Richland County Council meets February 5, 2008
By Mike Cox MWC423@bellsouth.net

Chairman Joe Mc- Eachern, Vice Chair Val Hutchinson, Joyce Dickerson, Norman Jackson, Damon Jeter, Paul Livingston, Bill Malinowski, Mike Montgomery, Greg Pearce, Bernice Scott, and Kit Smith were present.

Getting Down to Business

For the first time in a while, council approved the agenda and the previous meeting minutes with no discussion. There were no Executive Session items.

County administrator Milton Pope had Mr. Millhouse read the captivating Report of the Independent Auditor without giving the council an opportunity to ask questions, give opinions, or politically posture themselves. The council will have a work session to address any concerns involving the audit.

Red Light,Green Light

For a while, it appeared the most exciting event of the meeting was to be the reading of every word of each of the twenty consent items by Chairman Joe McEachern. The only discus- sion of any substance involved the proposed traffic signal at Summit Ridge Drive and Summit Parkway.

Bernice Scott was worried about the county getting into the traffic signal business and is afraid of the danger.

Animal Care

The council approved an animal care motion to coincide with Lexington County's equivalent. In order to have a public hearing on the funding, council approved the Memento of Understanding so Lexington can do their thing. If that happens, Richland will have a public hearing before they make anything official.

Sex in the County

The Development and Services Committee had an emergency meeting to discuss amendments to the Land Development Code subsection, which addresses sexually oriented businesses. A couple of such businesses have sued the county and are causing the ordinance to be rewritten. Among the questions was whether homeless shelters should be included in the type housing sexually oriented businesses are to stay away from. Don't those people suffer enough just being homeless?

I don't know about you, but it gives me a secure feeling to know 11 personally and politically diverse people who can't even agree on what roads to pave are responsible for the sexual practices of everyone in the county.

Waste Treatment

Richland County Utilities Manager Andy Metts gave an overview of options for providing sewer service to the Hopkins area currently being developed.

Columbia has refused to treat the Hopkins' sewage temporarily, but is willing to do it permanently. The county can build a new plant in Hopkins or renovate the existing plant in Eastover and pump the waste from Hopkins. A new plant will cost around $22 million and renovating the existing one will run around $8 million.

The county missed a golden opportunity to be ironic and chose not to approve option No 2. Instead they will lay pipe between Hopkins and Eastover and send it there; if the developers will give their approval.

No one spoke during citizen's input and the meeting was adjourned.