that. Madam Mayor.

Just one quick question. The first option, does that have a minimum number of years requirement? Is it?

Okay. Is that negotiable? Can you go any lower than that just to give ourselves flexibility? Have you asked that question?

I like the flexibility of that option, so I certainly like the flexibility even more if there's not a long leash or a short leash.

Yeah. So that's really, I mean, because my thought would be, too, if the solar technology increases at the pace it's increasing, then years three, four, five from now, it might make fiscal responsible sense to make a change then. Yeah.

I just wonder if it would be worth asking the question. Hey, would you all entertain a five-year deal? Just ask the question. I found sometimes people are happy to say sure.

Do you need us to go ahead and vote on this tonight, and you can ask that question and bring it back, or what?

It's not going to change my opinion. I'm happy with it. I would appreciate asking that question, though.

Let you know. Rachel, can you just ask for Dominion or ask Dominion what the difference in the lights are? Because this one that you sent us is a Charleston fixture as well, and that is $100 per light saving. I understand it's Go ahead.

I would imagine this 640.80 per light is our municipal rate, right? Rachel?

Rachel or Randy, can one of y'all clarify with them who's going to be responsible for the maintenance of the poles themselves? Because I know we have to paint the parking lot poles here, and they get to looking pretty rough sometimes. So they're going to be there 10 years. They're going to need to be repainted.

But can they let them go, or do they have to meet a standard? Because you don't want... them sitting in the parking lot needing to be painted. But we just don't have time or we're not going to paint them. We need to hold them to a maintenance agreement on that.

But they're like the ones on Main Street when it's time to repaint them. They choose when they paint them.

They normally come out if you let them know that the lights are getting in bad shape.

It may spell that in the contract, Rachel. I don't know because we aren't.

So all those in favor of approving this, raise your right hand. And it is unanimous. Item number five is first reading to purchase of real estate, Lexington County TMS 00-03-007. Council Member Williams.

Thank you, Mayor. As part of the town's road improvement plans for Sunset Split Project. The town will need to purchase approximately 16 acres of property bearing TMS number 003500-03-007 adjacent to town limits. An appraisal has been taken and staff is asking for permission to negotiate the sale. Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, details of a negotiated contract and identification of the property will be made available once the deed is signed. The closing is planned for November the 6th at this time. I'll make a motion for first reading approval.

Councilman Williams makes a motion. Do I hear a second? Councilman Lyle seconds it. Is there any discussion?

Mayor, I would like to say that the funds will be available through the Sunset Split project, so it won't be costing town citizens any tax dollars.

Anyone else? All those in favor, raise your right hand. And it is unanimous. Are there any additional comments from the public regarding a specific agenda item listed? And remember your three minutes. But you're normally quick.

You're asking about the purchase of real estate? Yeah. I think there's a lot of protections of the taxpayers that we don't have to disclose some of those items.

Not until the deal's consummated, it's my understanding.

And this is, Ms. Paula, this is for the sunset split, that we've got to have this piece for the road project. I understand that.

Before. Before. Before the deed is signed.

We've had some very serious discussions and negotiated in good faith. This has been talked about for months. This is a very long-term project. We've been talking about this project, Randy, for 10 years. And every one of us up here is elected to be as fiscally responsible as we can with taxpayer money.

You will, in accordance with the FOIA statute.

Madam Mayor. Yes. Ms. Paula, is there something specific that you'd like us to potentially consider bringing to that November work session? Is there a particular detail that you're...

So for clarity, what Miss Paula, I believe, is asking is, will details, specific details of the purchase be made available before or after the closing?

I understand what we have to do, but what will we do?

But even the price? Is some of it protected, though, for the person that is selling it?

So, Ms. Paula, if we're paying you that $30 million, it's protecting you some, too.

Any questions from the news media? Are there any from the staff? Any comments from our council? Announcement. Our mayor's story time in the park will return for its final event of the year on October the 20th at 10 a.m. This will be a special Halloween and costume themed story time with fun activities for families. It was huge last year. The Lexington County Garden Club will be joining us again with the pumpkins. The children got to decorate pumpkins. So join us for a fun morning in the park. On October the 8th, this Thursday, if you can believe it, we'll be celebrating the 10th anniversary of