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MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

COTTAGEVILLE TOWN HALL
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2008
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, Council Member Eutsler 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: Minutes. We will not have approval of the minutes this evening due to Donna being out with sickness of her mother and so we’ll have those in January.
At this time we’ll have the mayor’s report.
Last month when I addressed council and the town I told you what the problem areas are. Now that I feel that — I will tell you what I plan to do about each one of them. I’ve decided not to go in to each one of them blindly but with careful consideration. My decisions will not always be popular but, as I can tell you, we have some serious problems and they will go away.
Revenues. I will look in to several areas here: local option sales tax, property tax reinstatement and the attraction of new business. I will be discussing this further at each meeting.
We cannot burden the police department on any quotas. This hampers the way they conduct business and it will never remove the speed trap name that the town has.
Even though the chief is concerned with his budget, I’m ultimately responsible for the town’s finances.
Assessments. I am still working on the best settlement with the state. Our attorney will advise us on that solution.
Zoning. I will have a rough draft to send back to the zoning committee after the new year. I do want to advise you that it will be a starting point and once in place it may require some changes. Bottom line is the town must have zoning.
The old school. The council gave me permission to sign the lease. I will do this sometime between now and January.
My plans are to hold town meetings and court in the old cafeteria to start out with. The reason is that it will give us time to figure out where we want to take the facility and to get bids for painting, the purchase of seating and construction of council desks for this area.
Water sampling. I will contact DHEC to find out what the current status is. I will be in contact with Art Schraider (phon.) and ask him to notify us when any further work is done in the town.
Even though it is a hard and thankless job, Terri will continue to work on grants. As I said last month, it is hard to get grants when you have the debt level that we have.
Recently Shane completed a grant from litter control. Terri has received some small grants for bulletproof vests and anything is a help.
We will be working on grants for this coming spring.
Judge Butterfield held his first court this month. His no-nonsense approach to the law is welcome. It was — I was very impressed with his fairness and honesty to all parties. I can only say that I hope that it continues and if I ever have to approach his bench I can be assured that I will be treated fairly and within the law.
I want to close in saying that a lot of work has to be done in the town. It is time to decide to support the town and get involved or be quiet and just get out of the way.
I will continue to support anyone that wants to bring something positive to the town. The question may be is this ethical. Well, I think paying our bills is very ethical and if it means trying to attract business to do that, well, I’m guilty as charged.
The bottom line is this, I have the best interest of the town at heart. The people that work for me can tell you of my commitment to the town. I will not stand by and let a few determine the course of this town. I want to pay our bills and move forward this coming year.
The question is what kind of town do we want to turn over to our children. I don’t intend to leave anything for the people to clean up, like was left to me.
I wish each and every one here tonight a joyous Christmas season. May your families be blessed this coming year.
The Christmas parade is Saturday the thirteenth. A lot of people have put in hard work to make this event a success. My wish to you that you put your feelings aside and come out and enjoy the day. Terri’s husband Steve has worked hard to bring the military here. He is planning on having several units here along with the band.
Last year was the first year that we had the military band. If you didn’t see them last year, come out this year.
If you see Steve on the street thank him for his involvement. Thank the soldiers that you see because they’re the very ones that may be deployed next.
Steve was also instrumental in getting the decorations ready to be installed tomorrow. That’s why they’re out by the poles on the street. They’re gonna be installed tomorrow along with the banner.
Cottageville can be a great place to live but with anything, it needs work to grow. Please consider helping whenever the need arises. We have our differences but we are all neighbors and I’m sure that you want to see Cottageville be the best that it can possibly be.
Thank you.
At this time we’ll have the clerk’s report.
MS. CROSBY: Christmas parade is December 13 at 3; still receiving applications. So far we have received 21.
Lineup will start at 2 p.m. down Jacksonboro Road.
Want to thank Howard Sanders (phon.) and Steve Crosby for working on Christmas decorations and putting them out for SCE&G.
SCE&G will be here in the morning to start hanging the decorations.
I’m still working on the census map which is due the first of March; also working on goals for the upcoming year.
That’s it.
MAYOR WHITE: Okay.
And the police report. Shane is at an event with his son this evening so I’ll go ahead and give his report.
Let’s see.
“The police department report for the month of November shows that the police department is dealing with a variety of calls and criminal activity. Over the past month the department took 35 incident reports. This type of report included drug possession, weapon possession and stolen property.
“Department applied to the state for a litter enforcement grant. This grant is through the Palmetto Pride project and can be utilized to buy equipment to help, not only with the detection and apprehension of individuals, but will aid in the prosecution. The award announcement date is December 22, 2008.
“The Christmas parade will be another concern for the department. The department is working in partnership with the SCDOT in order to ensure traffic is detoured in an effective manner.
“Traffic is currently being scheduled to be detoured down Sally Ackerman and Rohobeth Road. Confirmation will be announced closer to the date of the parade.
“And last, the police department is working in association with the Cottageville Elementary School in a Christmas toy drive. The police department is seeking donations of new, unwrapped toys to be distributed by the school. These gifts will be given to low-income children for Christmas. All gifts can be dropped off here and at — dropped off here at town hall. “I am urging all citizens and business owners to participate. We can show our pride in our town by making this a success and making a Christmas to remember for a child.
“As chief of police I want to thank you for your support.”
And at this time we’ll have the judicial report given by Dawn Boren.
MS. BOREN: I contacted Shannon F. Horton (phon.) in regards to the pretrial intervention for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Now I have the proper paperwork, referral forms and procedure to conduct a referral for children.
It’s a lot of kids, you know, who has marijuana charges and now with the pretrail intervention program we can send them to the program and it won’t be on their record as long as they complete it, like it won’t totally mess up their record at a young age.
So after contacting, I have all referral forms and the whole file set up to be able to referred the kids.
We had our first court with the new judge, The Honorable Wendell Butterfield, and everything went great.
MAYOR WHITE: Thank you.
At this time we’ll have the committee reports.
Carlie Strickland, emergency preparedness.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND: I spoke with Miss Suzanne Gant today who is the emergency preparedness director for the county. She’s in the process of getting new criteria for the upcoming hurricane season and, hopefully, when she gets everything compiled she will be giving us the guidelines and what they’re planning on doing and I’m gone try to get with her and see if she’ll come down and have a meeting with the interested citizens who would like to attend, if she would come down and give us a presentation on what’s gone be taking place.
MAYOR WHITE: Okay. Thank you.
Charlie Cook, the public works.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I have nothing to report.
MAYOR WHITE: Rick Eustler, technology.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER: I spoke with Dale Cobble (phon.) today regarding the disaster recovery system that we voted on a couple months ago and he said it would be installed within last two weeks.
I recommended that we set a time to kind of do a mock recovery, just assume one machine failed and then put in a new drive and restore it just to prove the system before it’s something we have to deal in another situation and he said he could do it himself or one of the techs can do that.
I just recommend that you run through that process.
MAYOR WHITE: Yeah, I saw that it was installed and received the bill already for that.
And Peggy Thomas, revitalization.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: We’re looking forward to our Christmas parade on the thirteenth and, like Terri said, the banner’s gonna be put up tomorrow and what did you say? You had 24 entries?
MS. CROSBY: Right now 21.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: Twenty-one?
MS. CROSBY: We had three more to come in today.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: How many did you have last year? Wasn’t it 30?
MS. CROSBY: I believe about 30.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: Yeah.
MS. CROSBY: They come in the last day.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: Usually, you know, they come in kind of late so we’re anticipating having as good a parade as we had last year, or better.
And we’re not gonna be doing the pictures with the children with Santa Claus here at town hall. I’ve talked to them at the Methodist church and we’re gonna — like that’s where everything is at, where the crowd is at so we’re gonna do it uptown on some of the Methodist church property.
But, anyway, we’re kind of trying to get everything in that little square there because I think the choir from — And isn’t it an honors choir?
The honors choir from the Cottageville Elementary School will be coming and I tell you, those children came and sang at The Taste of Cottageville and you need to come hear those children sing. They are very good.
So we’re excited about that and we’ll be taking the pictures in that area, too, so.
And we may have a few vendors. I don’t think we’ll have a lot. There’s so much liability when you talk about vendors.
If we have any we’ll put them by the vacant lot by the car lot down there but I’m not really anticipating a large amount and it may be that if it’s just a few we can just put them right uptown in the hub where everybody else is at. We’ll just have to wait and see.
We’re in the process of working on judges and on Friday night before the parade on Saturday we’ll be judging the homes that are decorated and we’ll be judging the stores and we’ll be giving awards for those two — in those two areas, best decorated store and best decorated house.
And ordinarily we would be working on the camellia show in January but, as I said at the last meeting, we’re not gonna be having the camellia show this year.
We plan on having something in the spring but we’re not really sure what that’s gonna be now but we’ll keep in touch and let you now what’s going on.
And we’re still looking for members for the revitalization committee.
MAYOR WHITE: Okay. Thank you.
That’s a good chance for anybody that wants to, to get involved.
Okay.
We’ll have the second reading of Ordinance 2008.6 which is adding Article 3, Meeting of Town Council, Section 2.323, Cottageville Town Code concerning confidentiality requirements of executive session and at this time I’ll entertain a motion for second reading of this ordinance.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: I make a motion we accept the second reading on this ordinance.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK: I second the motion.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: Ayes have it.
Any Opposed?
(No response.)
MAYOR WHITE: No.
Second reading of Ordinance 2008-7, confidentiality of Town Personnel, Article 8 of Personnel Section 2.809. I’ll entertain a motion for approval of the second reading.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: I make a motion that the second reading be approved on Ordinance 2008-7.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND: I second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: Ayes have it, not opposed.
Okay.
There is no new business until the first of the year and at this time, Carl Null on the police department.
MR. NULL: Yeah. I just had one comment that I’d like to see if the council — I talked with the chief and he has really got the town’s interest at heart and is trying to save money and I’d like to see the council kind of give him the head to go ahead and put in the cruisers the spotlights like on the old cruiser. The chief wanting to save money and give him a handheld one and it’s just not really safe and we should be able to come up with the money to get that. For their safety. Stopping somebody they can shine the light on them, blind them, deter them but if they’re trying to use the handheld that plugs into the cigarette lighter, that’s not safe.
MAYOR WHITE: Okay.
I’ll go ahead and talk to Shane about that.
Anything else?
MR. NULL: No, sir.
MAYOR WHITE: Sandra Addison.
MS. ADDISON: Can I have — I have two things there.
MAYOR WHITE: You do.
MS. ADDISON: I do.
MAYOR WHITE: Bar-B-Que and planning commission.
MS. ADDISON: I do, I have lots to say tonight.
Sandra Addison.
I would like to let you all know that last year at the Christmas parade the Cottageville United Methodist Church had a Bar-B-Que. We made a profit of $1500 and every penny of that has been spent in this county, either in the town of Cottageville or in Walterboro.
Peggy Thomas has my phone number. I’m thinking real seriously about unlisting it because Peggy gives it to everybody in the whole world who calls me and says we need and we have met so many needs. You can’t believe how many needs we’ve met.
Also, just to let you know, we
have — We have a bookcase in the adult Sunday school room. This bookcase is this high and it’s this wide and it has four shelves on it and we call that our loaves and fishes bookcase because it is our little food bank and I cannot begin to tell you how many hungry people in the town of Cottageville and Walterboro that we have fed out of those three little shelves of food.
And I’m asking that you support Cottageville United Methodist Church on the thirteenth during and in between and after and all around by buying a Bar-B-Que sandwich which will be $3.50 which will include chips and a drink, or a dinner for $5 which won’t include a drink and please support it because ever penny that is made in profit goes to the hungry in this town and in this county and lest you think there’s nobody hungry in Cottageville, I am here to tell you that there are many hungry people and we have been feeding them.
Peggy has, from the Baptist church been feeding and taking care of their needs and we are, too, and you make it possible because we could not do it without your support and we just ask that you please come out and support us on the thirteenth.
But, but we do and the only thing that, that we ask is what your need is and, and we don’t make any judgements and it’s all free and it doesn’t matter who, what, why, how. We, we do everything we can to help our own.
We’re working right now on a family in Cottageville that got burned out last week and working on clothes and things and I have those sizes if anybody wants to know about getting rid of old clothes or shoes or anything, please get in touch with me.
I didn’t mean to get so big in to it but if you could see how many people in this town are hungry, how many people in this county are hungry and things are only gonna get worse. The stories are very sad and, and I share only the things, you know, we don’t want to embarrass anybody in any way.
We have very stringent rules about this money. We use it to our absolute best advantage. We ran through the $1500 and people have been donating because I said, you know, we’re out of money and, and just about every Sunday somebody will come up and give me a check for the benevolence fund.
We are doing good work with it and, and it’s for — It’s for the town so if you all know of anybody – oh, Lord, I hate to say this out loud but please call me and I’ll give you Peggy’s number and I will share with you what we have to share.
The other thing is I’m so very proud of my planning commission and I call them mine. Since I’m chairman I’m taking credit for them.
Last month we spent a lot of time on the road getting either certified or, or continuing education for the planning commission so we did not have a meeting last month.
We also have a vacancy. It is my plan for the planning commission to meet every Monday after town council meeting and I’m sure you’re just gonna be inundated with all these applications because we have a vacancy on the planning commission.
And we are going to continue with or without that fifth person beginning the first Monday in January after the town council meeting.
There will be codes done; there will be things done and you better be here and so I’m expecting that to be nominally the second Monday of every month but it will be the Monday after the town council meeting so that we won’t get in to any scheduling difficulties due to holidays, that kind of stuff.
And we will start on page 1. We have a wonderful 71-page guideline to go by and we will start on page 1 and we will do what we can do in an hour’s time or an hour and a half the first Monday or the second Monday or the third Monday or the whichever Monday it turns out to be. Every month we will be doing that.
And I applaud all the things you had to say last month. I’m sorry I was not here, Mr. Mayor, because I think everything that I read in the newspaper needed to be said.
You don’t have to agree with me, don’t attack me personally. I’m, I’m — I live here; I only want what’s best for this town. Nobody paid one dime for me to go to Point South and get lost and ride around.
There is no exit 33, Terri; I hate to tell you that.
And we almost made it to Savannah but we weren’t very late getting there for our meeting but this planning commission is serious about this. They’re very serious about it.
I’m serious about it and I’m not gonna be put off because people aren’t happy with it. I’m gonna be firm and talk to me and tell me what you’re not happy about and we will discuss it but you know what? The majority rules. It has always ruled and it will continue to do so and there are things that are not perfect about Cottageville but you know what? I made a very conscious decision after many years of being away of coming back to Cottageville. That has to say something for the town, has to say a lot for it and I intend to be here and I want things to be better when I leave here and I have no intention of going any time in the next two weeks, anyway. I have too much to do for the next two weeks but we will be having meetings and I just wanted that to be clear and I want it to be part of — You know, The first Monday night is council meeting. I want it to be clear that the second Monday night is planning commission meeting.
And when we get over to the new building we’re gonna have a beautiful room.
See? You hear my planning commission?
And I’m sure you’re gone be inundated with, with people signing up to be on the commission but, hey, we’ll just take the best.
MAYOR WHITE: Well, thank you.
MS. ADDISON: Thank you very much.
MAYOR WHITE: Well, at this time, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go ahead and call for adjournment.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS: I make a motion to adjourn.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND: I second.
MAYOR WHITE: All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE: I have it.
Thank you.
– Meeting adjourned at 7:30 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, November 17, 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 twenty-second day of November 2008.
Notary Public for South Carolina
My Commission Expires April 23, 2017