October 2011

If you have attended a meeting in the month of October 2011, please comment under this blog and I will add it upon approval. This will help keep the community informed. 

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Fort Mill, SC:

Fort Mill Town Hall Meeting   10/10/11   7PM

 

1.     Presentation  by Dan Dodd for new athletic fields at Dolby Bridge Park.  The plan is to

        convert 10.5 acres into 2 baseball playing fields, with work to provide drainage on the

        existing field.   Cost of $1,365.m -- $1,549, million dollars.

 

2.     Brown Simpson of the Recreation Department received Ddistrict Award by the State

         for outstanding accomplishment.

 

3.     Budget of $8 million for the Town Budget, exceeded by $175,000. but outstanding

         monies due should bring them close to budget.  (10/1/11) fiscal  year.

         Detailed report, category by category given.

 

4.      Budget meetings for the coming year in progress.

 

5.      Joint study of Fort Mill, Tega Cay, and York County land use, with cost of $15,000. to

          Fort Mill was turned down.

 

6.      Mayor Funderburk stated that Fort Mill will be governed on non-partisan basis, with

          all decisions being based on what's best for the town.  No politics to be involved.

 

 

Gary Stafford,  Oak Initiative

 


These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Mecklenburg County, NC:

Please put your:

1. first name and last initial 
2. date of the meeting
3. county
4. highlights
5. meeting attended(city council, school board...)

We are just looking for highlights and NOT the whole minutes, what you think would be important for the community to know. Thank you very much!

September 2011

If you have attended a meeting in the month of September 2011, please comment under this blog and I will add it upon approval. This will help keep the community informed. 

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in
Fort Mill, SC:
 York County Council- Tuesday, September 6, 2011- John P.
Highlights:

• Tom Aggeles, Board President, A Place for Hope, in the developing Blackmon Road Community, Rock Hill, appeared to request support from the Council for an increase of $10,000 in funding for operating costs. Councilman Roddey expressed his support for amending the budget.
• The Council held a Public Hearing regarding an ordinance to redistrict and redefine the voting districts within York County through the reapportionment as to population of the seven single- member electoral districts within the County for the election of members of York County Council pursuant to the United States Census of 2010. This will codify the redistricting and reapportionment of County Council Districts in York County. Due to the 1965 Voter Rights Act, this ordinance must be reviewed and approved by the Department of Justice. The following individuals appeared before

Council regarding proposed ordinance:
Ø Glenn McCall, Chair of York County’s Republican Party, spoke in favor of proposed ordinance
and advised that both he and the Republican Party were in support of the County’s redistricting
and redefining of voting districts within York County. He stated the ordinance is “fair and
equitable.”

• However, Melvin Poole, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Rock Hill Branch, spoke in opposition of proposed ordinance and emphasized that the 2010 Census Report cited a 61k+ population growth in York County since the 2000 Census and indicated that minorities were growing twice as fast as the majority population. Accordingly, Mr. Poole requested that Council consider increasing Council Districts from seven to nine which would include the designation of two minority seats. He stated that 50% of South Carolina County Councils have 9 or more members.
• As well, Terance Murchison, an executive board member of the western York County branch of the NAACP, spoke in opposition of proposed ordinance and emphasized that according to the 2010 Census, minorities (Hispanic or Latino origin, African Americans, & women) are 25% of York County’s current population of 226,073. He pointed out there was only one minority and no women on the Council. Accordingly, Mr. Murchison requested that Council reconsider proposed ordinance to more accurately reflect York County’s racial and gender demographics by drawing district lines where minorities are the majority, and therefore creating an opportunity for increase minority representation on the County Council. Councilman Winsted reminded the meeting that a candidate must run to be elected to the Council; these are not appointed positions. Mr. Murchison is gathering documentation, including his words tonight, to be sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Regarding this ordinance, he proclaimed “the law will prevail.” 

• Discussion among Council members focused on their full reliance upon an expert in redistricting, Bobby Bowers, and his assurance that this ordinance will be approved by the DOJ.
• The Chairman asked for point of the order as to the appropriateness of a final vote on this amendment. The County Attorney clarified this tonight was the Public Hearing only and there will be a 3rd reading and vote on this ordinance at the next Council meeting on September 19, 2011.

• Numerous appeals for budget changes were discussed throughout the agenda. Councilman Roddey made a motion to amend the budget increasing the budget for A Place of Hope by $10,000, but no one seconded his motion and it died. The approval of the organization chart and budget for the Culture and Heritage Commission (including the York County Museum) was followed by more proposed changes to this budget.
• Five persons, who were not on the agenda, appeared and all spoke regarding the proposed Pet Differential Licensing and Tethering Ordinance, which Council member Roddey provided in his Public Works Committee report. One expressed opposition due to enforcement challenges and cost effectiveness. The others spoke in support. One focused the three prong approach including adequate shelter definition, non tethering, and licensing. Another emphasized that, although compliance and enforcement of the proposed ordinance may not yield desired outcome initially, Council should consider program’s implementation. The next person cited information from King County regarding success of Differential Licensing and the program’s positive impact on the decline of animal euthanization. She had communicated with several counties with similar programs. A volunteer, who works currently 40 – 50 hours weekly in an effort to save animals in York County, supported licensing and no chaining of animals.
• Regarding the proposed Personnel Ordinance amendment, which will allow Department Heads to reside within a 50 mile radius outside of York County, a person expressed that choice of residency is a personal matter and should not be governed by the Council.

Interesting Facts:

The Oath of Office for the newly appointed Board and Commission members concluded “. . . so help
me God.”
Of the 251 County vehicles deemed eligible for replacement this year, only 40 will be replaced. Jim
Baker, County Manager
York County currently expends $693,000 towards animal euthanization.

Curwood Chappell, a Councilman with a Biblical worldview, quotes from this meeting:

• “I trust David Harmon.” (County Public Works Director) regarding allowing County Department
Heads to reside within a 50 mile radius outside of York County.
• “We need to do more with less.” & “I’m no authority on the topic, but I opinionated on it!”
regarding extension of County vehicle use before replacement.

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 19, 2011, at 6 PM in the Council Chambers.

Council agendas, actions and calendar of events are at www.yorkcountygov.com. For answers to
questions, call 803-628-3954.




These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Mecklenburg County, NC:

Please put your:

1. first name and last initial 
2. date of the meeting
3. county
4. highlights
5. meeting attended(city council, school board...)

We are just looking for highlights and NOT the whole minutes, what you think would be important for the community to know. Thank you very much!

August 2011

If you have attended a meeting in the month of August 2011, please comment under this blog and I will add it upon approval. This will help keep the community informed. 

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Fort Mill, SC:

Report for the August 2, 2011 Fort Mill School BoardSubmitted by Larry B.

Key Issues Included:
1. Infrastructure construction and maintenance of the Fort Mill Schools and
Administrative offices is progressing very well. There is money to maintain
roofs, improve classrooms (The Biology building at Fort Mill high school,
improvements to the Fort Mill high school gym, the improvements to the press
box at the Fort Mill Middle School Football stadium, roof replacements at the
Fort Mill Middle School and the Gold Hill Middle School, roof replacement
at the Gold Hill Elementary School, and the modernization of the Fort Mill
Administrative Building (and bus parking lots) are examples of the construction
being implemented. There is ample money for these projects at this time. This
has to be monitored very carefully in the future if the economy continues to slow
down.
2. Standards for students have been upgraded to have each pupil in the Fort Mill
School system be proficient in English and Math. This is a new requirement, and
it will be impossible to attain. Will there be sanctions on the schools who do not
comply? This will be implemented in 2014.
3. Impact fee collection is progressing very well. So far $112,500 dollars have been
collected. This impact fee is critical for the schools to remain operating in the
black. This means the economy has to grow in order that we have enough funding
for the schools.
4. Property Taxes: $39 million dollars have been collected up to this June 2011.
5. The Budget for the school year will be adjusted to reflect the increase in revenues.
There appears to be enough money for this school year. (2011-2112)
6. The next school board meeting will cover the projected roll back of millage
taxation on rentals. This is very important for the citizens of Fort Mill.

Fort Mill Town Council Meeting – August 8, 2011 – 7pm – 7:25pm

Submitted by Gary S.

1. All members present – Meeting started with pledge of Allegiance & Prayer.
   
2. Previous minutes approved.
3. New legislation passed on size & location of electric signs.
4. New legislation passed on tattoo parlors & location permissible.
5. Council & town working on having local regulations in compliance with State laws.
6. Art Council received approval for Arts Fair, 11/15/11 – 10am – 5pm.
   Blocking off Main Street as before. 4,000 attendees are expected & it will show school students art as well.
7. Sept.8^th, Town Manager's Budget to be submitted.
8. Veterans Memorial Park to be dedicated – August 20^th at 10am.
9. Proposals submitted for repair of tennis courts (public).
10. Storm damage pickup hampered by tree stumps & tree roots which are too large for staff & equipment.
11. Next Meetings, September 12^th & September 26^th, including next year's budget proposals.
     

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 

Mecklenburg County, NC:

Please put your:

1. first name and last initial
   
2. date of the meeting
3. county
4. highlights
5. meeting attended(city council, school board...)

We are just looking for highlights and NOT the whole minutes, what you think would be important for the community to know. Thank you very much!

July 2011

If you have attended a meeting in the month of July 2011, please comment under this blog and I will add it upon approval. This will help keep the community informed. 

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Fort Mill, SC: 
Fort Mill Town Meeting – 7/11/11 – 7pm – 7:55pm
Submitted by Gary

All Board Members Present –

1. Prayer & Pledge of allegiance – moment of silence for Ft. Mill fallen Marine – passed minutes approved.
2. Budget report presented (8 months into the year) – 80% of budget already collected
   from tax revenue.. 2 grants (police & fire) are reimbursement grants.
3. Spring Festival – additional revenues and additional expenses – great success.
4. House of Representative – Ralph Norman was present. He will not be representing
   Fort Mill in 2012 due to redistricting. Brief overview – 9 public hearings.
5. York County – biggest growth in S.C., is the 7^th largest in retail sales, with Greenville
   the largest in sales.
6. August 2^nd referendum pending. Pennies for Progress – road modifications pending –
   delayed momentarily with Highway 21 bridge ahead of schedule.
7. Awarding of repair contracts to public buildings, due to recent hail damage.
8. Town Board approves ordinance against synthetic marijuana possession or sales.
9. Electronic signs being regulated
10. Tattooing location cannot be within 1000 ft. of school or church and must be in highway commercial zone area.
11. Veterans Park – dedication is Saturday, Aug. 20^th, as there have been construction delays.
12. Music and movies in the Park – August 12^th.
    Element of safety discussed over go-carts, handicap vehicles, and seeing what can be done to promote more safety, and possible regulations to restrict traffic on major roadways.

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Mecklenburg County, NC:

Please put your:

1. first name and last initial
   
2. date of the meeting
3. county
4. highlights
5. meeting attended(city council, school board...)

We are just looking for highlights and NOT the whole minutes, what you think would be important for the community to know. Thank you very much!

May 2011

If you have attended a meeting in the month of May 2011, please comment under this blog and I will add it upon approval. This will help keep the community informed. 

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Fort Mill, SC:
 York County Council
Monday, May 2, 2011
6:00 PM

Highlights:
• The new County attorney, Michael Kendree, was introduced. This was his first day in this new full-

time position.
• A representative of Rock Hill churches, which have daycares in area of new facility for homeless
men, expressed concerns about the facility’s lack of promised communication and for security
regarding the projected pedophile population at the facility.
• State Representative Ralph Norman spoke about the Culture & Heritage Foundation reading from a
letter from the State Senators & Representatives of York County. This noted the issue has taken far
too long to resolve and the public trust is key for this public entity overseen by the Council.
• A Pastor & a representative from Lifepointe Christian Church spoke during the public hearing on the
creation of an easement for emergency vehicle access (“deceleration lane”) to a fire lane. This will
be executed with agreement of Lifepointe, the Charlotte Knights, and York County. They expressed
concern with the details, but Jim Baker, County Manager, stated these items are not new and have
been there since the initial agreement was proposed. He also stated the cost to Lifepointe has been
reduced from $188,000 to $155,000.
• A great deal of time was focused on the Culture & Heritage Foundation. The Council has requested
financial information (“sources and usage of funds” & “ledger detail”) regarding activities taken by
the Foundation to build a new County Museum. This project has been stopped. The Foundation
has delayed providing the information and is inclined to have a third-party auditing firm gather the
requested information. The estimated cost of that action is $60,000. Several Councilmen expressed
disappointment and offense at the Foundation’s lack of timely response. More Council action to
come on this issue.
• An update on the Dave Lyle Blvd Extension project (estimated to be $165M) was provided by
County personnel. This 9-mile, 4-lane, limited access highway will run from the Galleria mall in Rock
Hill to Route 521 in Lancaster County. This project has been around in various configurations for
the last decade. Others involved in this are the Catawba Nation and Lancaster County. State will
largest benefactor from tax revenues from this project. There are funds from another project that
has stopped elsewhere in the state. The State Infrastructure Bank will have these funds available
making another attempt to fund Dave Lyle Ex reasonable. Councilman Chappell expressed his
indignation relating facts about SC and County highways & roads. He related the focus on new
and not maintaining current infrastructure caused many to walk the roads looking for work. He
expressed concern his children and grandchildren will experience such economic situations if the
Council (State & Nation) does not turn from spending like this project.
• Council is in budgeting process with a workshop Wednesday, May 4. All Councilmen received the
weighty financial plan book for review. Fiscal year is July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.

Interesting Facts:
• The York County ratio of county employees to county residents is the second lowest of the state.

York County Council – May 2, 2011
Jim Baker, County Manager
• The deterioration of the quality of South Carolina highways is reflected by the Department of
Transportation funding reduction to the current 6% of the state’s budget. Councilman Chappell
• The State Infrastructure Bank was appointed to oversee projects of $100M or greater for the State.
• There is a webpage for the County Manager: http://www.yorkcountygov.com/Departments/
DepartmentsAE/CountyManager.aspx

Curwood Chappell, a Councilman with a Biblical worldview, quotes from this meeting:
• In frustration with projected financial benefits for the County in a presentation by Gray Styers (an
attorney specializing in energy & land use law) on a proposed large upscale development near the
Catawba River, which is seeking Council support,
“I always bought the horse before I bought the saddle and always had a good ride.”
Prior to leaving the Chambers in disgust with the pitch for the Dave Lyle Blvd Extension (“Economic
Development”) project,
“You need to put money into restoring and maintaining the quality of County roads, not creating
new ones. We spent $1M on road repairs in my District and they have already deteriorated.”
John P.

Fort Mill School Board Meeting
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
6:00 PM

. A concerned parent expressed concern over the fact that French 4 and 5 has been
dropped from the curriculum. This was done due to budget cuts, however, she voiced
concern over the fact that the excellence of the Fort Mill School District is showing signs
of declining. Future budget cuts are certainly possible, and this could very well affect the
quality of education.
. Gym renovation, the modernization of the Biology room and related activities were
taking place at Fort Mill High School.
. Athletic field renovation was taking place at the Nation Ford High Schoo.
. Roof maintenance was being conducted in several schools
. Property acquisition has been completed in anticipation of constructing new schools in
the district. This is in conjunction with standard operating procedures in anticipation of
future growth in the area.
. The update of the Fort Mill Administration Building and the update of the School Bus
Lot and Maintenance facilities are taking place.
. The Grassroots Advocacy representative reported that the final education budget for the
stated had not been completed. This impacts the local school district.
. The State School Voucher legislation was tabled for this year. This legislation is
expected to gain momentum for the next session.
. The March finance report stated that the actuary figures indicate that the district is in
the red, however, more revenues will correct this at the end of the school year.
. Expenditures for March were $54 Million with revenue levels being at $51 Million. An
expected surplus should show in the future. This happens every year due to the revenue
collecting methodology and reporting. I will keep an eye on this.
. The actual cash flow was reporting at $4.5 Million at this time as compared to 5.4
Million for 2010. Again, this will change as revenues come in.
. A Field Trip Survey indicated that parents, faculty and students favor field trips in
conjunction with curriculum. Teacher dissatisfaction indicated that some of the trips were
too expensive, and that there was lost time in education associated with the field trips.
The following breakdown is how the respective school levels rated their favorite types of
field trips: 1.Grade School-Environmental sites; 2.Middle School-Museums and historical
sites and 3. High School-Social interaction and participation type field trips.
. Impact fees-The funds are showing positive growth. This comes from new construction
of apartments and houses in Fort Mill. This is very important for the funding of the
district.
.Enrollment: 10,402 (currently) and the projections were 10300. This is normal for this
time of year. The projection for next year is 10,700, and this does indicate future growth.
John P.

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Mecklenburg County, NC:

Please put your:

1. first name and last initial
   
2. date of the meeting
3. county
4. highlights
5. meeting attended(city council, school board...)

We are just looking for highlights and NOT the whole minutes, what you think would be important for the community to know. Thank you very much!

April 2011

If you have attended a meeting in the month of April 2011, please comment under this blog and I will add it upon approval. This will help keep the community informed. 

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Fort Mill, SC:

Fort Mill Town Hall Meeting – April 11, 2011 – 7pm – 7:20pm

1 – Pledge of allegiance, followed by prayer by Council member.

2 – March meeting minutes approved

3 – Zoning change request approved.

4 – Fire Chief acknowledged $1,175. grant from the State and also

$187,200. from the US Government for new fire department

clothing and airpacks and equipment. US Senator Graham

congratulated the Town for receiving the Grants.

5 – Memorial Park contracts awarded to low bidder – Work to be

completed by the July 4^th celebration,

6 – May 6^th & 7^th approved for town Strawberry Festival.

Note: The Fire Chief and Police Capt. BJ Kennedy were told of

those praying for them to do the moral and just decisions in

gov't. The new intern, who is to graduate from college May 7^th,

with a major in gov't, was given a copy of the Constitution.

The news reporter was blessed with “Oak” pen, as she

wrote the proceedings.

 
These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Mecklenburg County, NC:

Please put your:

1. first name and last initial
   
2. date of the meeting
3. county
4. highlights
5. meeting attended(city council, school board...)

We are just looking for highlights and NOT the whole minutes, what you think would be important for the community to know. Thank you very much!

March 2011

If you have attended a meeting in the month of March 2011, please comment under this blog and I will add it upon approval. This will help keep the community informed. 

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Fort Mill, SC:

Fort Mill Town Hall Meeting – March 14, 2011 – 7pm – 7:20pm

1 – Pledge of allegiance, followed by prayer by Council member

2 – Feb. meeting minutes approved

3 – Zoning requests approved.

4 – Town will transfer $500,000. to capital projects, allowed by law,

which would reduce next year's expenditures.

5 – Beautification of Mail Street accomplished with flowers and sod.

6 – Requests by merchants for expanded parking approved.

Note: 3 Town Board members given Oak Initiative pamphlets, as well

as Town reporter, as the opportunity presented itself.

 

 

These are the collected highlights for town council meetings in 
Mecklenburg County, NC:

Please put your:

1. first name and last initial
   
2. date of the meeting
3. county
4. highlights
5. meeting attended(city council, school board...)

We are just looking for highlights and NOT the whole minutes, what you think would be important for the community to know. Thank you very much!