Richland County Council meets May 15, 2007
By Mike Cox
MWC423@bellsouth.net

Joe McEachern, Joyce Dickerson, Val Hutchinson, Norman Jackson, Damon Jeter, Paul Livingston, Bill Malinowski, Mike Montgomery, Greg Pearce, Bernice Scott, and Kit Smith were present.

Presentations

Vice Chair Val Hutchinson and Bernice Scott proclaimed May 19 through 26 National Public Works Week. Director Teresa Smith thanked the council for all their support and invited them to an open house at the county public works facility on May 22.

Bill Leidinger gave the council a progress report on the transportation commission. He said the group has been working hard to study existing and long term needs. They are listening to public input and looking at national as well as regional solutions.

Sewer Discussions

County Attorney Larry Smith gave the council his opinion on the recently discussed sewer agreements in the northwest area of Richland County. Smith provided the council with information he said brought the ordinance in line with the secret court ruling from our shadowy past.

Mike Montgomery , in a sort of dueling lawyers, questioned whether the new language superceded the existing court order or supported it. Nearly every council member had something to say. The primary discussion centered on the actual sewer taps and whether five or 10 year limits should be placed on them. Montgomery, as has become his habit, saved the day. He proposed passing all three sewer ordinances without adding language making the existing court order null and void. He also asked for 10 year time limits on taps. The ordinance passed easily with those adjustments.

Citizens Input

Ed Vranik asked the council to remember their lofty desire to "work for the good of all humanity" and vote for the traffic light proposal. This will keep Richland at the top of the list, and an All American Community.

Agenda

An ordinance to establish a policy for installing traffic lights bogged down the council a couple of times. Joyce Dickerson was concerned about establishing a traffic light policy without a way to prioritize. Dickerson is afraid the process might become political, with council members fighting over red lights.

In the end, after way too much discussion, posturing, and politicking, Richland County established a traffic light policy. The county also has a process, sort of, for establishing which intersection gets a light before others.

Criteria will be established based on SCDOT procedures. Funding will be provided in two steps. An existing fund balance will pay for the first few lights and road maintenance fees will do so in the future.

The intersection at Summit Parkway and Summit Ridge Drive, which started this whole discussion, will be placed in queue until July 1. If no other intersections are brought forward at that time, the Summit intersection will get the first light. If others are brought to the table, the Summit intersection will have to go through the brand new process.

The council also voted, at the suggestion of County Administrator Milton Pope , to partner with Columbia for animal care. Under this proposal, Richland County will pay $1.2 million for an expansion to the present city facility and will pay $14 per animal for housing. A separate proposal to move the county toward non- lethal ways of dealing with strays was sent to committee. A proposal to partner with Pets, Inc. and Lexington County is the likely choice for this.

Appointments

Llewlyn Walters and Debra Jordan were named to the Employee Grievance Committee. Ulice Lance was added to the Internal Audit Committee, and Tara Robertson Hart and Angela Kirby

were voted onto the Township Auditorium Committee.