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MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

COTTAGEVILLE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX
MONDAY, MAY 4, 2009
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 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:     At this time I’ll entertain a motion for approval of the April, 2009, minutes.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     I make a motion they be approved.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND:    I second.
MAYOR WHITE:     All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE:     I’ll give the mayor’s report.
Really, this is the first meeting since I’ve been mayor that I didn’t prepare a mayor’s report.  I just want to let you know that, well, we’re in the new facility.  That’s pretty much all I can say and it’s been a struggle.  And I hope y’all enjoy it.  I think it’ll definitely be beneficial to the town.  Like I said outside, it’s something that we sorely needed here and our goal is to get the staff moved over and they’ll be set up in the kitchen area of this building.
It’s already been carpeted.  The national guard — Terri’s husband, he set up getting that part of it done, so that’s been taken care of this past weekend and I estimate probably the month of July.                 Internet wiring has been laid. We do have actual fiber that comes to — not into this building yet but actually into the kindergarten building behind us but we’ll be able to get that over to this building.  That will help with Lawtrack.
We’ll be moving the server over to this building here and we’ll still be maintaining the old town hall for the police department.  That’ll give them more room, also provide the separation that’s required between the court and the police department.
So I think that this building is definitely something that we need.  We do have a ways to go, some small items that are yet to be taken care of but everything’s pretty well together.
As I said out front, we want to thank Terri for all the effort she’s put in in taking the load off me while I was on the road; also everyone that had a part.  We really did have some good donations to come together and Terri did some things to get items in here and also I’d like to thank my guys for what they did.
And that is all I have and now I’ll have the town clerk’s report given by Terri Crosby.
MS. CROSBY:     Good evening.
I sent out letters to residents about cleaning the ditches and I’ve received several back already.
I attended a health insurance meeting, which right now it looks like our health insurance will increase around 6 percent.  I will know more this month.
I sent out late notices in business licenses.  There are several that still have not paid.  Penalties will be added on them now.  Then after June 30 a citation will be issued.
I’m working on the budget.  Work session will be on May 14.  They should have the first draft of the budget.
We will have completed the new chambers and courtroom.
MAYOR WHITE:    Thank you.
Police report given by Shane Roberts.                 CHIEF OF POLICE ROBERTS:     Thank you.
Let’s start by saying, you know, thank you, council; thank you, mayor; thank you, Terri, for what y’all done.  Very, very nice.
I would like to single out Terri and the mayor, though, for lot of work they’ve done, lot of work I’ve seen them do over the weekends, stuff like that there.  That was just outstanding.  There’s a true sign of public service.  You don’t get paid for stuff like that there but it’s got to get done and, of course, they did come to it and get it done.  Guys, y’all did a great job.  That’s why I’m here.  I see Cottageville coming together.
I would like to speak real quickly, one thing that’s taken place over the past month or so. We’ve had an individual or individuals throw out roofing tacks that’s been thrown out in public places.  It just so happens it’s exactly where the patrol cars have been parking.  Now, we haven’t — We’ve got a few nails in tires, okay?  That is a cost to the town but the real importance of it or the real concern of it is the officer doesn’t know he’s got the nail in the tire.  We do travel at extremely high speed sometimes. A blowout occurs, then, of course, one of my men gets hurt, all right?  I take that very seriously.
Now, the individual or individuals that are doing it, pretty much I’m gone sit here in public and call them a coward because they’ve got a problem with the police department or the town itself and instead of doing what mature people or responsible people like sitting here tonight would do.
I say, make a public announcement, if you have a problem with my department or town come see me personally, be responsible, be mature adult, see me face to face and we’ll air it out.
Now, if I find out who’s doing it, one of my officers gets hurt, I assure you they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and no mercy from me.  Every bit that the law will allow.  I’ll say that so there’s no misunderstanding.
Now that I’m over that, I would like to say I attended a chief conference in Columbia this past — this past month, month of April and it was outstanding.  It was the first time I’ve attended a conference like that.  The knowledge that I’ve gained from that is outstanding.  Best thing is I networked with other chiefs all across South Carolina.  I made some great contacts, not just locally but all the way as far up as Rock Hill, Greenville, Spartanburg, little town called Chesnee, great officers.
I was able to share information and bring back information that’s gone implement procedures and protocols to the department.  It’s gone bring us along with what other departments are doing and I’m very excited about that.  We’ll  continue to try to attend those so that we’ll bring back that information.
Cottageville is small; some things kind of got swept under the rug.  It’ll stop.  We’re gonna change that, bring it up.
The other thing I would like to say is that I am getting some calls; people call me up.  I don’t have no problem they call me on my cell phone.  Anybody can have my number; it’s a public number but they’re calling me reference calls, things that should be going through the sheriff’s department, through the TCOs up there so it can be documented.  When you call me on the phone it’s not getting documented.  I send an officer around it gets documented but it’s not coming through the TCOs and they actually keep a log of everything that comes in so that when officers get dispatched they can say, hey, we’ve had three calls at that residence or at that business over the past month.  So I do urge the citizens of Cottageville that if you’re — even though it may seem trivial, like an animal case, a stray animal and stuff, still go through the dispatchers through Colleton County and they, of course, can dispatch me out.
If at all in doubt and don’t know if it’s an emergency but the dispatchers know or the communication operators know it’s not an emergency they’ll switch over.  They’re not gonna tie up that line but they’ll switch over to the appropriate, be able to get the information to us and, of course, that saves time and saves lives as well.
Last thing I was gone talk about is we are increasing our officer presence in Cottageville.  Pretty sure everybody has seen there’s been some new faces in Cottageville.  There has been.  We’re working hard, working with the mayor, working with Terri.  We’re going through numbers and salaries and stuff and doing whatever we can to crunch the numbers and make it happen and we’re doing it.  We were able to bring on more officers.
One thing I just got approval last week on is our reserve program and I have individuals submitting applications to our department right now to become reserve officers.  That’s unique for Cottageville because we’re getting citizens, really, from outside the area as well, not just within Cottageville but outside the area that are willing to volunteer their time, put their life on the line to save property and lives here in Cottageville and I think that’s outstanding.
I think it’s outstanding for what I’m trying to do here at the department but what the council, the mayor and Terri’s also trying to do and they see professionalism final coming to Cottageville.  Very, very good for us, guys, so I appreciate everybody’s support.
If you need me for anything please feel free to call me any way I can help you.
Have a good night.
MAYOR WHITE:     The chief did say about the tack incident.  I do want to let you know we had a car, this wasn’t due to the tacks.  We had a tire, we got a nail in one of the tires. They’re extremely expensive, so we’re just fortunate enough on this incident that we didn’t actually — I don’t think we actually got one.
CHIEF OF POLICE ROBERTS:     It didn’t go all the way through.  Luckily we were able to save without having to replace it.
We don’t patch tires for safety reasons because high speed, high speeds or whatever, a patch can’t be guaranteed.  So, therefore, it costs us and that’s money itself that could go to other programs, buy equipment, stuff like that but we’re spending 200 bucks on a tire, per se.  That’s $200 that could’ve went to the citizens.
MAYOR WHITE:     Judicial report given by Dawn Boren.
MS. BOREN:     Good afternoon.
There was an average amount of phone calls and walk-ins last month.
I’ve sent out notices for letter court for the month of May and people have already called and tried to take care of the violations before court.
The chief and myself discussed officers turning in a citation in a timely fashion so that our computer system can stay updated.
Judge Butterfield and myself have met on courtroom security, ways to keep our staff safe in the courtroom while the public is present.
I would like to thank Mayor George White and the town administer Terri Crosby including council for giving us a beautiful and safe municipal complex.
Thank you.
MAYOR WHITE:     Committee reports.  Peggy Thomas, revitalization committee.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     I don’t have a report at this time but I anticipate we’ll probably have a meeting sometime this month.
MAYOR WHITE:     Carly Strickland, emergency preparedness.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND:     Yes.
I would like to introduce y’all to a little friend of mine I’ve known for a long time, Miss Suzanne Gant who’s in charge of Colleton County Emergency Preparedness.  She’s the director and she’s agreed to come tonight and talk with us on a couple of issues for hurricane season in Colleton County.
I’ve known Miss Gant for a long time.  She’s very thorough.
(At which time a presentation was given by Ms. Gant.)
MAYOR WHITE:     Charlie Cook, public works.  He’s not here.
Rick Eustler, technology.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     I delivered a preliminary budget, figures to Terri for computer equipment for how ever you guys want to configure.  I have one provision which I spoke to her about.
MAYOR WHITE:     Thank you.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     You know, let me say, I don’t know if you put it in the works but we definitely need a PA system, probably sooner than later, so if you need help with that I’m happy to help you get those numbers together.  If you need help with that let me know.  I can help you with that.
MAYOR WHITE:     Sandra Addison, planning commission.
MS. ADDISON:     Mr. Mayor, my compliments to you, to town council and to your staff.  This is a beautiful facility and I can’t thank you enough.  I think it will be quite a good thing for our community.
Tonight I would very much like you all to recognize the planning commission because since January we have met almost every Monday night and almost every Thursday night.  We have read, corrected, shifted around ever single word in this 70-page document and I think that the commission does deserve some recognition.
Ms. Mary Crosby, please stand up so everybody can see you.
Debra Hardwick.
Miss Ester Womble.
Mr. Ken Ellington, who, unfortunately, has been ill for the last month or so, hasn’t been able to make our meetings and is still in the hospital, is my understanding.
We have read the minutes from the public hearing.  We have read and addressed all the issues that we could.  We have deleted some things; we’ve added some things.  We have corrected all of the typographical errors that we could find.
It gives me great pleasure to give this to town council for y’all to pass over the next two meetings, be over and done with with or without vision because we’d like to take the summer off and not meet again.
We’ve tried to seriously make as few people unhappy as possible, which is to say we know everybody won’t be happy with it but we have addressed everybody’s concerns.  We’ve looked at it, looked at it from the point of view the greater good for the community.
You owe these ladies a debt of gratitude for the hard work that’s gone in to this whole thing.  We finished 3:00 Friday afternoon with it.
So I hope that you all will find that the changes we made are gonna be what the town needs.
You know, of course, we will meet again but our plan right now is September for the next meeting.
Thank you.
MAYOR WHITE:     As far as council, what I plan on doing is sending y’all a copy of this zoning ordinance.  Y’all can have a corrected copy.  I’ll have that out for you sometime this week.  Swing by town hall and pick up a copy of it.  If we could have that back by the first week in June.
I’m sorry, I’m gone be probably out of commission the last week of May, so have it the first week of June I would appreciate it.
So, anyway, pick up a copy of that for review at town hall, I’d appreciate it.
And thanks again to the planning commission for their work.
MS. HARDWICK:     And, also, she had read to us that entire document word for word so we really appreciate her leadership that she had brought to the commission.
MAYOR WHITE:     Moving to unfinished business.
Ditch update.  Terri went ahead and completed the letters.  We did a — I don’t know if you remember from last month I had a little drawing up here showing a ditch that ran from Depot Road.  I call it the main ditch because what it does is it services all the guttering that we have on 17A and Terri prepared the letters we sent out to 14 individuals which were affected.  They’re people that actually own property along that ditch and so they’re out there.
Basically what the letter says is either we’re gonna clean it or you’re gonna clean it but it has to be done one way or the other.  I mean it’s boiled down to where it’s a health problem now and last time we had a major rainstorm we had, basically, two lanes of 17A open.
What I’ve also done is I’ve contacted the highway department.  I may have said this before but they’re supposed to clean out.  They said they would blow out all the piping underneath the 17A and also I put in for — to have the pipe that goes across Sally Ackerman, to have that blown out, the one that crosses down here by — There’s actually hard piping for some of it but that’s closer down to the BP.
I put in for or I have Elizabeth Allen who wrote the — couple of our grants.  She’s actually working on one now for the storm water.  She’s taken that to an engineer.  I was trying to think of the term that she used for it.
She has an engineer that they’re gonna look at that and then, also, I did get some contact from Mickey Seabrook (phon.), who we’ve used before, about that same problem, so he’s looking at that, too.
So, anyway, we are working to try to get this resolved.  I’ll have more information on the ditches next meeting.
I’ve also tried to — Depending on how involved we’re gonna get with this, two other things.  I talked to the GIS people up in Walterboro.  They’re working on a map for us.  They had elevation data where ever few feet they have elevation points in the town of Cottageville.  So they’re actually working on that map right now and then the other thing that — Well, we had them doing that and it was — Contacted several people that may be interested as — You know, our labor force that we used to have going around here cleaning up the ditches, they’ve gotten up in age pretty good so I have contacted some other people that may be interested in doing this work for us.
I’ll be coming back with more information, you know, either to offer them a part-time position to go ahead and do this but it’s not pleasant work and I just have to find out what our insurance says about that and that’s all I have as far as the ditches go.
At this time I would like to do the second reading of the 2009-2 Town Code Section 2.406 relating to filing fees for the election.  The filing fees for mayor should be increased to $250; the filing fee for the council members should be $150.
I’d like to go ahead.
It says this ordinance shall take effect upon the final reading.  This is the final reading.  I’d like to have a motion for approval of ordinance 2.406.  I’m sorry, ordinance number 2009-2 which is section 2.406.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     I make a motion we approve ordinance 2009-2.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     I second.
MAYOR WHITE:     All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE:     Ayes have it.
Proclamation for Municipal Clerks Week.  This is the fortieth annual Municipal Clerks Week, May 3 through 9.  It’s sponsored by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks and its purpose is to recognize and appreciate service performed by the municipal and deputy clerks serving.
I would like to go ahead and this is the proclamation, is, whereas the office of the municipal clerk is vital, a part of the local government exists throughout the world; whereas the office of municipal clerk is the oldest among public servants and I now, therefore, George White, Mayor of Cottageville, do recognize the week May 3 through May 9, 2009, as Municipal Clerks week and to further extend appreciation to our municipal clerk Terri Crosby and all municipal clerks for their vital services they perform and their exemplary dedication to the community they represent.  Dated this fourth day of May, 2009.
Resolution 2009.1 to adopt the town logo for the Town of Cottageville. We had to come up with town logo.  I hope this is acceptable to council.  The resolution for the Town of Cottageville to adopt official town logo.
This logo will be — This is part of the — We need it for the pharmacy plan that we’re trying to get in to effect.  They require us to have a town logo.
Whereas the Town of Cottageville council approves exhibit A; whereas the Town of Cottageville logo states grows towards the future, the town logo will be used on certain letterhead on the Town of Cottageville; whereas the new logo should be formally approved and adopted, now therefore let it be resolved that the town logo as shown on exhibit A hereto is approved and adopted as official by the town council for the Town of Cottageville.
Do I have a motion for —
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     Before you do that, George, I’d like to — I think we have some revitalization committee members over here but this is not gonna interfere with our camellia; that is the town flower.
MAYOR WHITE:     Right.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     So this is a different situation from what the revitalization committee’s been dealing with.
MAYOR WHITE:     I would like to say that we do need it; we need to get a proclamation —
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     Well, I was talking to Terri and we’re gonna do a resolution to do the same thing with the flower as we did with the logo.
MAYOR WHITE:     Thank you.
Do I have a motion to go ahead and approve resolution 2009-1?
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     I make a motion.
MAYOR WHITE:     Do I hear a second?
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     Second.
MAYOR WHITE:     All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE:     Ayes have it.  Thank you.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     I have a question about the logo.  Do you have it in electronic format?
MAYOR WHITE:     I think we do.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     I didn’t know if you had a professional person develop it.
MAYOR WHITE:     Yeah.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     I just want to make sure I can get it up on the website.  Change needs to be made there.
MAYOR WHITE:     Okay.  That sounds good.
Now, I didn’t make an announcement for public participation but if anybody would have a comment they’re welcome to make it at this time.
(No response.)
MAYOR WHITE:     Hearing none, I’ll call for a motion to adjourn.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     I make a motion we adjourn.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND:     I second.
MAYOR WHITE:     Our next town meeting will be June 8; June 1 meeting is cancelled due to conflicts.
Thank you very much for coming.
– Meeting adjourned at 7:50 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, May 6, 2009.
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 ninth day of May, 2009.

Notary Public for South Carolina
My Commission Expires April 23, 2017