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MINUTES FROM TOWN COUNCIL MEETING AT COTTAGEVILLE TOWN HALL
MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2008 AT 7:00 P.M.

Mayor White called the meeting to order, explained the sign-in sheet, led the Pledge of Allegiance and called the roll.

Members present were Mayor White, Council Member Cook, Council Member Thomas and Council Member Strickland.
The following takes place in open session.
ATTESTATION
Page Line Change/Correction Reason

Minutes approved: ______________

_________________________
Terri Crosby, Town Clerk

MAYOR WHITE: At this time we have two minutes to approve, one for the public hearing and one for the town meeting. At this time I’ll entertain a motion for approval of the minutes.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: I make a motion that the minutes for the public hearing and the town council meeting for July be approved.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: Ayes have it.
Okay.
At this time we’ll have the mayor’s report.
Good evening.
I have several things to report this month. I’ve been getting cost estimates together for the old school basic operation. The costs are running about $30,000 annual without any improvements to the buildings. I have the final copy of the lease and if council approves I would like to ask for a motion of the signing of the lease.
This will take several planning meetings to plan the exact course to take with the building. The Community Block Development Grant that we thought that we could get is not available to us so this will limit us on the amount of work that we can do to the facility.
The facility is something that our community needs. It can provide adult education, LMI offices, senior needs and rec services for our children. The town just has to be careful because the other debts it has does place itself in a — does not place itself in a bad financial position again.
Speaking of finances, Terri presented me a letter that came for the state treasurer. I’ll read it to you.
The general assembly has approved a proviso which may impact state payments to the county and municipal governments for failing to properly remit court fines. This proviso directs our office to withhold state payments under certain conditions such as being delinquent in remitting court fines and audits or not complying with an audit findings in a timely manner. The proviso is as follows.
Basically, what the proviso says is that they will — The — Well, the best thing for me to do is read it instead of just trying to interpret it.
If a municipality fails to submit the audited financial statements the state can withhold all state payments. If the state treasurer receives an audit report from either a county or a municipality that contains significant finding related to court fine reports or remittance to the state treasurer’s office the requirements and proviso shall be followed if an amount is due specifically; otherwise, the state treasurer shall hold 25 percent of all state payments.
If a county or municipality is more than 90 days delinquent in remitting monthly court fines the state treasurer shall withhold 25 percent.
After 90 days any funds held by the state treasurer office will be made available to the state auditor to conduct an audit of an entity for the purpose of determining the amount due to the state treasurer’s office.
I am sure that you’ve also received the same information from state courts administration; however, since the state treasurer’s office is responsible for these actions I felt that it was just as important for you to hear it from me.
And this letter is signed by the state treasurer and I was — The thing is that we, the town, we are within 90 days. We’re actually within 60 days of remitting the current assessments but we have the past assessments which the amount is a hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars which I’m afraid that they’re gonna come after us and garnish these. You know, if they took 25 percent away from us each year it will be a significant effect to our town. This would effect the local option sales tax and the aid to municipalities. So though we have our current assessments paid within 60 days the nightmare that will not go away is the assessments from 2003 that were not paid.
In reviewing the records, assessments were paid correctly until 2000. Then slowly the time frame on paying them started getting later and later. The monies were there in 2003 but the big items that did not get paid were assessment, taxes and retirement, as I mentioned before.
I’m tired of trying to work with the state about this problem and being told one thing and receiving a letter that said something else.
I don’t know if you remember or not but I did go ahead and meet with Mr. Chellis and he said he was gonna help us and this, I don’t think, is much help. Now the state wants to take funds away from us.
I feel like the only way of addressing this correctly is to — is to get an attorney involved. I would like to ask council to hire an attorney for this purpose. Burnie Maybank is the same attorney Bluffton used for their problem with assessments.
I don’t know if y’all read it in the paper. Bluffton had about $700,000 that they owe and Mr. Maybank negotiated for them to lower the amount that they were due the state.
I feel like that he will get to the bottom of this and place responsibility where it needs to be placed. We need to put this to bed once and for all; otherwise, we’ll have this hanging over our heads.
The town must be vigilant on it’s review of finances. This situation must never be allowed to repeat itself. You as council and the people of the town have the right to know if bills are being paid and audits are being performed in a timely manner. There are other issues we handled this month but none as important as this.
At this time I’ll give you a brief report on the finances. Just very brief, just revenues of 77,000, expenses were 66,000 which left us with a net income of about $15,000.
The — I have up there cars, long-term debts and assessments.
Did the paperwork come in, Terri on cars yet?
Andy Smith, I talked with him the other day. He said that the paperwork on the new automobiles will be coming in and that will be between the 3 and 4 percent rate.
Long-term debt. I talked to Andy Smith. He’s gonna get us some figures on that as far as consolidation and I just had assessments up there just so you’ll know that we did pay an assessment this month and — but Terri will give you that in her report.
That’s all I have for finances but at this time I’d like to recognize Peggy Thomas in her completion of the Municipal Officials Institute of Government. This is the first person that I know of in Cottageville government that has completed this course. This course takes over two years to complete.
Thank you for your service that you have provided the town. Thank you.
Miss Peggy already received her certificate down in Charleston at the annual meeting.
One last thing I have. If you remember, the school made a presentation on recycling. The town said if the students would do the research for aluminum can bin the town would provide it. I found an attractive bin and if the school approves I’d like to ask council if we could present the bin to the school and make and announcement to the effect at their ribbon-cutting at the new school on the twelfth.
And that is all I have and at this time Terri Crosby to give the town clerk’s report.
MS. CROSBY: Paid one assessment last month.
Had a planning commission/council workshop on the new zoning ordinance, went very well. The planning commission met after that to go over some changes with the zoning. I sent the changes back to Jenny (phon.) at LCOG; waiting to hear back from her.
After that we will probably have another work session with commission and council. The planning commission will hold a public hearing and then will go to council for the first reading.
I put a notice in the paper that we’re accepting bids for maintaining the lawns at the old elementary school and it is on a web page. Deadline is August 13 by closing time.
I’ve been working with the auditor. Renee (phon.) should have a draft of the audit at the September meeting. Things are going very well with the audit. She has actually got to use Dawn’s laptop to find ticket from LawTrack. Dawn and myself helped her out with the ticket audit which went well.
Met with Michelle Knight from LCOG and Bonnie from the commerce department in Columbia. We found out that right now we’re not eligible to receive the NCDVG grant funds because of the LMI – low, moderate income – is not 51 percent of the Town of Cottageville. Michelle will keep me informed of other grants that come open.
I attended a public record class in Columbia.
The storage shed that we have in fire house has finally been organized. Our records are in boxes with dates on them. That area of access is controlled and doors are kept locked for security and that’s it.
MAYOR WHITE: Thank you.
At this time we’ll have the police report given by Chief Paul Haase.
CHIEF OF POLICE HAASE: Good evening, everybody.
Reports were way down which is a good thing. Arrests were also down this month. Property checks around 7 48. Our agency assists were down which keeps us in town more than assisting other agencies, were down to 15. We had a hundred and twenty-four complaints, which they were also down, and we had another accident in the construction area on Pierce Road during the month of July.
Just briefly, Dawn’s probably gone say a couple things of some things I’m saying but we got together and we got letter court going on this month.
Mr. Mayor announced the school ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. on the twelfth. Police department will be out there directing traffic.
First day for students will be on the twenty-first so please drive carefully.
I spoke with a DOT representative while I was at the hurricane task force meeting. We talked about speed out on Pierce Road because it starts at 30 then goes to 35 and 55. In a school zone everybody thinks 25, 30, 35, 25, 35, 55. That’s not gone cut it so DOT’s looking at it possibly at 30 miles per hour up Pierce Road until you get out of town so there’s no problems.
We will be out in force enforcing traffic laws during them first couple of days of school and assisting parents getting in and out.
The law enforcement task force will be in town on August 23. That’s where we set up a traffic checkpoint at 17A and Bama Road. There will be different patrol cars in town, officers with different uniforms on starting at 5:30 p.m, they’ll be in town. While they’re on the task force they have full jurisdiction, just like when Abner Rozier (phon.) leaves Cottageville, go down to Port Royal like he did the other night, he has full arrest powers and everything down there.
So the task force will be in town on August 23 doing a license checkpoint.
We’re currently working on Bama Road. We have some problems on Bama Road after hours and the SCE&G report, Councilman Cook I talked to about adding some lights down there.
I’m waiting on the sheriff’s department to get in contact with me because we’re gone set something up on Bama Road but we need their assistance to go through that. So if you live out on Bama Road, we’re gone try and control the problems that complaints are coming in.
Also, Dawn and I gone be working on the yearly audit, ticket audit that the state sends to me and I have to use the clerk of court to assist me on that.
As y’all know, there was a hit-and-run accident on last weekend involving a red Chevy Silverado pickup truck had hit two kids on the bike and took off and we’re still looking for that vehicle.
The kids are fine. I visited them that same evening at their house.
Kids were smart. They heard the sirens. Normally kids won’t get out the way when they hear sirens but they got out the way and moved off the side of the road. The truck came around the corner and lost control and went sideways into the ditch. It could’ve been worse, more worse than ever but the highway patrol is the lead investigator on the case and we’re just assisting.
If you know anything or help, whatever. I went on a lead today up on Trangle (phon.) Lane to see if it was the vehicle. Somebody called me but other than that, I’ve got nothing else unless I’ve forgotten something, sir.
MAYOR WHITE: Thank you.
I’m gone go ahead, at this time I’ll ask Dawn Boren to give the judicial report.
MS. BOREN: I met with the solicitor Shawn Thornton on some issues I had with bail bondsmen and extricment. The solicitor offered his assistance on all of my questions.
I sent out 76 letter court bench warrant letters. Letter court will be held tomorrow between the hours of nine and four. We already had approximately 40 bench warrants paid.
The chief and I have had a wonderful response with the NCIC system. In the month of July we had a hit almost, almost every other day.
We have prisoners in Barnwell, Summerville, Charleston County and Berkeley County waiting to be picked up after they serve their time for the other agencies.
I have completed my annual county judicial disposition report and my judicial survey amounts report. These reports are due at the end of each fiscal year.
Also, on July 15 I used my computer for court. It was very helpful and it saved a lot of time for me and Terri and me and the chief will be doing the ticket audit later on this month.
MAYOR WHITE: Let’s see. I’m gone go ahead and move executive session right now and we’ll go in to the other committee reports.
Carly Strickland, emergency preparedness.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND: I don’t have anything. I talked with Miss Gant today and she said it was nothing was going on other than the storm that’s going out through the gulf down there.
I think Chief Haase and them had a training session with a representative from the sheriff’s office, didn’t you?
CHIEF OF POLICE HAASE: Yes, sir. We went over evacuation routes, make sure we know where we’re supposed to be out.
As I said in the last couple of meetings, we’re responsible for each end, 61 and 17A, and we just went over to make sure because they’re gone put barricades in certain areas and we might have to run down there and check on the barricades but we spelled out the whole county and what we’re supposed to be doing at that meeting and everything — If something happens we’re prepared.
MAYOR WHITE: Okay.
At this time Charlie Cook, public works.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: We don’t have any lights that are in need of repair. We have, we do have a request to have a new light installed and that’s down there by Mack and Joann Stidler (phon.). They had someone who was, actually, I would think tried to break in her house or whatever, standing on their porch and it’s really dark down there, you know. They’re an older couple. So we’re gone call SCE&G to see what we can get done to get them some, some light, maybe help deter some of that, what’s going on.
MAYOR WHITE: Okay. Thank you.
Rick Eustler isn’t here this evening but he is — He e-mailed us his technology report and this is what it says.
It was a little over a year ago when I was asked to help out with the computer network situation at town hall. At the time there were mismatched computers and operating system; no centralized server, backup or security in place. Today, thanks to the mayor’s commitment to bring the things up to standard we have everything running in a common operating system, centralized server, backup and security.
I want to thank PRTC for donating a new server, operating system and the installation for the town. This saved the town literally thousands of dollars.
There is still work to be done but compared to where we were a year ago we’ve come a long way. Rick Eustler.
And I do want to mention again about Palmetto Rural. They really did provide a nice piece of equipment to the town. We were able to go ahead and get it in place and it does have a few glitches right now but I think once we get those solved, mainly it’s just software problems right now.
And Peggy Thomas, revitalization.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: Revitalization committee had a meeting in July and, you know, our Taste of Cottageville is gone be on the eleventh of October. So we sat down and we — Last year we didn’t have a lot of food; we really weren’t even able to have it so we didn’t want that to happen again this year. So we sat down and we knew the names of about a hundred thirty-four people in Cottageville and in the vicinity that we felt like that you could call and ask them if they would make a dish for the taste and so we divided the names up among the members of the revitalization committee to go ahead and call these people and we’re gone start calling them and — in August.
As a matter of fact, we’re meeting in August and after that meeting we’re gone go ahead and start calling people and the way we’re gonna work it, we have a flier and when we call people, if they say they’ll enter a dish we’re gonna send them a flier that they can fill out and give us a recipe and the name of the dish that they’re gonna be preparing and then also we will put a stamped envelop, stamped envelop for them to mail it back to us and let us know that they will be entering in the competition.
So we’ll be doing that, our regular taste but then one of the ladies brought up an idea about it might be a good idea to have some competition between the churches, like, call it homecoming. You know how everybody cooks for homecoming, brings their favorite recipe, such as that? So Sandra Addison is working on a letter to the churches asking them to participate in something like that.
And in addition to having the taste, we thought since we’re not having any kind of festival or anything in October that we would go ahead and have, like, games and things for children and all kind of things going on during the day that creates more interest and maybe more people would come and Janice Hughley (phon.) is gonna be working on something like a country store and then we’ll have other members working on games and things such as that.
So we’re excited about that and we’re gonna have vendors but we’re not having food vendors because, you know, the taste is food but every time I go to a meeting anywhere and they have vendors of any kind, like jewelry, clothes, cards, pictures, pottery, anything, I’ve been getting cards, business cards so I’ve got a lot of business cards that I’m gonna be sending out some invitations to people to see if they would like to be a vendor.
And we’re not gonna charge anything to be a vendor because we’re trying to build this event up and, you know, when we build it up to something traditional and people know it’s gonna be happening that year and we’ve a lot of people coming, you know, we may then consider trying to do something for some money but right now I think just to get it started we need just leave the money alone and we’ve got money in our budget this year which we haven’t had before, which will be helpful to us, too.
So, anyway, and I’ve already engaged the tables for the national guard up there. I’ve got twenty-five tables coming which I think will be sufficient for what we’ll be having.
And we’ll be putting up our banner. I’ll be calling Mr. Roberts (phon.) about that and I’m working on the judges already for the traditional food that the whole community will be providing. I have judges for that but I’m gone get separate judges for the competition between the churches.
And I’m trying to get — I know Sandlapper and they have a South Carolina magazine and then you have Charleston and I’m trying to get in touch with those magazines to see if we can’t get — You know, all those magazines feature things going on in the lowcountry and small towns so I’m gone try and see if we can’t get something in those magazines like that where people will know.
And then we’ll have all this up on the website, too, so I think that’ll be a big, big help.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: Miss Peggy, when is this gone be?
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: The eleventh of October and they’re having an antique festival or something up there and we had thought might need to change our date but I don’t think we’ll have the same kind of people. It’s two separate events and it think it’s a different interest, different people and I don’t think that’ll interfere with anything we got going on in Cottageville so we’re just gonna hold our date.
Because what we want to try and do, and I tried to work it in. I just had a hard time catching all the people to put because I had already called everywhere I know. I called about the band. I called about everything I thought would be going on in October. I called the welcome center to see if they knew anything going. I called the chamber, called the band class about the school. Everybody said looked good. Well, that antique — The merchants downtown, here it comes in The Press and Standard, they’re having their antique thing on the same day that we’re going to have the taste. It’s just hard to get it all coordinated.
But I did talk to David Smalls (phon.) and David is supposed to be getting in touch with those where we can try and get a system where everybody will know what’s going on. If we know where to call, you know what I’m talking about? And everybody calls that place, then we can control things like that. So we’re hoping that things are gonna work out better.
And we will be meeting in August to take care of some more business.
Still looking for members, too.
MAYOR WHITE: Thank you.
Okay.
At this time I’d like to have the executive session. I call for a motion to go in to executive session to discuss business equipment, judicial matters and the school lease.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: I make a motion that we go in to executive session.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND: I second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
(Council went in to executive session at 7:25 p.m. and returned to open session at 8:30 p.m.)
MAYOR WHITE: Let’s see.
Unfinished business. Ditch concerns. I’m still working on that and the — Oh, I’m sorry.
Yeah, I need a motion to come out of executive session.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I make a motion.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND: Yeah, I second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: okay.
In executive session, the printer. Do I hear a motion to purchase the new printer?
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I make a motion that we purchase the new printer.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: I second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: Okay.
As far as, I’ll table the judicial matters portion and do I hear a motion to go ahead and sign the school lease, 25 years at $1?
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I vote that we defer on that.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND: I second.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I do defer.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: Okay.
Let’s see. New business.
Yes, the other thing. I’m sorry. It was so long I forgot what I was doing.
I need to go ahead and retain the — I need a motion to retain Burnie Maybank as the attorney for water and assessment concerns.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I make a motion we obtain Burnie.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: I second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: Ayes have it.
Let’s see.
Under new business, contract agreement with Judge Payne will be — That will continue for — That will be tabled for a month.
The number 2, Colleton County Arts Council. Heather Strickland was gonna be here but something came up at the last minute and she just wanted to introduce herself to council.
Number 3 is 2008 needs assessments priorities. What we had from business done at the public hearing on July 7, 2008, council meets to decide which order to set the needs. Number 1 is planning; sidewalks and draining in town is 2 and 3 was renovation of the old school.
Do I hear a motion to accept those three?
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I make a motion that we accept those three.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: Second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: Ayes have it.
Next, public participation.
Mr. Null, you need to start giving us a . . .
MR. NULL: Well, I don’t know what y’all are gonna discuss first so how can you tell ahead of time?
MAYOR WHITE: Okay.
Sandra Addison.
MS. ADDISON: Yes. I’d like to address the issue of the chimes that came up last month. The church always felt that we were being good neighbors by not starting the chimes until 9 in the morning and stopping them at 7 every night but as you all know from the last council meeting, there were some folks that were very distraught about the length of time that they were going on. So church council met, not as fast as they wanted us to but, but the church council did meet and the chimes have been changed now so that they don’t start until 12:00. They play two minutes of music at 12 and then they’re turned off until 4 p.m. and they chime on the hour at 4, 5, 6 and 7 and at 6 p.m. they play another two minutes of music and thus far we’ve not heard any more from the folks that were so distraught about the length of time and what have you so we are making the assumption that they are pleased with that and if not, we’re very sorry but there’re two roads leaving. One goes this way and one goes that way.
I mean that’s pretty much about how we feel, that, you know, that we’ve made an effort to compromise and, you know, they have to accept. I mean you don’t move next door to a church and not expect to hear church music so I hope that they’re happy about it but if they’re not, we’re just really sorry.
MAYOR WHITE: Well, thank you.
MS. ADDISON: You’re welcome.
MAYOR WHITE: Deborah Hardwick.
Oh, and one thing, I didn’t have it in my notes, Deborah. We did receive a letter back from the DOT. They sent it to the engineer for review, about the truck traffic on Griffith Acres so that did come in this past week.
MS. HARDWICK: Okay.
So, so what is the — What are they going to do? I mean . . .
MAYOR WHITE: Their first thing is, is that they told us that they would do a survey of that road and see if they can go ahead and do something about it.
I think that it needs to be done because we’re in a situation, that road is, I’m sure, is somewhat construction of what Pierce Road is. You know, Pierce Road looks the same way Griffith Acres does and the trucks on don’t give you any room on that road.
MS. HARDWICK: No, they don’t. Or respect. Or respect.
MAYOR WHITE: Yeah, none whatsoever.
So I mean I will follow up on it. I did talk to Charles Byrd (phon.) up there and that was a reply back from his boss there at that office and they sent it on to Mark Nesbitt (phon.) down in Charleston.
MS. HARDWICK: And I did send a letter to him, also, asking for his immediate attention because I just feel like at that time we were just invaded with trucks and even though they go the speed limit, their braking distance is a lot farther and I believe that 35 miles an hour is for standard vehicle, like a car like we normally do but their braking distance is a lot farther. So if anything came up it would be toast before they were able to stop.
I know if 17A is 35 and that’s a major artery, then why should this little rinky-dink residential road be equal in speed to 17A which is a major artery? I just don’t see how that is equal.
Crack of dawn they start and they don’t stop until the sun goes down and it’s one right after the other and I’ve seen four sand trucks, one right after the other just whizzing down there and then, you know, there’s no — I mean I have little — I have children that ride bicycles and I also have ducks that cross the street and, you know, there’s no safety for children, adults or animals when they’re starting that, that morning ride and they even will — You know, they drive for you thinking, well, they’re gonna turn in a little bit and then next thing you know you’re turning and they’re just right on your rear end so, you know, I just — They’re very disrespectful, as it is a residential neighborhood and I think the sooner we have something done the better we all are gonna feel in that area.
MAYOR WHITE: Okay. Thank you.
Next meeting will be September 15 due to the holiday.
At this time I’ll entertain a motion to adjourn.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: I make a motion that we adjourn.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: Thank you very much for coming.
– Meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. -

I, the undersigned Donna Hartley, Official Court Reporter and Notary Public, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true, accurate and complete transcript of record of all the proceedings had at the Town Council Meeting for The Town of Cottageville, South Carolina at Cottageville Town Hall on Monday, July 7, 2008.
I further certify that I am neither of counsel nor kin to any person attending this meeting nor am I interested in any manner of its outcome.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirtieth day of August, 2008
Notary Public for South Carolina
My Commission Expires April 23, 2017