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MINUTES
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

COTTAGEVILLE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009
7:00 P.M.

Mayor White called the meeting to order, explained signing to speak during public participation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Members present were Mayor White, Council Member Thomas, Council Member Eustler, Council Member Cook 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 October 5 minutes and the special meeting minutes of October 26.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     I make a motion we approve the minutes.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND:     I second.
MAYOR WHITE:     All in favor?
(All council members indicated yes.)
MAYOR WHITE:     Okay.
Mayor’s report.
Good evening.
One thing I didn’t mention, Mr. Eustler just brought to my attention.  Make sure you sign in and explain on public participation sheet if you would like to speak this evening.  The sheet is up front.
When you speak please come to the podium.
Thank you.
Good evening.
I want to start by thanking the people involved with the Halloween program this past Saturday.  The police did an outstanding job maintaining traffic and safety.
I did get a thank you from the visiting family about the young children.
Also, it was nice to have Doug Mixson (phon.), one of our reserve officers, working with us on Saturday.
I also want to thank all the — We had the Mothers Against Drunk Driving representatives here.  We had Champee (phon.) from Safe Kids, Round Lodge 278 (phon.).  They did a Halloween program in the bottom of the lodge, and the Baptist and Methodist churches.
It was really a good event.  There was a tremendous amount of children out.  Our house finally closed up about 10 minutes to 8 and we exhausted all the candy that we had and I think that everybody had a good time.
But I do appreciate what the police officers did.  It was a safe event and everything went smoothly and I’m gone go from there.
Of course, the election is tomorrow.  I wish the candidates well in their efforts.  A lot will be determined tomorrow.  Please, I want you to find out what the candidates want.  Ask them where they stand.  Hiding from questions won’t make them go away.  The main thing a candidate must do is make themselves available to the people and find out where they stand.
I will say this.  Whatever happens the town still must have zoning. I’ve been approached by people that are interested in developing Cottageville and, believe me, they want to develop under the old ordinance.  Why?  Because there’s nothing there.
If we do not read and understand the new proposed ordinance and run it down because it doesn’t fit everyone we’re asking to get whatever comes along.  It’s not popular but it must be done.
A man came to me a few weeks ago and complained about a structure being built 15 feet from his property line.  It’s not a problem under our current ordinance.
You ask about a buffer.  It’s not required for residential, so so much for keeping Cottageville Cottageville.
It was not a mobile home and — I mean it was a mobile home placed there.  It doesn’t matter if it was a mobile home, a modular home or a stick-built home.  I’m not complaining about any of that.  It’s within 15 feet of the man’s property line.
I don’t believe 15 feet gives you the small-town feel.  Remember, a business can do the same thing.
Bottom line is we must come together as a town.  If you think turning in your town certificate is gonna make building permits go away, you’re wrong.  The county has them.
Will it make it easier if we turn in the certificate?  If you own a business, no business license fees and no police cars blocking your parking lots.
If you like dark, fine.  There’s not gonna be any street lights.  If you like crime, there will be no police presence except for in the county.
I asked you before to look at Jacksonboro’s police presence.  It’s an unmanned car in a parking lot.  If you think that that’s a deterrent to crime how come Jacksonboro had a day-late robbery a few weeks ago?
If you’re a developer, come on and push the limits of any county ordinance because the county lacks the manpower for code enforcement.
As I said before, I remember not too long ago of being at a county council meeting where people were complaining about a salvage yard being built so close to their residence.  The people wanted it stopped because it was noisy and there was stuff on the road.  County council turned a deaf ear to the residents and allowed the site to continue to expand.  Don’t think that this could not happen here.
All I ask is think about what you will be giving up and if it is such a good idea why didn’t we give up the town a few years ago under the same administration of the person that wants the town done away with now?  Why?  It must be one of those hard questions.
Think about it when it all comes to a vote tomorrow.  Our decisions, our choice.  Good luck to y’all.
In closing I want to read an old zoning request.  I won’t read the names but I found it in a resident.  Especially, it comes from someone who says they want to keep Cottageville small.  I think that some people only want it that way when it benefits them.  You decide.
This is from 1993.  Dear Council Members; There has been much discussion about how nice it would be to have a large grocery store in Cottageville.  It seems that quality commercial growth has been stagnated for at least for the last five to six years.  I believe it is time to encourage quality commercial investment and growth in our town.  The four acres of land I have just outside of the commercial zoning area will be an ideal location for this type of business.  It is wide enough and deep enough to allow for a business to locate with adequate setbacks, parking and buffer zones.  It would not interfere with adjacent properties.  I believe the following advantages will justify zoning change and will be in the best interest of the town if this property were zoned commercial.  It would, number 1, add to the property tax base; increase local option sales tax received by the town; allow commercial growth in a logical direction on highway 17A; increase the area available for the location of large quality businesses; greatly increase Highway 17A property values; provide much needed jobs for our local people; provide a convenience for our local people.  At this time I have no intention of ever selling this property and would not allow substandard business to locate there.  I ask you to review my request with an open mind and make your decision for the interest of the majority of the people of Cottageville.
The reason I’m reading this is basically that’s the same thing that when George Seago (phon.) came here that he wanted to do in the town of Cottageville and I think that these same points that were brought up back in 1993 are valid today and I agree with this zoning request.  I think that it is something that needs to be done but just like it needed to be done in 1993 it needs to be done in 2009.
On last thing, I want to read an article in The Post and Courier on Saturday.  It was on page 5D of The Post and Courier.
Disbanding Town is the Hot Topic in Election.  Cottageville.  One of the issues in Tuesday’s council election is whether to disband the town.  It is not on the ballot but it’s a topic of discussion on the town’s web site.  It was a question in a recent candidates forum.  The town of 700 residents has two gas stations and a Dollar General but no major grocery store.  Almost two-thirds of its $703,000 annual budget comes from traffic tickets.  The town is along Highway 17A between Interstate 26 to the east and Interstate 95 to the west.  Residents have been saying they’re tired of the speed trap but they disagree on what to do about it. It’s a major issue in Tuesday’s election in which four people are running for two open council seats.  Jimmy Ramsey, a former councilman, on the ballot helped circulate a petition calling for a referendum on whether the town should turn in its charter this summer.  Mayor George White said he was appalled by the idea – and I am – How am I supposed to work with somebody who’s ultimate goal is to do away with the town, said White, who is less than three years into his first term.  Ramsey said he would rather see the town disbanded than embrace White’s vision for growth but it’s not accurate he’s working to disband the town.  Quote, that would be my last straw, Ramsey said.  I never wanted to disband the town; I just merely circulated a petition so everyone could vote on it.  I believe 90 percent of those who signed the petition didn’t want to disband the town; they just wanted the mayor’s attention.  I think we got his attention.  White wants to start a water and sewer system to draw in new business and put a stricter zoning to guide.  Council Member Peggy Thomas who’s running for a fourth term supports new water system; so does Carl Null, a former truck driver, running as a write-in candidate.  Ramsey, a correction officer at the Colleton County Detention Center, opposes water system and zoning controls; so does Debbie McMillian (phon.), a candidate who owns a residential/commercial business.  The petition was put out by a group calling Concerned Citizens for Cottageville led by a former Mayor George Addison, a critic of White, who owns the Grand Central Stop BP gas station and a convenience store.  The group is pushing for smaller government.  Addison said he got a hundred and fifty of the required 220 signatures then put the petition on hold until after the election. If they make the moves to reduce costs and spending and reduce the need to write so many traffic ticket the issue would go away, Addison says.  If the petition gets enough signatures two-thirds of the voters would have to approve the referendum before the secretary of the state would pull the town’s charter.  Then Cottageville will become a community in Colleton County rather than a town with its own police force, mayor and town clerk.
And that’s all I have.  Thank you.
This time I’ll have the town clerk’s report given by Miss Terri Crosby.
MS. CROSBY:     I attended a census meeting in Walterboro.  I have some samples of what the form will look like.  It’s a very simple short form to fill out.  If the form isn’t filled out and mailed back to them they will send a representative by your house.  This will come out some time around the first of January.  It is very important that you fill out the form.
Also, I’ve been meeting with the forensic auditor and the South Carolina DOR concerning past finances.
On December 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. I Care (phon.)counselor and social security representative will be right here for anyone that is 65 or older to help  answer questions about obtaining Medicare and social security benefits.
MAYOR WHITE:     Terri, who is that that will be here?
MS. CROSBY:     It’s actually I Care counselor; it’s from the social security office in Walterboro.
MAYOR WHITE:     Okay.  Thank you.
And what is that date again, just so I’ll . . .
MS. CROSBY:     December 7, three to four.  And it’ll be posted on the web.
MAYOR WHITE:     Okay.
At this time we’ll have the police report given by Chief Shane Roberts.
CHIEF OF POLICE ROBERTS:     Thank you.
Real quickly, this upcoming week, November 1 to November 7 is Earthquake Awareness Week.  It’s declared by the governor. I know that all the local school’s gone be going through that as well but I encourage all the residents to have something in place with your family and so forth and put together a plan if something, an earthquake happens, which we did have one a few years ago in Charleston so there is a potential that you have a plan; if they’re at school they know what to do, if they’re at home parents and children know what to do as well.  So I offer that safety tip.
The Halloween, I’m very excited about Halloween, went really good.  I heard a lot of great comments and I know for a fact we’ve had a lot of families from the Summerville, Dorchester County area that came over and participated.  Lot of people came from Walterboro as well and, of course, the residents and surrounding areas of Cottageville came and I’m pretty impressed that the outlying area of Cottageville participates in what we draw in for that and, to me, it’s very positive for those outlying areas because even though you’re not in the town limits, like where Charlie and I grew up at, was a Cottageville address so, you know, be able to have something here in Cottageville that we can participate in and say, hey, Cottageville did this is very positive for the town.
I will say that it sounds like we had more people than we had last year from the amount of candy that was given out.  So everybody that I talked to seemed to run out of candy and had to go back and get more candy.  So it looks like that was good.
And good for the dentist, I believe, as well.  So if we get a dentist in the area, that might work out.
Last week I actually became firearm certified for the department so I am a firearms instructor for the department and that’s able to help us maintain our certification.
Once a year The State of South Carolina requires all officers to go through a qualification course.  I’m able to provide that for our department where in years past we had to depend upon other agencies to do that.  So that’s exciting for the department, just one more step that we’ve moving to show that we are our own department, that we’re moving in direction to be able to handle a lot of things on our own.
We don’t mind asking for help when we need help but there’s a lot of things that as a department we should be able to do on our own and training is one of those things that I’m happy to provide for for the department.
Anybody that’s gone by the police department has noticed that we’ve got an ambulance over there.  So in order to stimulate revenue we decided we’d start transporting.  We got that for the reason of transporting prisoners.
We’re gonna actually strip it down; we’re gonna put our decals on it, paint it up and so forth because on a number of occasions and also because we’re part of the law enforcement network in the fourteenth judicial circuit we go out and have checkpoints and we’ll lock up a lot of people and when we do that just the normal patrol car can carry two or three people, isn’t suffice.  So this will be a great tool for us to be able to place the prisoners in there to transport them safely.
Also it’ll serve as an emergency type vehicle for us, especially if we have like a tactical callout, so forth.  The vehicle is forward drive.  It is a diesel engine.  It’s got a lot of compartments on there so if we have anything from a barricaded suspect or something, you know, terrain, rough terrain we can be able to assist.
Also in natural disasters, earthquake, hurricane and so forth we can turn and utilize it for rescue operations.
The beauty of it is that it cost the town nothing.  We were able to acquire that from the federal government.  Uncle Sam stepped up to the plate and donated that and so, again, it’s a diesel engine, Chevy vehicle, 35,000 miles, pretty much brand new tires on it, forward drive, pretty much ready to go except for the decals so hopefully we’ll see that and I’m hoping that we’ll have it decked out in the time and be able to put it in the parade.
Last thing I have is — Actually, that’s the last thing that I have so give it to Dawn.
MAYOR WHITE:     Okay.
The judicial report given by Miss Dawn Boren.
Thank you, chief.
MS. BOREN:     Good afternoon.
We’ve had an abundance of phone calls about the Halloween activity and the holiday activity so that was really good that people were calling in to ask about dates on what we have going on for the holidays.
The judge and myself have been working diligently on preparing the dates and times for the roster meetings and jury trials.  We actually went up to the magistrate court in Walterboro and sat in on their roster meeting and we learned a lot so I’m looking forward to that.
I dedicated a few days to warrants, helping the police update active and inactive warrants and we still have a few more things to do but when we finish we would have updated warrants that go back to probably 2003 and once we put the warrants in our system they go to dispatch . . . (inaudible) . . . so it takes a lot to get all of them together so now’s a good time, at the end of the year for us to be doing that.
MAYOR WHITE:     Thank you.
Okay.
We’ll move on to committee reports.
Miss Peggy Thomas, revitalization committee.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS:     Our committee’s steady working on the events that are going on in the town.  We had a meeting last week and were looking at the events that we’re gone have on the fourteenth, which is the race and the health fair and we did not have enough applications for the race to do that on the fourteenth so we’ve had to cancel that and the same thing with the health fair so both of those events have been cancelled and we plan on working towards them for next year and trying to get some better dates than we chose this year.  We had a lot of competition.
But we’re steady working on the Christmas parade.  Last time I talked with Debbie we had 27 applicants which is a good size parade. So we’re pleased with all the events that will be going on that day.
The Methodist church is gonna be having their bar-b-que in the churchyard there and we’ll set the judges up in front there, just like we do every year and Santa, we’ll be doing pictures of Santa after the parade right at the Methodist church where we did it last year.
So we’re looking forward to a good parade.  It’s at 11:00 on the fifth of December.  So everybody get ready to line the street and watch the parade as it goes by.
We may have a few vendors.  We’re not real sure about that but if we have them and we know in advance that they want to come we can provide space for them so that’s not a big problem, if somebody wants to set up something for vending.
And we are already looking to things for next year and we will be meeting probably one more time before Christmas to go through everything, to be sure we have everything that we need.
And so we’re still looking for members.  We can still use some new members and we’re looking for public participation.  Whenever we have our meetings we’d be glad for y’all to come and give us some suggestions and everybody has different ideas about things that would work and we’re open and receptive to any suggestions that anybody would like to make.
MAYOR WHITE:     Thank you.
Mr. Carl Strickland, emergency preparedness.
COUNCIL MEMBER STRICKLAND:     I don’t have anything.
MAYOR WHITE:     We had a lucky year this year.
Charlie Cook, public works.
COUNCIL MEMBER COOK:      I don’t have anything at this time.
MAYOR WHITE:     Okay.  Thank you.
Rick Eustler, technology.
COUNCIL MEMBER EUSTLER:     Just been busy keeping the web site up to date so that’s — And, believe me, we’ve got more traffic since we’ve been posting videos up at the site.
MAYOR WHITE:     Yeah, I’ve heard positive comments about the videos being up on the site and I hate to say that I haven’t looked at the site but I’ve had people comment to me about the videos, which I think that says a lot.
Also the one thing I do want to mention along the technology line, this past weekend Palmetto Rural offered across the DSL lines the Clemson game so that was Clemson and Coastal Carolina game.  So that was actually provided.
They’re trying to get up their video offering but it also was offered to all the DSL customers so that was something that took place this past weekend.
That was through ESPN.
And unfinished business.  Ditch update.  I had talked to Ray Mullinonary (phon.) from the SCDOT.  We have a meeting on Thursday at 1:00.  We’re gonna go ahead and walk the ditches, find out what areas need to be cleaned.
In all fairness, Ray had tried to get me to do this in October.  I had a real busy schedule the month of October and I wasn’t able to do this.  So right now we have a plan for this Thursday.  We’re gonna go ahead and walk the ditches, find out what’s going on.
I’m also gonna walk the ditches with a perspective worker and see what needs, actually needs to be done, try to generate a report to find out what areas really need to be addressed.
Of course, the main concern is the ditch that runs from Depot Road on through to beyond the BP station and ties into the branch down below the Dollar General.