Local Radar

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Edgefield Town Council November Meeting

web posted November 7, 2006

EDGEFIELD – The Edgefield Town Council held their regular monthly meeting Monday night to tackle a rather short agenda. Councilman Bill Jackson was absent from the meeting. After dispensing with the approval of minutes of previous meetings Mayor Ken Durham gave the floor to Sharon Nunamaker to give an update on Heritage Holiday, a month long promotion of keeping Christmas shoppers buying from local businesses.

Ms. Nunamaker told the town council the group has raised close to $8,000 for the month long advertisement campaign that will begin next week. CBS affiliate TV12 in North Augusta will be in Edgefield this week filming the town for three commercials that will rotate throughout the month long campaign. Radio spots will also begin airing over the 30-day period on November 15 along with two billboards on Highway 25 on both ends of town.

The group will also be selling T-shirts and Christmas ordinates to help recoup some of the money spent for next year’s promotion. The items for sale should be available starting as soon as this Friday.  A two-page story will be appearing in the Sandlapper Magazine as well as South Carolina Magazine. Mayor Durham said he was “well pleased” with the amount of work that has been done on the promotion and that he was “very excited” with the progress.

The next item on the agenda was a possible contract with Upper Savannah Council on Governments (USCOG) to update the town’s comprehensive plan, which is up for renewal every 10 years. Mayor Durham told the council that they sough bids from private companies but USGOG came in with a bid that was less than half of the others received. The council voted to enter into a contract with USCOG for $6,000 for the new plan.

The council also approved a new holiday schedule for the coming year and new Bylaws for the Edgefield Fire Department. Mayor Durham said there were just a few changes in the wording to make some clarifications.

The council then approved a letter for request from Michael Medlock on behalf of the Christmas Parade. The parade will be at 1 pm on December 2, 2006. The council approved the request. Mayor Durham said the change in time from last year was in case the Strom Thurmond football team went to the state championship again.

Another letter of request for the use of the Edgefield Gym came from Lynn Rearden on behalf of the Relay for life. Sharen Fay spoke on behalf of the Relay for Life saying the event will still be held at Strom Thurmond and the gym would just be used as a kick-off. Mayor Durham stated he thought the group did a great job and encouraged the council to approve the request, which passed. Ms. Jaggers said Relay for Life has raised over $100,000 in the last four years the event has been held.

The next item was a recommendation for a new hire in the Police Department. Chief Ronnie Carter said the choice came down to two qualified candidates and his recommendation was to hire former officer Sam Pruett, who left the department to move to California. Mayor pro-tem Ellis said the Police Committee agreed with the recommendation. The council approved Mr. Pruett as the new hire.

Chief Carter also told the council that the department has received the approved Tazers and that all officers should be certified next week. He also presented the council with a suggested policy to be adopted in connection with the Tazers being placed into use. The change in policy will require two readings to become official. Mayor Durham asked that the recommended policy be taken as information until it could be reviewed. Officer will be allowed to carry the Tazers after the first reading.

Under the Administrator’s Report Olin Gambrel reminded everyone that Tuesday was election day and encouraged everyone to vote. Mr. Gambrel stated the sidewalk work has been completed at a cost of $27,000 and that the County had contributed $25,000 towards the project leaving the town with a cost of $2,000. Mayor Durham said he approached the county Transportation Committee for the funds.

Mr. Gambrel informed the council the Macedonia Project was underway and the first home was being worked on and should be completed in 90 days with a second home to begin soon. The Shanks Project is also scheduled to begin soon and should be completed by February.

The demolition of the Crest Building demolition is set to begin in earnest soon and should be completed by the end of December. The asbestos removal has been completed already. The concrete debris will be used to fill in more of the area at the soccer complex to add additional parking. Mayor Durham said when completed the parking area should be able to add 30 to 50 parking spaces.

Mayor Durham said he wished to look into the cost of trash pick-up in the town and see how it would compare to privatization during the Mayor’s Report. This was not a suggestion he said, just a chance to look at the numbers.

With no other business the meeting was adjourned.
 


 

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