Roll Call

Members present were Anthony Mizzell, Joyce Dickerson, Valerie Hutchinson, Damon Jeter, Paul Livingston, Joseph McEachern, Michael Montgomery, Greg Pearce, Bernice Scott, and Kit Smith. Doris Corley was absent.

Getting Started

Chairman Anthony Mizzell called the meeting to order at 6 pm and used personal privilege to recognize Joe McEachern and his wife for being married 25 years. Staff member Tony McDonald was also recognized. It was his birthday. The council sang a spirited Happy Birthday to him.

Bernice Scott gave the Invocation, then led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. The agenda was adopted after adding an executive session item concerning the jail.

Regular Business

No one signed to speak during citizen’s input and the minutes of past meetings were approved. In a special called meeting last week, the annual budget was approved. The council thanked the staff for their hard work, which is always evident during the budget process. The county attorney mentioned one item requiring executive session. The county administrator had nothing to report.

The clerk of council mentioned the upcoming NACO conference and how the dates conflicted with some of the dates for the recreation bond hearings. This didn’t seem like a big deal until it was revealed the conference is in Hawaii. Now we have a problem. Several members are planning on attending. There never are scheduling conflicts with conferences in Pelion. The council retired into executive session for 25 minutes to discuss the jail issue. Upon reconvening, Chairman Mizzell announced the council planned to do something about this situation but not until the investigation was complete.

Consent and Discussion

There were no public hearing items to be discussed and only one consent item was removed before approval. Among the items given the green light were commercial zoning changes on Dutch Fork Road and Broad River Road, a boarding house near Monticello Road, and subdivisions on Lower Richland Boulevard, Garner’s Ferry Road, and McRae Street.

After much discussion and lots of hoopla, the zoning request for O’Sheal Road came to third reading. Scott made a motion to approve. Val Hutchinson asked for a substitute motion reducing the number of homes to 135. The Hutchinson motion was defeated, then the original motion was approved. Looks like a few more cars on Kennerly Road.

Scott had asked for an item to be removed from the consent list. The item was an amendment on the Land Development Code giving developers more time to appeal any rejections by the zoning board.

Scott, who makes it a practice to publicly criticize any aspect of the LDC, asked for an explanation of what was going on. She said she had concerns about what was being done. Michael Criss explained the language gave developers more time, two years rather than nine months, to appeal any rejections by the zoning board.

Scott had problems with language in the amendment which had nothing to do with the proposal. Her objection focused on the right of landowners who felt wronged by a zoning board to appeal to circuit court. Scott said this wouldn’t fly. Many of her constituents didn’t know where Circuit Court was and couldn’t afford a lawyer. Criss, along with Kit Smith , Mike Montgomery , and McEachern, tried to explain to Scott the appeal process was part of state law and had nothing to do with the code.

Scott refused to budge. Anything that concerns the Land Development Code is automatically challenged by Scott, even if it really has nothing to do with the amendment. It didn’t help that Smith tried to explain what was happening. Scott, by reflex, opposes anything Smith is in favor of.

Scott asked for the item to be deferred. Her motion was defeated, and the original motion was passed, but not until Scott asked for the record to state how right she was and how wrong everyone else was. I guess when villagers with pitchforks and torches come to the council for revenge, Scott will be spared.

The Utilities Ordinance Amendment was deferred once again because the staff, although they had been working extremely hard, didn’t have the requested data to help the council decide what is best for the utilities of Richland County.

Committee Reports

The only committee item concerned an amendment to the master multi–county park agreement to include International Paper and RC McEntire. Paul Livingston explained why his committee was in favor of this, and the council approved the item.

Citizen’s Input

Kathy Sikes used her two minutes of citizen’s input wisely. She thanked the members of the council who supported the folks on Kennerly and O’Sheal during the battle over the zoning change that was approved tonight. She said the members who supported the developers needed to reassess their personal priorities and remember who they are speaking for. Sikes’ speaking and writing skills were evident as she evaded council rules by referring to an item she wasn’t allowed to refer to. Maybe she should run for office. But I’m afraid her sarcasm fell on deaf ears. This council, like many before it, relies on the planning commission to decide what developments get approval, and the planning commission has no elected members.

After a lengthy and confusing motion period, the council meeting was adjourned.