Regular Council Meeting of the
Latta Town Council
July 10, 2014
The Latta Town Council held a regular meeting at 7:00 pm on Thursday, July 10, 2014.  The following were present:  Council members Shelley, Drawhorn, Mason, Williams, and Reaves.  Mayor Pro-Tem Mason called the meeting to order, led the Pledge of Allegiance and offered the prayer. Councilman Taylor arrived approximately 5 minutes late. Mayor Bullard arrived approximately 1 hour late.

Election of Chairman of the Council
First reading of ordinance 2-12-120. “Each year at the last regular council meeting of the year, the council will vote to determine which member of council will serve as presider for Council meetings and to set any meeting agendas for the following year”
Motion was made by Councilman Drawhorn seconded by Councilwoman Williams and unanimously approved by roll call vote

Minutes from Regular Council Meeting, June 12, 2014
Motion was made by Councilman Drawhorn and seconded by Councilwoman Williams to accept the minutes as presented.
It was unanimously approved by roll call vote of the council.

Minutes from Special Session
June 27, 2014
Motion was made by Councilman Drawhorn and seconded by Councilwoman Williams to accept the minutes as presented.
It was unanimously approved by roll call vote of the council.

CDBG grant
Mike Hanna presented the results of the bid opening for the CDBG grant. Motion was made to accept the base bid plus alternates 1, 2, and 3 for a total of Motion was made by Councilman Mason, and seconded by Councilman Taylor. Councilman Drawhorn questioned if we should add option 4 as well. The motion was unanimously approved by roll call vote of the council.
Ms Herndon indicated that because of the change required due to the high bids, an amendment to the grant application must be made. The money will not be reduced, but we must clarify exactly why and what the changes will affect. There will be a public meeting during which the public will be informed. She will apply for a 6 month extension to enable the grant to be completed.

Signatories for Grants
Motion was made by Councilwoman Williams and seconded by Councilman Drawhorn that Brian Mason be the person designated as signatory for the current CDBG, RIA, and Streetscape grants with power to approve up to a total $10,000.00 in changes without further action from council. The motion was unanimously approved by roll call vote of the council.

Trees on Rice Street
A letter from Mr Cox was read. It addressed problems with trees on Rice St. Street.
Supervisor Snipes indicated that the trees need trimming and the mentioned holes should be filled with rocks. He mentioned that there are lots of trees in the town that need trimming and asked for guidance as to how to proceed. He will obtain estimates.

Authority over Personnel
Councilwoman Williams motioned that council accept the first reading of ordinance 2.08.060. it was seconded by Councilman Taylor and unanimously approved by roll call vote of council. It reads: “Each year at the last regular council meeting of the year, the council will vote to determine which member of council will serve as Administrator of the Town to answer daily question of employees, to handle the hiring and firing of employees with the approval of council and to authorize purchases by Department heads that are under the $1500.00 limit.”

Zoning Variance
Motion was made by Councilman Taylor to accept the first reading of the ordinance to amend the Zoning for Property identified as MBP104-12-20-18 from R-2, medium density residential, to GC, general commercial. It was seconded by Councilwoman Williams. It was unanimously approved by roll call vote.

CBT Project
Mr Donald Stroud and party made a good presentation relative to teen suicide prevention. Their group is conducting fund raisers and hopes to initiate a 24/7 suicide hotline. They requested the support of council and are looking for a building in which to hold weekly meetings. Members of council expressed their support and discussed various places in which meetings could be held. It was agreed that after the group gets fully organized, its officers would approach the council with its needs and every effort will be made to help them.

Zoning Board
Mr Jim Ellis is the sole existing member of the Zoning Board. Appointments are needed. Educational courses will be necessary.

Building Inspector
Councilman Taylor has spoken to someone and will notify council as to their decision.

Who-So-Ever Will
Ms. Annie Grace Rowell expressed concerns relative to the price of her water bill and the condition of the sidewalk in front of her house. Council is to check into the situation and insure corrective measures are taken.
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Mr. Houston Manning expressed concerns relative to the water at his mother’s house. A sample of the brown water was presented. Council indicated that this will be addressed as quickly as possible.
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Mr. Gerry Fleming expressed concerns relative to his water that was good until 6 months ago. It has a nasty odor.
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Ms. Hepsy Parham expressed concerns that she did not see members of council at civic functions or elsewhere around town.
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Tammy Taylor requested that a block party for Chief Moore be held.

Parks and Recreation Department
Mr. Sellers read his written report. He is working on programs for summer and planning on soccer for the fall.
He acknowledged the 10 and under girls softball team which finished as runner up in the State!
The 12 and under girls will play in the state championship in Iva.
He indicated that the park on Henry St. does need work. He has talked with the citizens in the area and has plans to improve the park.
Council indicated that a representative of the Town should accompany each team to the playoffs.
Council asked that the sign indicating that $1.00 payment to use the facilities be removed.

Streets and Utilities Department
Mr. Snipes indicated that our water problems are better but not totally fixed. We still have many old pipes that must be replaced.
He discussed the line that was found on Clio St. The houses on that street will be connected to the “new”  line that was previously unknown.
He indicated that the exceptionally high water bills are probably the result of leaks or outside spigots being turned on and left on for some unknown reason. He reassured all that his department is not intentionally increasing the bills.
Councilman Drawhorn expressed concerns about the traffic cones that are apparently abandoned around town. Mr Snipes will order asphalt to fill the areas around the cones.
Councilman Mason suggested communication to the public as to ways to eliminate leaks.
Mr. Snipes indicated that he will read every meter personally for the July bills.

Police Department
Chief Moore expressed her gratitude for the support she received which resulted in her being rehired.
She read the results of her appeal to SCDEW which were that the dismissal was appropriate and that the write ups were not valid. She requested that the writeups be removed from her record.
She distributed an updated list of contact numbers and requested that they not be distributed to the public.
She introduced new officers Russell Hubbard, Christian Pitman, and Quenton Johnson. All are residents of Latta.

Municipal Court
Judge Dupree commented on her written report which was distributed to council.
She commented on the new metal detector and the flat screen tv the town has acquired for the municipal court.

Fire Dept.
Councilman Mason read Chief Holt’s written report.

Mayor’s Report
The mayor requested a signatore for Water and Sewer related reports.
Councilman Drawhorn motioned that Councilman Shelley be authorized to sign for the Utilities Department. It was seconded by Councilwoman Williams and unanimously approved by roll call vote.

Councilman Taylor
Thanks all for their support and enthusiasm. He is proud to report that he has nothing new to say tonight.
He would like to see the town move toward accepting credit cards for fees bill and fines.

Councilman Shelley
He reminded everyone of the recycle center on SE RR Ave.
He is working on replacing Street Signs.

Councilman Drawhorn
The HOP fund needs to be used. He is looking for citizens who may qualify.
He welcomed all attendees and thanked them for coming to the meeting.
The neighborhood around is zoned R-2. Mobile homes can be installed there if the zoning conditions are met.

Councilwoman Williams
Wants council to consider, at the working session, policies for transactions at the bank.
She requested a monthly general ledger printout.
She requested that sales of 1033 equipment be placed in the drug seized account to be used to purchase police equipment. This was not voted on and is not considered policy at this time.
She requested department chairs approve reimbursements for department personnel.
She stated that the form of government has changed, and she hopes council will be able to make things better and is in no way on a vendetta to fire anyone.

Councilman Reaves
Thanks to all the citizens for their understanding and support.

Councilman Mason
Remind all council members that today is the deadline for finalizing campaign contribution reports.
The search for attorney continues.
It is hoped that and Eagle Scout candidate will adopt the street sign project.
The mayor has agreed to move out of his office promptly.
He made motion that working session be held next Tuesday at 7 p.m. It was seconded by Councilwoman Williams and unanimously approved by roll call vote. It will not be a voting meeting.

Executive Session
Motion was made to enter executive session by Councilman Mason, Seconded by Councilman Taylor and unanimously approved by roll call vote.
No votes were taken nor action authorized during executive session.

There being no further business, the meeting was properly adjourned.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for August 14, 2014 at 7 p.m.

Special  Council Meeting
of the Latta Town Council
July 15, 2014-7:00 PM
The Latta Town Council held a regular meeting at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, July 15, 2014.  The following were present:  Council members Taylor, Shelley, Drawhorn, Mason, Williams, Reaves, and Mayor Bullard.  Mayor ProTem Mason called the meeting to order, led the Pledge of Allegiance and offered the prayer.

Budget
Discussion relative to the budget was held. It was brought out that 1 mill is worth $2838.00.
There are many questions and much confusion relative to the budget as presented.
Tree trimming was discussed. Budget for this should be increased.
Councilman Mason indicated that he is most interested in combining the Latta Volunteer fire department with the Dillon County fire department to eliminate a duplication of services.
It was decided to schedule a public meeting for the Tuesday before the regular meeting to discuss the increasing of mills for tax purposes. Aug 5, 2014.

Grant Services
Kimberly Herndon addressed the current CDBG grant. The grant was awarded in July of 2012.
There was much discussion relative to the council members who voted but have a conflict of interest in the grant. It was decided to include this as a topic at the scheduled public hearing. CDBG has requested a letter from SLED which indicates that their recent investigation did not investigate anything related to the CDBG project.
Ms. Herndon will revise the grant documents to include option 4 for council to approve at the next meeting; will have a public hearing to indicate the changes and to resolve the conflict of interest issues and will obtain the necessary signatures to get the grant moving.
Changing the signatures at the bank to exclude the mayor and include the Chief of Police was discussed.
The ordinances to enable a councilman to perform as presider or administrator and to enable that person to serve as signatory for the town were mentioned.
There being no further business, the meeting was properly adjourned.

Regular Council Meeting of the Latta Town Council
August 14, 2014-7:00 PM
The Latta Town Council held a regular meeting at 7:00 pm on Thursday, August 14, 2014.  The following were present:  Council members Taylor, Shelley, Drawhorn, Mason, Williams, and Reaves.  Mayor Pro-Tem Mason called the meeting to order, led the Pledge of Allegiance, had a moment of silence in re and offered the prayer.

Election of Chairman of the Council
Second reading of ordinance 2-12-120. “Each year at the last regular council meeting of the year, the council will vote to determine which member of council will serve as presider for Council meetings and to set any meeting agendas for the following year”
Motion was made by Councilwoman Williams seconded by Councilman Taylor.
Discussion provided an amendment that a stand-in be designated in writing by the Chair of Council if he is unable to attend the meeting.
The amendment was accepted and the second reading was unanimously approved by roll call vote.
Councilman Taylor nominated Brian Mason to be Chairman of the Council. This was seconded by Councilwoman Williams and unanimously approved by roll call vote.

Minutes from Regular Council Meeting, July 10, 2014
Motion was made by Councilman Drawhorn and seconded by Councilwoman Williams to accept the minutes as presented.
It was unanimously approved by roll call vote of the council.
Minutes from Special Session July 15, 2014
Motion was made by Councilman Drawhorn and seconded by Councilman Taylor to accept the minutes as presented.
It was unanimously approved by roll call vote of the council.

Board of Zoning Appeals
Motion was made by Councilman Drawhorn and seconded by Councilman Taylor to appoint Jamie Campbell, Michael Bethea, Rita Hunter, Therolf Lloyd, and Jim Ellis to the zoning appeals board. It was unanimously approved by roll call vote of the council.

CDBG contract award
Councilman  Drawhorn made motion to award the base bid plus options 1,2,3,& 4 to Frank Horne Construction. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Williams. It was unanimously approved by roll call vote of the council.
Council people Williams, Reaves, and Drawhorn were permitted to vote because there would be no quorum without them and also because neither of them receive any direct benefit from the project.

Second reading of Zoning Variance
Motion was made by Councilwoman Williams to accept the second reading of the ordinance to amend the Zoning for Property identified as MBP104-12-20-18 from R-2, medium density residential, to GC, general commercial. It was seconded by Councilman Reaves and was unanimously approved by roll call vote.

Administrator of Council
Motion to approve the second reading of ordinance was made by councilman Taylor, seconded by Councilwoman Williams and unanimously approved by roll call vote of council.
Councilwoman Williams nominated Councilman Taylor for this position. There was no second. Councilman Drawhorn nominated Councilman Mason and this was seconded by councilman Taylor. The motion was unanimously approved by roll call vote of council.

Check Signatories
Motion was made by Councilman Drawhorn to make the signatories for the Drug seized, Drug transfer, and COP bank accounts to be two signatures of: Janette Dupree, Chief Crystal Moore, Derrick Cartwright, Bobby Jones, and the Administrator of the Council and his designee. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Williams and unanimously approved by roll call vote of council.
Motion was made by Councilwoman Williams and seconded by Councilman Drawhorn that signatures of 2 of the following be required for the municipal court bank account:Janette Dupree, Crystal Moore, Derrick Cartwright, Brian Mason, and Jarett Taylor. The motion was seconded by Councilman Drawhorn and unanimously approved by roll call vote of council.

Budget 2014/2015
Motion was made by Councilman Mason that the Town adopt the budget from 2012/2013 with no increase in the millage. It was seconded by Councilman Taylor and unanimously approved by roll call vote of council. This will serve as the first reading of the budget.

Codification
Councilman Mason Moved that we use Municode as the company to recodify our municipal code. This was seconded by Councilman Shelley and unanimously approved by roll call vote of council.

Who So Ever Will
No one spoke

Street Dept.
Harold Snipes  read his written report He discussed the DHEC fine and the additional testing that will be required to comply with the consent order.
It was agreed to spend up to $5000.00 to cut the dangerous limbs from around town. Price Tree Service was the low bidder at 75.00 per hour. Motion was made by councilman Taylor, seconded by Councilman Mason and unanimously approved by roll call vote of council.

Fire Dept.
Josh Holt  read his written report to council and asked for approval to add William Lane as volunteer to the fire dept. This was unanimously approved by council.

Police Dept.
Fire Chief Brown Read Chief Crystal Moore’’s written report. It includes a request from Dr Kirby for the town to supply an SRO on a temporary basis until the county takes over that function. It was agreed by council that our officers could fill this position during their off duty time.

Parks & Recreation
Jimmy Haselden read his written report and praised the various teams and their accomplishments through the playoffs.
There was discussion relative to how to handle funds that are raised by the different Rec teams.
There was also discussion relative the Rec program adhering to the published guidelines and not vary from them.
He has prepared a new registration document which was distributed to council for their approval. There was discussion relative to how much the town could afford to spend to send teams to tournaments.
The Honorable James Lockemy presented a check for $250.00 for the Recreation department. The donation was from Congressman Rice.

Audit
The audit was presented by Messers Munn and Pruitt, CPA.
It has an unqualified report – which is a good thing.

Councilman Jarett Taylor
Proposed paying no mileage for trips within the Town limits. This was unanimously agreed upon by council.
He also requested mileage logs be used in every town vehicle.
He inquired as to the status of our building inspector. Our current agreement has expired.
The Sled Investigation uncovered no issues. There are concerns over the accuracy of water bills.

Councilman Abbott Shelley
He requested permission to advertise the recycling center for 2 weeks. There was discussion relative to whether signs or ads should be used.
He also requested $1000.00 to purchase street signs. Motion was made by Councilwoman Williams, Seconded by Councilman Drawhorn, and unanimously approved approved by roll call vote of council.

Councilman Trudy Drawhorn
Requested signs commemorating the state championship status of the high school basketball team.
Henry St Park needs attention
Vacant Lots are overwhelming the town and need cutting. There is confusion relative to whether the town has the proper ordinances in place.

Councilwoman Lutherine Williams
She challenged all council members to compile a list of details necessary to insure that all jobs have backup in place for when they become necessary.
Personnel Manual needs to be updated. She requested budget reports be distributed monthly.

Councilman Brian Mason
Confederate veterans have asked permission to use Veterans Park on October 16. Council agreed that the park could be used for this.
Motion was made to enter executive session by Councilman Taylor, Seconded by Councilwoman Williams and unanimously approved by roll call vote.
No votes were taken nor action authorized during executive session. There being no further business, the meeting was properly adjourned. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2014 at 7:00PM.

Special  Council Meeting of the
Latta Town Council
Sept, 4, 2014-7:00 PM
The Latta Town Council held a special meeting at 7:00 pm on Thursday, Sept 4, 2014.  The following were present:  Council members Taylor, Mason, and Williams. Chairman Mason called the meeting to order, led the Pledge of Allegiance and offered the prayer.

Budget
Chairman Mason presented a proposed budget for 2014/2015 fiscal year.
Discussion was held relative to his proposal.
It was decided to correct some items on the budget and present it for the first reading at the next Council meeting.
The tree committee was discussed. Councilman Taylor is to pursue this committee.
Councilwoman Williams discussed advertising for a police officer to replace Myron Dixon.
CDBG paperwork is progressing and has required some additional information due to changes
Church contributions were discussed.
The DHEC consent order was discussed.
The international building code was discussed.
The zoning appeals board did meet. Councilwoman Williams is to coordinate with Ms Powell to make sure she is compensated properly.
A letter from former Attorney Greene was discussed.
The Community Center was discussed. It was suggested that the Community Center come under the responsibility of the Parks and Recreation Director.
50 mins
No action was authorized nor votes taken at this meeting.